Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass

What is self cleaning glass and how does it work?
The active coating on the outside of the glass absorbs ultraviolet light from the sun. This causes a reaction on the surface which breaks down and loosens dirt. The coating causes falling water to 'sheet' on the surface. This prevents the formulation of droplets (and droplet drying marks), and allows rainfall (or a hose if you get impatient during a dry spell!) to wash the dirt away.

It takes a period of several days exposure to UV light for the glass to activate itself. The glass should be left alone for this period in order to achieve the optimum self-cleaning effect.

The glass will loosen dirt and break it down over a period of time, making it easy to hose away. Particularly heavy soiling will be much easier to remove, using a soft cloth and warm soapy water, followed by rinsing clean. The coating will then naturally reactivate after a few days to recover.