Patent ID: 6896928

Claim:
A method for protecting a substantially clean surface of glass from contaminants and/or scratching, said method comprising the steps of: (A) forming a first protective coating on the surface of the glass by (i) applying an aqueous first coating composition comprising at least one polysaccharide to the surface, and optionally (ii) removing at least part of the solvent from the composition applied to the surface to leave a polysaccharide-containing protective coating on the surface having a thickness of at least 0.01 μm; (B) forming a second protective coating over the first protective coating by (i) applying a second coating composition over the first protective coating, and optionally (ii) removing the solvent from the coating composition applied to the surface to leave a second protective coating; wherein, (a) the second protective coating is less soluble in water at or near ambient temperature than the first protective coating, and (b) the first and second protective coatings can be subsequently removed from the surface using an aqueous detergent cleaning composition, to result in a surface which is substantially clean; and optionally (C) subsequently removing the first and second protective coatings from the surface of the glass using an aqueous cleaning composition, to result in a surface which is substantially clean.