Dust Regularly with a clean, microfiber cloth to maintain your stained glass piece. Do not clean with any abrasive material as it will remove or scratch the patina. Avoid vinegar, ammonia, Windex or any acid-based cleanser, as these can destroy the came and solder over time. (Windex does make an ammonia-free version , but the brand most used by stained glass makers is called Sprayway. Spraying a bit on the surface and scrubbing lightly with a soft-bristled toothbrush can loosen debris. Follow up with a paper towel to dry off and a toothpick for getting into corners and crevices. Focus on wiping the glass dry, taking care to avoid rubbing any patinaed solder-lines too hard. Be careful using canned air, this can be a good way to remove trapped debris in crevices, but only in a few quick bursts. If sprayed for too long, the glass might crack under the extreme temperature drop. The primary ingredient in canned air is Tetrafluoroethane, which is the same material generally used in modern air conditioning systems. It will freeze the glass quickly and may cause enough stress to crack your glass.
If deeper cleaning is needed, use a soft cloth moistened with a mix of half a cup of distilled water and a few drops of dish soap. Rub surfaces lightly, rinse with distilled water and wipe dry with a clean soft cloth. Try to keep tap water off of the piece due to it's high mineral content and tendency to react badly with the solder and patina.
For flux oxidation, a white, crusty scale that may appear along solder lines and joins (sometimes referred to as white mold though it's not mold at all) or very grimy windows, add more dish soap to distilled water and scrub with a soft-bristled toothbrush, rinse with more distilled water and wipe dry.
Re-seal as needed with a buffed layer of caranuba wax if a shiny solder line is desired. (Apply a tiny amount, let dry, then buff up to a high shine using vigorous, repetitive motions, never pressing hard on the surface of the glass.) A tiny amount of Lemon Pledge or baby oil wiped with a Q-tip also works well in very small amounts to restore shine and keep white "mold' at bay.
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