Cleaning Neon

[gorrister]

I just picked up a great old Fort Pitt neon sign that was obviously in a bar for many years. What are the recommendations for cleaning the neon tubes that actually light up without damaging them? Thanks!

[Jim Romine]

Greased Lightning cuts nicotine amazingly well. Most neons have standoffs that keep the tubes from touching the window where they were hung, so you can lay the neon face down on an old towel and CAREFULLY spray GL on the tubes. You'll throw the towel away afterwards, trust me!. Once you get the majority of the shmegma off the tubes, let it dry, and then CAREFULLY wipe the tubes down with a damp rag to remove the residue. You may go through a couple cycles of this, and don't be in a hurry. NEVER plug it in unless its completely dry! Be extra careful around the transformer, it hates to be wet.
Before you start, make sure the thin wires tying the tubes to the frame are all there. They give the tubes the rigidity they need. You can't flex the tubes! Replace any that are missing before you clean.
Please post before and after pics!
Jim

[Can Dr.]

Send us a picture. Neon is not complicated, and not hard to work on. Depending on the condition there are different approaches to cleaning. At Cassco Sign, with well over 100,000 neon sign repairs, we will get you where you need to be.

[Joe Older]

I can vouch for the Can Dr.'s repair work! He does an awesome job and will treat you right. He repaired this one for me, it's the only one known. I would not have trusted anyone else with it.

[backbar]

I always remove the neon from the frames and spray them down with simple green then scrub lightly with an old tooth brush. Rinse and repeat.