Looking for Windex alternative in UK

[C0y0te]

So I have my Skull Classroom in a Box sitting there waiting to be started but I can't find a replacement for Windex to do the texturing. I can buy it on Amazon for a mere £69 (!!!!!) but that isn't going to be happening. Anyone in the UK know of something ammonia based that is available?

 

[Mr.Micron]

You can just use ammonia and water mixed at 10% ammonia to 90 % water , you can mix it stronger if need be

 

[Ricky Spanish]

Windolene is another decent alternative.

 

[DaveG]

I'm in the States, but... isn't it called Windowlene in the UK?

 

[C0y0te]

Ammonia is not readily available in the UK because of EU directives. All the information I find about Windolene is that it does not contain ammonia. At least not here in the UK. :depressed:

 

[Malky]

This is probably closer to what you need.

www.amazon.co.uk/GLASSEX-Glass-Cleaner-Ammonia-Pieces/dp/B01M8G8NK4

Or you can ask at the pharmacy for ammonia to make the mix @Mr.Micron mentioned.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Ammonia is not readily available in the UK because of EU directives. All the information I find about Windolene is that it does not contain ammonia. At least not here in the UK. :depressed:

I guess too many of you all were mixing Iodine and ammonia together !!

 

[Clive Stevens]

I guess too many of you all were mixing Iodine and ammonia together !!

 

[Malky]

I guess too many of you all were mixing Iodine and ammonia together !!

Here in the UK ammonia was used by painters and decorators for cleaning surfaces to be painted after sanding, the mix at the time was similar to your suggestion, but the priblem with ammonia in just about any mix is that if you breath too much of the fumes in it will burn the membrane between your nostrils, breathing it in at full concentration could actually kill you, it was banned in the UK more than forty years ago by the UK powers, it wasn't until 2011 it was banned in the rest of Europe due EU regulations, tgey were still using it while was working in Holland before 2011 but I refused to use it and instead used a safer alternative, in Holland I worked with a lot of Dutch colleagues who talked like they were speaking out of their noses, they seemed to happily use whatever the boss handed them without question.

 

[Vladimir]

Or you can ask at the pharmacy for ammonia to make the mix @Mr.Micron mentioned.

Wanted to say the same thing. I think it would give you even more space to experiment.

I guess too many of you all were mixing Iodine and ammonia together !!

Yeah! That was fun Putting wet filtered mix on the heater (definitely to dry it out) at home in winter time caused my laugh when someone was curious about what was there lying on the heater

 

[Mr.Micron]

Wanted to say the same thing. I think it would give you even more space to experiment.




Yeah! That was fun Putting wet filtered mix on the heater (definitely to dry it out) at home in winter time caused my laugh when someone was curious about what was there lying on the heater

I am so glad I am not the only one who knows what that mixture can do

 

[C0y0te]

Found some household ammonia on Amazon which will allow for some experimenting as advised by Mr. Micron. Hurry up postie!

 

[Malky]

Found some household ammonia on Amazon which will allow for some experimenting as advised by Mr. Micron. Hurry up postie!

I personally think that's the way to go since you will only be using the main necessary chemical and avoiding anything else in the glassex that might be nasty.

 

[JackEb]

Rubbing alcohol , Nail polish remover, 99% isopropyl alcohol (self tanning places sell it for cleaning)

A bit of experimentation will find an alternative.

 

[jord001]

I was going to say iso or acetone, both very easy to get here in the uk, i have 5l of both and not very expensive.

 

[Clive Stevens]

Am I missing something here about texturing with windex?

 

[Malky]

Am I missing something here about texturing with windex?

I believe that the skull tutorial mentioned at the start of this thread involves creating micro textures by spraying Windex onto a base colour obviously causing a reaction that will facilitate the the desired texture, I'm assuming Windex is used mainly for its ammonia content, which makes me think that using either nail polish remover or iso might be too aggressive or have a different effect altogether.

I've read here elsewhere that some students of Marissa mention spraying airbrush cleaner for similar purposes, I use to have some chemical blending markers in my drawing kit that would also create different textures or effects both on graphite and water based paints, however, again I found these way too aggressive and they left the areas they were used on too soft and easy to damage even weeks after they appeared to be dry.

I remember while working in Holland, a German colleague mistakenly added ammonia (he thought it was turps) to oil based paint used to finish 25 front doors in a block of flats, the ammonia stopped the paint from drying and every single door had to be stripped back to bare wood as a result, so naturally this event would make me very wary of using chemicals on artwork and such.

I've had bad sensitive lungs for many years which is why I refused to use ammonia for cleaning in my job, ammonia is the main ingredient used in medicines to treat mosquito bites, but simple lemon juice does exactly the same job, lemon candles and burners are used to keep mosquitos away from camping areas and I know they used them in the outside seating areas in Dutch pubs to excellent effect.

 

[Clive Stevens]

Thanks for that Malky

 

[JackEb]

Spraying chosen product onto lint free cloth/paper towel and dabbing onto Fresh paint will also produce a grunge type texture

 

[C0y0te]

Yes , the reason I asked for an ammonia based replacement for Windex is because that is what is stipulated in the original tutorial. I have access to rubbing alcohol and acetone already but they don't work with the paints provided.

In this case the artwork is sprayed on directly as Malky suggested. There is a an organic texture stencil supplied for those of us who can't get ammonia but it isn't - as Dru himself points out - nearly as subtle in it's variations. Apparently Createx reducer works; but only to a limited degree. Only ammonia does what ammonia does according to the instructions from Dru. I have now managed to get a 500ml bottle of ammonia and will mix up my own solution as Mr. Micron originally advised. It was £4 and free postage from Amazon UK.