How Do You Get Suction Cups To Stick To Windows?

The suction cup is undoubtedly one of the most effective inventions, but also the most disconcerting. Who has not already been annoyed by a suction cup that does not hold or comes off after a few hours?

However, in the bathroom, the kitchen, and also in cars to hold GPS and other mobile phones, the best suction cups are on paper an excellent ally, when you can’t or don’t want to use screws.

They are also very suitable for glazing activities such as glass lifting or serving as heavy-duty handles for lifting installed glass windows or opening glass doors.

Faced with a recalcitrant suction cup, or vacuum pads (mostly used as tools in industrial settings) the reflex of most of us is to moisten it, in a more or less elegant way.

This is not necessarily enough. Other solutions therefore exist and make it possible to maximize the effectiveness of the suction cup.

 

 

 Understand How A Suction Cup Works To Better Place It

You should know that a suction cup is held together by atmospheric pressure. When it is simply placed on a surface, the suction cup does not catch automatically. It is only when you make a pressure movement, thus evacuating all the air available under the suction cup that it will hang.

In reality, by pressing the suction cup and expelling the air, the atmospheric pressure present between the suction cup and the fixing surface is reduced to nothing.

The suction cup sticks because the pressure present between it and the surface is different from the ambient atmospheric pressure.

Now we understand why a suction cup can only be positioned on a perfectly flat surface, such as tiles or glass. When placed on a rough surface such as wood, for example, air can rush in. The atmospheric pressure gradually becomes identical inside and outside the suction cup, finally taking it off.

For the same reason, on tiles, the suction cup must be fully positioned on a single tile and not straddling several. To maximize the hold of the suction cup, care must be taken to evacuate as much air as possible.’

 

Step By Step Guide to Permanently Getting Suction Cups Sticking To Windows

 

A major reason why your heavy-duty suction cup refuses to stick and stays stuck may be because of the surface you are sticking it to. Are you using a curved, round, or rough surface suction cup? If the answer is yes, then you need to look for a flat, even surface.

A glass window or door is suitable especially when the suction pad is to be stuck to class during a glazing activity. Some other surfaces suitable for suction cups adhesion are stainless steel, Formica, hard plastic, and mirror.

Suction cups would not attach easily to porous surfaces because the surface would have some air pockets that would prevent it from bonding perfectly.

 

2. Clean the surface thoroughly

After choosing your perfect surface, the next step to take is to clean the surface. This is because if there is lingering debris, freeze, or dirt particles on the surface, they would prevent the suction cups from sticking perfectly to the surface. In short, the first can be said to be in the way.

First, scrub the surface thoroughly with soap and water. If you are cleaning glass windows or doors, you would have to be more careful to avoid leaving scratches on the glass surface or breaking.

Therefore, make sure the cleaning is thorough but also gentle. The goal is to achieve a clean surface at the end of the activity. After this, you need to clean the surface with a lint-free cloth.

When you’re done cleaning, you have to take another step by wiping the cleaned surface with alcohol or methylated spirit. This is to serve as a step towards cleaning difficult grime and dirt.

You can also wipe down on the surface with warm water. Make sure to clean the surface with a lint-free material afterwards.

 

3. Clean the suction cups or vacuum pads

A lot of cleaning is involved but be rest assured, it would all be worth it in the end when you enjoy your suction cup without the need to reapply it every 2 days. Cleaning the suction cups or vacuum pads helps to get rid of the dirt, grime, and debris on its surface.

It's better to do this using warm water to soften the cups a little bit to enable easier adhesion to the glass or any other surface you may be applying.

Clean the water but not completely. This is because little droplets of water left in the suction cup would serve as a weight to drive out air pockets during adhesion.

 

4. Apply firmly

The suction cups have to be applied with a firm hold. At this stage, you must apply tantamount pressure that would cause the suction cups to hold firmly to the wall.

However, when you're dealing with glass windows, doors, or mirrors, you have to be careful not to damage them. Therefore, you have to apply enough force to stick it but not too much to cause damage to the glass surface.

When you notice that there are no air bubbles or air pockets between the surface and the suction cup, know that you’ve successfully applied your suction cup.

 

5. Leave the suction cup on the surface

The next step to take is to completely leave the suction cup. Well, not literally; just for a couple of hours. This means you must not hand any extra weight to the cups or start using them immediately.

You need to leave it set for about 24 hours to ensure proper adhesion. After this, your suction cups and vacuum pads are ready to be used!

 

Conclusion

At GGR Glass, we have a variety of suction cups that can help you transport glass much easier. We have suction cups that work on both light and heavy loads in high heat applications.