As I recall, glass etching uses an acid. Here in York Haven, PA, our water is loaded with minerals and acids, causing problems. So, the idea is not to use this crap, but rainwater, even that may be too acid and might need treatment. Dale has an excellent idea, the Permatex hand cleaner has "gut", as does Go-Jo, which is also a good short term lubricant. I've found that after dish washing with dirty hands(grime, grease, grit) that my hands end up "squeaky clean" using Dawn or the equivalent, I also use bleach in the dish water - is that ever a powerful cleaner! Some of these so-called "eco" products have little power to really clean... are "too easy" on the hands... But its the very hot water that does the trick...the hotter the better..

Are you sure the "Water Seal" you refer to is an oil based (requiring a petrochemical to clean the brushes and NOT soap and water)? Is it "transparent" and has no color listed or shown on the can? There is no need to "strip" or "sand" the Thompson's Oil based TRANSPARENT Water seal Product because the paraffin soaks into the wood and is not on the surface. It has no pigments in it that rest on top of the wood. Therefore there should be no "peeling" or "chipping" of the surface and no obvious wear other than wear to the wood itself, usually near stairs and door and very slight in most instances. If its the Thompson Oil Based Transparent product you used, there is no need to strip or sand. You may want to clean the surface (IF it is visibly in need of it) with something like diluted Clorox Exterior house cleaner to remove pollen, dust, dirt and any surface mildew (mildew spores are transported by the wind and there is always some on the surface, although it probably hasn't "stuck" to it. Its basically a spray or brush on job and rinse with a garden hose. Let it dry fully for at least a day (two is better). then you can apply your new oil based deck product. I suggest you wait at least one full year for the beading of water to stop and even two years is OK. My front deck got the Thompson's two years ago and I will stain it with an oil based stain this year. It requires minimal cleaning....I may just use a garden hose with a firemen's nozzle. The deck gets full sun all morning so mildew is very hard pressed to survive there. Best stain, IMO are oil based TWP. The main thing to watch for is to avoid "soap and water cleanup" because that is a water based, possibly latex deck product. You wouldn't think to put latex paint on your indoor hardwood. Latex wears like crap to foot traffic. A true stain soaks the color deep into the wood and is not a "paint pigment" that sits on top of the wood. The whole problem with deck preservation has been caused by the VOC controversy which tossed a lot of good products out of the market by legislation. The emphasis on water based products opened the door for a lot of "new" water products with "paint stains" which are not stains at all. Unfortunately, those products require stripping because they wear out fast, leaving some areas bare and have adhesion problems as they age. Stripping is more work than the refinishing. ALWAYS google the Material Safety Data Sheet of the product you are considering so you know exactly what it is. Be careful that most big box stores sales clerks are "selling" what the store has in stock. That is why they get paid. The best products used by Contractors are available through building supply vendors that cater to builders and carpenters and not the general public consumer. They do not refuse to sell to the general public, but "quality" is their life blood, not quantity of sales based on huge purchasing contracts supplying a nationwide chain. Wish you good luck. Don't be swayed by the claims of 6 year and 10 year lifespans. If its a water based paint pigment product, it will look like hell for half of those claimed "lifespans", Most people would prefer a true stain that can be reapplied easily without having to strip the deck. And. if you have to strip the deck, how do you strip the railings and balusters? I've done it....took a pressure washer and two days to complete. Then I started reading and wised up on the number of really crummy products that are available, being pushed by big box stores and consumer agencies that prioritize water based over oil because of an "environmental" bias. The idea behind using an initial Thompson's Oil Based Transparent on a new deck comes from a highly ethical, lifelong contractor/carpenter who needed a workable solution for customers who couldn't decide how they wanted there decks treated during an age of great confusion. The Thompson Transparent has an effective anti-fungal and gives good service up to two years. When you compare to other oil based products costing three times as much, many of them also recommend restaining after two years. BTW, oil based paraffin products do not support fungus.

Anything with "artillary" and "shotgun" in the name does not sound good. However, I think you are on to something because this is only a problem along the 5 windows and one slider in back that are adjacent to mulch. the other windows in the house have no such problem. Since you got me thinking that it was some sort of algae I tried the anti mold stuff that I use in my shower and I think that worked the best of everything I tried. I will know better in the morning when the low sun shines through those windows. Hard to see it except in those conditions. I could use a razor as a scraper but like you said it is a lot of area plus it is very subtle. I think the razor would probably leave some residue - it would be hard to do a thorough job. I will report back in the morning on my results with the anti-mold stuff.

And rearrangement never ends! I have been digging things into the ground for the winter and thinking that's not really where I want it. I guess I'll be busy rearranging next season again! I really like Stained Glass. I've been struggling with a very small Cathedral Windows so I can't comment on it. Saw Etched Glass in a nursery this year and picked it up. But since my garden is full, I decided to put it back. Sometimes what I find with newer hosta (that not many people have) is that they may not grow well, or they may not look good all season etc. So I try to refrain from buying new until others have it and can tell me more about it. Anyways, it slows down the amount of new hostas I get to have---which is actually a good thing for me---until I find more hosta real estate!