"You have to clean glass all the time." I hear this sentiment a lot and it drives me a little nuts. Glass isn't the annoying pain in the neck that some people make it out to be. Think about how often you clean your home's windows. Once a month, maybe?

Cleaning glass deck railings can be as simple as wiping the glass down with a squeegee or spraying it with a hose. Another great aspect of it is that almost everything-including those marker scribbles from your two-year-old-can be cleaned off glass without damaging the surface.

Keeping Glass Clean: Methods, Tips, and Tricks

Glass is a great choice for your deck’s balusters. It isn’t painted, reactive, or coated so you can use a wide variety of chemicals on glass, and it won’t tarnish or fade like other materials. It’s not going to rust or corrode with exposure to common household chemicals, either. It’s true that you’ll likely end up cleaning it more often than you’d clean an iron railing, but it’s not as hard as you think.

One of our favorite ways to quickly clean your entire glass railing surface is to use one of the window cleaning tools found at hardware stores that look like a spray bottle and are designed to attach to your hose. These products spray the cleaner through the tool onto your glass. Then simply rinse the glass and you're done.

Another clever hack is to use a car windshield cleaner that includes rain repellent. Spray the cleaner on and wipe it off just like you would on your windshield, and it will keep your glass railings clean for quite a while.

You can also make your own dish soap solution or vinegar-based cleaning solution. Vinegar-based cleaners are ideal for people with a sensitivity to chemicals. But be careful about getting it on your railing's posts and top and bottom rails, as vinegar can react with metals or may damage the metal's coating. Manufacturers generally suggest using a pH neutral cleaner such as a mild soap solution for cleaning powder-coated surfaces. Petroleum-based chemicals, commercial cleaners, and vinegar may damage the coating and void the warranty.

If you're a parent with a budding artist for a toddler, glass may make your life easier since markers, crayon, and chalk all clean off glass easily. For most artistic tools your kid gets their hands on, your glass cleaner of choice should do the job just fine. Tougher marks like permanent marker can be removed easily with acetone-based cleaners and even toothpaste.

Avoid using razor blades on your glass railing for any reason. While tempered glass is strong, a razor blade can easily cause surface damage, and afterwards any dirt or stains that get in the scratch will be much harder to clean.

The Best Places for Glass Railings

Glass offers not only a unique style and appearance but also offers a couple of unusual perks:

• It can be installed into a variety of railing materials like wood, aluminum, composite, vinyl and steel

• Full sheet glass infills don’t let wind through, and the glass warms the deck space, making this style perfect for chilly climates.

• Whether you choose glass balusters or full panels, both styles remove obstructions and improve the view from your deck. This also opens up your deck area and makes it feel larger.

• Glass is also a good choice if you don't have the time to keep up with the maintenance required of other railing materials, like wood. In fact, short of hard impacts, there aren't many issues to worry about with glass. It's not going to rust or corrode, and most stains and debris can be removed easily.

Where You Shouldn’t Use Glass

While glass is a very versatile material, there are some situations that make glass less practical:

• If you lived in an area that is already warm, avoid full panel glass railings as they make the deck area even hotter. Instead, try glass balusters, which don't block the breeze as much or trap as much heat.

• While glass may be easy to clean, dirt can still be visible. If your location has a lot of dirt or soot in the air from nearby industry or the environment, your glass may get dirty often. The remedy for this may just be a simple rinsing with the hose, but if you don't want to do any cleaning, glass may not be for you.

• If you live out in the country, and especially if your deck is located high up, there is always the chance that birds may fly into the railing. There are some solutions to this, such as mounting a fake hawk, owl, or eagle on your deck, but in time birds tend to ignore this solution. Placing a decal on the glass or positioning plants and furniture near the railing may also help.

• You'll also want to keep in mind that while tempered glass is strong, it's not indestructible and may scratch. Because of this, glass is not ideal for areas where it might get bumped by heavy objects with sharp corners. For most people, this won't be an issue; just make sure your big shiny grill and concrete planter are well secured and unlikely to fall over.

Finding Easy-to-Install and Easy-to-Clean Glass Railings

A lot of people start out with doubts about glass, but once they give it a try, they’re hooked. Want to jump on the glass bandwagon and see what the excitement is all about? Fortress Building Products offers unique, easy to assemble, drop-in full glass and glass baluster-style railings. Fortress® also offers other outdoor products like decking, fasteners, stains, and fencing materials.