This work compares the self-cleaning properties of experimental TiO(2) and TiO(2)-Ag coatings on float glass with a commercial self-cleaning glass. In the experimental surfaces, TiO(2) coating was applied to float glass via the sol-gel route, while TiO(2)-Ag coating was applied by the liquid flame spray method, which deposits TiO(2)-Ag composite nanoparticles on the surface. The effect of the coatings on the surface wettability and the activation time for achieving hydrophilicity was studied through water contact angle as a function of exposure time to UV light. The surface morphology was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal optical microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the coatings was examined with methylene blue and stearic acid degradation tests. Finally, the soil attachment to the surfaces was tested with a sebum-based model soil. The sol-gel TiO(2) coating became superhydrophilic within a few hours, while the activation time needed for the commercial titania coated glass was several days. The surface with the TiO(2)-Ag nanoparticles did not show any marked changes in the water contact angle. The commercial titania coated and the sol-gel TiO(2) surfaces showed self-cleaning properties and clearly lower attachment of soil than the uncoated and TiO(2)-Ag coated surfaces. The difference in the interaction of the surfaces with the organic contaminants was assumed to depend mainly on differences in the thickness of the coatings. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.