Short answer: For ordinary cast or extruded acrylic (PMMA), clean with lukewarm water, a small amount of mild dish soap, and a clean soft cloth under light pressure. Rinse, then blot dry. Do not use dry paper towels, scouring pads, acetone, lacquer thinner, or undiluted alcohol on an untested surface. Clouding is usually fine scratching or solvent stress, not dirt that needs a stronger cleaner.
Conclusion
Acrylic stays clear when the cleaner is mild and the cloth is clean. Most haze on trays, display stands, and covers comes from grit dragged across the surface, or from solvents that soften the plastic and leave a network of fine cracks called crazing. Sheet makers such as Roehm, the producer of ACRYLITE acrylic sheet, recommend mild soap or detergent in lukewarm water, light pressure, a rinse, and blotting dry with a damp cloth or chamois. The same guidance lists acetone, gasoline, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, lacquer thinner, window-cleaning sprays, and kitchen scouring compounds as products to avoid on standard sheet.
Disinfection is a separate case. Later ACRYLITE handling notes allow 3% hydrogen peroxide, or isopropyl alcohol diluted to about 30% strength, for short contact on uncoated sheet, while the general care sheet still warns against alcohol. Those two statements are not a contradiction if you treat alcohol as finish-dependent. Test any solvent on a hidden edge, and do not soak printed, painted, or hard-coated faces.
Why acrylic scratches or clouds
Acrylic is a thermoplastic. Its surface is softer than glass, so dust acts like a fine abrasive if you wipe it dry. Static then pulls more dust back onto the same area. A second, different problem is chemical. Strong solvents can swell PMMA. When the solvent leaves, the surface may show micro-cracks that scatter light. That haze does not wipe off.
Heat makes both problems worse. Water that is hot to the touch can soften thin parts, especially near a flame-polished edge or a cemented joint. Lukewarm water, roughly comfortable on the skin, is the range named in sheet-care notes. There is no single hardness or chemical-resistance number that applies to every acrylic part: cast sheet, extruded sheet, recycled content, hard-coat, and surface ink all behave differently, and published figures depend on grade and test method.
What to use and what to avoid
| Agent or tool | Typical use on plain acrylic | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Lukewarm water and mild dish soap | First choice for dust, fingerprints, and light food film | Rinse so soap does not dry into a film |
| Clean microfiber or soft cotton, damp | Wiping and blotting | Replace the cloth if it picks up grit |
| 3% hydrogen peroxide | Short disinfection contact on uncoated sheet, per some sheet-maker notes | Rinse and dry; not a polish |
| Isopropyl alcohol diluted to about 30% | Allowed in some disinfection notes for uncoated ACRYLITE sheet | Not the default cleaner; older care sheets say avoid alcohol; test an edge |
| Plastic polish made for acrylic | Light haze from fine scratches | Follow the polish label; do not use on printed ink |
| Dry paper towel, tissue, or a dirty cloth | Not recommended | Grit in the fibers scratches and can add static |
| Ammonia window spray, acetone, lacquer thinner, gasoline, benzene | Avoid on standard sheet | Can craze, haze, or attack edges and cement joints |
| Scouring powder, steel wool, melamine eraser pads | Avoid | Abrasive; leaves a matte patch |
The avoid list follows Roehm ACRYLITE care guidance for standard sheet. Coated abrasion-resistant sheet can accept some household cleaners on the coated face only; the uncoated back and the edges may still be attacked. Check the sheet or part supplier before using anything beyond soap and water.
Routine cleaning steps
Remove loose dust with a damp soft cloth, or rinse under lukewarm water. Do not start with a dry wipe.
Mix a small squirt of mild dish soap into a bowl of lukewarm water. Sheet guidance does not fix a universal dose; the solution should feel slippery, not thick.
Wipe with light pressure. Work from the clean area toward the dirty area so grit is not dragged across the face.
Rinse with clean water. Soap left to dry looks like clouding.
Blot dry with a second clean, slightly damp cloth or a chamois. Rubbing a dry cloth hard builds static.
If dust returns quickly, a plastic antistatic cleaner labeled for acrylic can be used after the part is dry. Spray, then wipe lightly; do not buff dry.
For a stubborn grease spot, some sheet notes allow a good grade of hexane, aliphatic naphtha, or kerosene, used as the solvent maker directs, then washed off with soap and water. Those solvents are flammable. They are a workshop option, not a countertop routine, and they are a poor choice on printed graphics.
Advice by use case
Serving and divided trays
Rinse food residue soon, before oils set. Soap and water are enough for most sauce films. Avoid soaking a bonded joint for a long time; water can sit in a divider corner and leave a mark if it is not dried. A tray that will see dishwashers needs a grade and cement specified for that cycle. Many fabricated acrylic trays are hand-wash only because heat and strong detergent attack edges even when the face looks fine.
Retail displays and brochure holders
Dust daily with a damp cloth. Fingerprints at grab points need soap and water, not glass spray. If the unit is near perfume, solvent cleaners, or a spray-tan booth, move it or cover it; vapor alone can craze acrylic that never gets wiped.
Bathroom and hotel organizers
Hairspray, nail-polish remover, and some essential oils are harder on PMMA than soap. Wipe spills the same day. Do not store acetone or alcohol bottles open inside an acrylic box.
After fabrication
Leave masking on until installation. Peel it slowly. Marker written on the film is safer than marker on the sheet. If adhesive remains, use the soap wash first; a solvent wipe is a last step and only on unprinted stock.
Printed and coated surfaces
Pattern printing, screen ink, and UV print sit on or in the surface. Soap and water, applied with a soft cloth and dried promptly, is the safe default. Alcohol, peroxide, and polish can dull or lift ink even when the same liquid is acceptable on clear sheet. Hard-coated sheet is the reverse problem: the coating may tolerate a listed household cleaner, while a cut edge does not. If the part is custom, ask the fabricator which face is printed or coated before writing a cleaning card for staff.
FAQ
Can I use Windex or another glass cleaner?
Not as a default. ACRYLITE care notes say not to use window-cleaning sprays on standard sheet, because some formulas contribute to scratching or crazing. A coated grade may list specific cleaners; that approval does not transfer to uncoated trays.
Will toothpaste or baking soda remove scratches?
They are mild abrasives. They can reduce a hairline scratch and also leave a dull patch around it. For a display face, a polish made for acrylic is more predictable. Deep scratches need sanding and repolishing, which changes thickness and is not a cleaning step.
Is alcohol safe for disinfection?
Only with limits. One ACRYLITE disinfection note allows isopropyl alcohol diluted to about 30% strength, and 3% hydrogen peroxide, on its sheet. The general care sheet still lists alcohol among solvents to avoid. Use the diluted mix for a short wipe, rinse, and do not use it on printed graphics unless the printer has approved it.
Why does a clean tray look cloudy the next day?
Common causes are soap film, hard-water spots, and new fine scratches. Rinse and blot again. If the haze is still there when the surface is wet, it is in the plastic, not on it, and more cleaner will not fix it.
Can acrylic go in a dishwasher?
Do not assume it can. High heat, strong alkaline detergent, and contact with other items mark many fabricated parts. Hand washing is the conservative method unless the maker states a dishwasher cycle for that grade and joint.
About the manufacturer
The cleaning guidance above is general PMMA practice drawn from sheet-maker documents. It is separate from any one factory's product line.
Sunday Knight Co., Ltd is a custom acrylic manufacturer in Dongguan, Guangdong, China. The company site describes OEM and ODM work in display stands, boxes, trays, organizers, and related fabricated parts, with exports that include the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, and the Middle East. Factory and contact details are on the about page and the contact page. Wholesale acrylic trays, including printed serving trays, are listed under acrylic trays; one current example is the custom serving tray STK-411. Process notes and product articles are on the news list.
Sources
Roehm America LLC, ACRYLITE. "What recommendations do you have for the caring and cleaning of acrylic sheet?" acrylite.co care article.
Roehm America LLC, ACRYLITE. "Care, Cleaning & Storing Acrylic Sheet," technical information (March 2023). PDF.
Roehm, ACRYLITE. "Clean, Disinfect & Maintain." handling and maintenance brief.
Those documents describe ACRYLITE sheet from Roehm, not every acrylic fabrication. Follow the care card for the specific grade and finish you have.