DSS-Ch.04.03 — Degreaser / Alkaline Cleaner “Burn”

Degreaser/alkaline cleaner “burn” is an appearance change or etch caused by high-pH cleaners (e.g., strong degreasers, builders, ammonia/amine blends) contacting glass and dwell/drying on the surface. It presents as milky/grainy micro-texture in wipe vectors, sheeted runs, or pool halos. Classification is appearance-only per VIS (method-agnostic). Inspect after Non-Invasive Reveal under VIS lighting/geometry; record surface numbering and worked-surface status. Handle unknown liquids per site safety.

• Directional wipe lanes with terminal overlap lines; or broad sheeting fields with run legs/pooling shelves near sills and gaskets.
• In specular view: sheen/contrast loss; in raking: non-directional grain within the wiped/run footprint (not linear scoring).
• Often co-located with kitchen/service zones, construction cleanup areas, or where spray cleaners were applied and left to dry in sun.

Surface-catch class (MSRT)

• SC-1 (slight) to SC-2 (clear) on etched lanes/fields after reveal.
• Perform one light, non-marring pass on a representative interior area; polymer stylus if a coating is suspected. Do not “scrub-probe.” MSRT supports classification only.

Visual signature

• Wipe/run-organized geometry with soft interiors and clear overlap/edge contrasts; interiors read as grainy micro-texture in raking.
• No chip-flank sparkle (not mechanical scoring); no discrete fused nodules/pits (not hot-particle peppering).

Viewing / lighting

• Evaluate clean & dry at 12 / 36 / 72 in, with normal incidence and oblique sweep (~60°-120°); include raking macros to resolve grain and edge transitions. Record distances/angles in-frame.

Location / access

• Record pane ID and surface numbering (#1-#4; laminate-internal). If fixed parallax indicates a between-pane condition, classify CAT-5 by location and refer.

Mechanism cue (context)

• Evidence of spray bottles, degreaser containers, janitorial carts, or kitchen exhaust plume residue; notes of application + sun/dwell sequences.

Assign CAT by appearance + MSRT + morphology (three-part cueing). Depth ranges are indicative-field measurement not required.

• CAT-2 (Light): Subtle grain in narrow wipe lanes; SC-1; limited impact at standard view. Indicative relief: ~10-40 μm.
• CAT-3 (Moderate): Clear detect (SC-2) across broader wipe networks or sheeting fields; legible at standard distance; overlap lines distinct. Indicative relief: ~40-120 μm.
• CAT-4 (Severe): Pronounced milky/grainy matte over large areas (e.g., entire panel wiped and dried in sun); obvious at standard & wide-field views. Indicative relief: ~120-300 μm+.
• CAT-5 (by condition/location): Between-pane/inaccessible by parallax, integrity indicators (active cracks, pane movement), or confirmed functional-coating loss on the surface to be worked → CAT-5 (out of in-place scope).

CAT is appearance-based; acceptance is separate under VIS-A at 12/36/72 in. Do not “probe” with MSRT.

• vs. Adhesive remover staining (Ch.04.02): Adhesive removers show wipe vectors but typically leave a thin optical veil (SC-0 on clean substrate) unless overheated; alkaline burn more often produces SC-1/SC-2 grain on the substrate.
• vs. Solvent bloom (Ch.04.01): Solvent bloom tends toward soft matting with footprint-bounded shapes; alkaline burn often shows sheeting/run geometry with edge contrasts and more granular raking response.
• vs. Mineral staining/etch (Ch.03): Mineral issues reflect spray arcs/rings/runoff; alkaline cleaner burn aligns with wipe vectors or broad sprayed sheets and building operations.
• vs. Mechanical swirls (M.02.01): Abrasive swirls show arcs/tracks with edge sparkle; alkaline burn reads as non-directional grain without discrete pathing.
• vs. Coating anomalies (Co-family): Coating rub/patchiness shows sheen/color shift but lacks substrate relief; on a worked coated surface any anomaly is not permitted at acceptance (VIS §6.2.e). Confirm coated face.

• Photo set (VIS): 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal + oblique; include raking macros resolving grain and overlap/run edges; add context frames (cleaning supplies, janitorial/kitchen zones). Record distance/angle in-frame.
• MSRT result: One light, non-marring pass on etched interior; record SC-class (SC-1/SC-2). Polymer stylus if coating is suspected.
• Forms: Pane ID; product family & surface numbering; worked surface Y/N; functional coating present on worked surface? (Y/N/Unknown); reveal status; lighting/time; geometry checklist; photos attached.
• Acceptance split: Post-restoration acceptance per VIS-A §6; classification ≠ acceptance. Coated-face appearance rules apply per VIS §6.2.e.

• Ch.04.03 Degreaser / Alkaline Cleaner “Burn” - Wipe/sheet-organized etched field with [SC-1/SC-2] on surface #___, visible at [12/36/72 in] under VIS geometry after Non-Invasive Reveal. Morphology: grainy micro-texture with overlap lines/run edges; no chip-flank sparkle or discrete pepper. Classification: CAT-[2/3/4] by relief/visibility; CAT-5 if between-pane, integrity cues, or coating-side loss on the surface to be worked. Forms + photo set completed; acceptance per VIS-A §6 (separate).