A method for protecting a sheet surface by forming a discontinuous layer of a long-chain organic material having a main carbon chain comprising at least 12 carbon atoms and a hydrophilic group at one end of the main chain on the sheet surface. The protective layer is easy to remove using standard cleaning method, while providing satisfactory surface protection against particle contamination and scratches, at a very low coating thickness. The invention is particularly useful for protecting glass sheet surfaces during glass sheet finishing such as edge grinding and polishing. The invention is especially useful for the finishing and packaging of LCD glass substrates.