You might be satisfied with the roller shutters installed at your place. They protect you from outside noise, from the extreme weather (wind, rain, etc.) And more importantly, they protect you from fire and intruders. They have a nice fit around your windows and operate smoothly. But are they clean? Are they maintained well enough? If not, then you should adopt measures to clean and maintain your shutters so that they can last longer. Keep a regular check on the roller shutters so that you can know whenever there is a need to clean them. The advantage of the roller shutters is that they do not have much cost of maintenance.
Steps for cleaning and maintaining your window roller shutters:
Step 1: To clean them, wash the roller shutters with a soft cloth dipped in a mild soap solution. You can use a thin haired brush to clean the hard-to-reach areas. This cleaning process should be done after every three months. But if you are a resident of a coastal area, then you must repeat the following every month. This step will remove any sand, salt, dirt and dust collected on the roller shutters over time. The shutters may also have formed a layer of certain corrosive material due to the surrounding conditions. To remove those, use a soap solution with a low pH level. Do not try using vinegar or citrus-based or high pH solutions to clean the roller shutters. You may end up harming the shutter.
Step 2: Rinse the surface, initially wiped with a soap solution, with clear water. After you rinse it with clean water, you should dry it using a soft absorbent cloth.
Step 3: After it is dried completely, you can apply car wax on it. This will help your roller shutters to have additional shine and will enhance the color as well. You can spray the car wax or apply it manually. But before applying the wax, make sure all the corrosive deposits on the surface of the roller shutter (if any) are removed.
Step 4: After cleaning the roller shutter, clean the tracks. The tracks must be cleaned more frequently than the shutter. To clean the leaves and organic matter that accumulates in the track, use a brush. Lubricate the tracks as well, if needed. Apply silicon spray which will give it a slippery finish and help the roller shutters to slide properly.
Step 5: Keep inspecting for the creatures that unfortunately get caught up in the roller curtain while opening or closing it sometimes. Check if there are any small creatures stuck in the curtain straps and remove if you find any. Thoroughly clean the area whenever you remove them. Repeat such inspection once in every week.
Step 6: Every month, check for any balance problems and issues in the roller shutters. Ask a skilled technician to check for any imbalance in the roller shutter. Make sure the technician you hire is licensed and insured. The roller shutter should be able to roll down and roll up smoothly. If not, then it is out of balance and you should consider adjusting it.
Step 7: Once in six months, you should lubricate the bearing that helps the shutter to roll up and down. You can apply grease to the bearings to make them smooth to function and operate. To lubricate the bearing, you should first remove the screws and hood cover. The hood cover can be screwed up again and re-installed in the same position. Do not use silicone based sprays for lubricating the bearings. This is because silicon will make the plastic parts’ surface brittle. Either use light oil, petroleum grease or lithium grease.
Step 8: Check the springs periodically. If you find any difficulty in pulling down the roller shutter window, or if the shutter got unnecessarily heavy, then the spring should be re-tensioned.
Don’ts in cleaning the roller shutters:
To ensure high durability of the roller shutters, make sure you do not do the following:
- Avoid using abrasive and aggressive cleaners. By abrasive cleaners, we mean razors, scrappers, mineral spirits, etc.
- Do not use any kind of solvents to clean the surface or the tracks.
- Do not use high-pressure systems to spray anything on the roller shutter windows. This is because the high-pressure spraying damages the paint on the surface.
- Do not ever spray water in the rolling mechanism area or box. This may lead to the malfunctioning of the roller shutter.
Follow the above mentioned steps and take care that you clean your roller shutter windows properly. Those shutters have saved you from unwanted noise, harsh weather conditions and criminal thieves. You should at least take care of those shutters and keep checking them for any issues. Hire a trusted company to clean and do the maintenance mechanics for your residential and industrial roller shutters.
All District Roller Shutters in Sydney, specialise in designing, installation and repairs of all types of high quality aluminium roller shutters in residential and commercial properties throughout the wider Sydney area.
