How to Clean and Care for Acrylic Signs (Without Scratching or Clouding)

To clean an acrylic sign, dust it first, then wipe it gently with a microfibre cloth dampened in mild, soapy, lukewarm water, and blot it dry. That's all it needs. Never use kitchen roll, ammonia-based glass cleaner or acetone, and keep alcohol away from it too.

Most people only look this up once something has already gone slightly wrong: the welcome sign has come home from the venue covered in fingerprints, or a quick wipe with whatever was under the sink has left it looking duller than it did on the day. The good news is that acrylic is easy to look after once you know why it behaves the way it does. A careful routine takes a couple of minutes and keeps a sign clear for decades.

What do you need to clean an acrylic sign?

Very little. Two soft microfibre cloths, one for washing and one for drying, a bowl of lukewarm water and a few drops of mild washing-up liquid. A soft, clean make-up brush or a dry microfibre cloth is useful for dusting, especially around raised lettering. It's deliberately gentle, because the risks with acrylic come from doing too much rather than too little.

How to clean an acrylic sign, step by step

The order matters more than the products. Each step exists to stop the next one doing harm.

1. Dust first. Sweep away dust and grit with a dry microfibre cloth or soft brush. This is the step people skip and the one that matters most, because household dust contains tiny hard particles that act like sandpaper once you press a wet cloth over them.
2. Mix a gentle solution. A few drops of washing-up liquid in lukewarm water. Not hot, which does nothing extra and isn't kind to layered pieces.
3. Dampen, don't soak. Wring the cloth out so it's damp rather than dripping, so water doesn't run behind raised lettering.
4. Wipe gently in straight lines. Light pressure, no scrubbing. Straight strokes are less likely than circles to leave visible swirl marks.
5. Blot dry. Press a clean, dry microfibre cloth onto the surface rather than rubbing it. Blotting avoids streaks and reduces the static that pulls fresh dust straight back onto the sign.

Around raised mirror-gold lettering, use the tip of a damp cloth to clean between the letters rather than wiping across their edges, and never pick at them with a fingernail.

Why the usual cleaners do damage

Acrylic looks like glass, so it's natural to clean it like glass. That's where most damage comes from, and it helps to know why, because then you won't need a list to remember it.

The first reason is hardness. Acrylic's surface is softer than glass, so anything mildly abrasive leaves a mark. Kitchen roll and tissues feel soft, but they're made from wood fibres that are rougher than they seem, and dragged across acrylic they leave fine scratches that show up as a haze in side light. Scouring pads and cream cleansers are far worse.

The second is chemistry. Many glass cleaners contain ammonia, which can cloud the surface. Acetone, the main ingredient in most nail varnish removers, dissolves acrylic outright: a single wipe can leave a soft, smeared patch that won't polish out. Alcohol is subtler. It can cause crazing, a web of tiny cracks across the surface, and it tends to start where the material is under stress. Laser-cut edges carry a little stress from the heat of cutting, which is why an alcohol wipe or hand-sanitiser spray near the edge of a sign is a particularly bad idea.

If you're unsure about a product, leave it out. Mild soapy water deals with almost everything a sign will meet.

Fingerprints, tape marks and the morning after

Say your welcome sign comes home on the Sunday after the wedding. It has fingerprints across the front where guests touched it for photos, a smear of something from the cake table, and a strip of tape residue on the back where someone fixed a ribbon. Here's how we'd approach it.

Dust it first, as always, then wipe the fingerprints and smear with your damp, soapy cloth and blot dry. For the tape residue, lay the soapy cloth over the mark and leave it for a minute to soften the adhesive, then wipe gently and repeat if needed. Resist the urge to reach for a solvent or a scraper, because both will do more damage than the residue ever could. Frosted acrylic hides fingerprints far better than clear, but it's cleaned in exactly the same way.

If your sign has mirror-gold acrylic, remember that its reflective layer sits on the back of the sheet. Clean the front as normal, but never scrub the back, as scratches there show straight through.

What about scratches?

Prevention is far easier than repair. Most scratches come from dusty cloths, kitchen roll or signs stacked against each other in a car boot. Very light scuffs are often much less visible once the sign is clean and dry, so clean it properly before deciding anything is wrong. Polishing compounds used without practice can leave a patch that draws the eye more than the scratch did, so for anything deeper, we'd suggest getting in touch rather than trying a home fix.

Storing your sign, and caring for the oak stand

If you're storing a sign rather than hanging it, keep it upright or lying flat, never leaning at an angle under weight, which can make a large sheet bow over months. Wrap it in a soft cloth rather than pressing bubble wrap straight onto raised lettering, never stack signs face to face without something soft between them, and choose a dry place away from direct heat. A wardrobe is better than a loft that bakes through the summer. The same thinking applies to acrylic baubles, which spend most of the year in a box, and our guide to personalised Christmas baubles has more on keepsake decorations.

Our welcome signs come with a solid oak stand, and wood needs slightly different care. Dust it with a dry, soft cloth. If it needs more, use a cloth that's barely damp and dry it straight away. Don't soak it, leave it standing in water or keep it next to a radiator, because oak moves with moisture and heat.

Acrylic is petroleum-based and not biodegradable, so the best outcome for any sign is a long life in use. Our guide to what laser-cut acrylic is explains the material, including what's true about recycling it.

How we make it

Every sign we make is laser cut and made by hand in our UK studio, and bespoke wedding signs are proofed before cutting. Acrylic surfaces may arrive with a protective film for the journey, so peel it off just before you display your piece. You can see the full process in how personalisation works.

Made to be kept

Our wedding signs start from £48 and are made in 5 mm acrylic with mirror-gold lettering and a solid oak stand included, so they're built to last long after the day. If you're still planning, our complete guide to wedding signs covers every sign you might need.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to clean an acrylic sign?

Dust it first, then wipe gently with a microfibre cloth dampened in mild, soapy, lukewarm water. Blot it dry with a second clean cloth rather than rubbing.

Can I use glass cleaner on acrylic?

No. Many glass cleaners contain ammonia, which can cloud acrylic. A few drops of washing-up liquid in lukewarm water is all you need.

Can I use alcohol or acetone on acrylic?

Avoid both. Acetone dissolves acrylic, and alcohol can cause crazing, a web of fine cracks in the surface.

Why shouldn't I use kitchen roll on acrylic?

Paper towels and kitchen roll are more abrasive than they feel and can leave fine scratches. Use a soft microfibre cloth instead.

Dust first, wipe gently, blot dry, and keep the glass cleaner for the windows.