Glass is one of the most resistant materials. Green houses can remain unaffected and clear when being exposed to certain stress factors for several years.

Some are more corrosion resistant than others. Only a few chemicals aggressively attack glass, such as hydrofluoric acid, concentrated phosphoric acid (when hot, or when it contains fluorides), hot concentrated alkali solutions and superheated water. Hydrofluoric acid is the most powerful of this group; it attacks any type of silicate glass. Other acids attack gradually and can be measured in laboratory tests, but such corrosion are not important in service for acids other than hydrofluoric and phosphoric.

Glass is hydrophilic because it attracts and holds moisture. All glass has a molecular layer of moisture on the surface. When this layer increases due to rainfall, it can hinder visibility and create a risk to safety. Ultimately, the impact of participates can greatly result in the destruction of the surface of the glass.

There are two stages to the corrosion process. The first stage is aqueous corrosion which is caused by moisture. It is referred to as ion exchange. Ion exchange occurs between sodium ions in the glass and hydrogen ions in the corrosion solution. This increases the surface area, and leads to the extraction of alkali ions from the glass, leaving a silica-rich layer on the surface. As the concentration of silica in the glass decreases, the surface area of the glass also increases through the dissolution of the glass surface. The pH of the solution while in contact with the glass will affect the corrosion process drastically. A rapid pH increase will cause a rapid breakdown of the glass surface.

There are two types of aqueous corrosion, static and dynamic. Static aqueous corrosion occurs when the moisture gathers on the surface of the glass. In dynamic aqueous corrosion, the corrosion solution is replenished due to condensation run-off. A single droplet of moisture on an unprotected glass surface, can result in severe damages to visibility.

The second stage of corrosion is a process of destruction of the breached surface layers of glass. Glass is resistant to most acids but is vulnerable to attacks by alkaline materials, especially when there is a concentration of OH- ions giving a pH greater than 9.0. This results in an attack on the silica-oxygen bonds, leading to the dissolution of the glass surface.

Alkaline cleaning products are widely used in surface maintenance. Damage to the glass can also be caused by incorrect cleaning methods.