Cleaning & maintaining your window & door hardware
Regular maintenance keeps your hardware performing smoothly and looking its best—just like your windows and doors.
Hardware is a very important part of your windows and doors, it's the main touch point you use and it also functionally operates the window and door.
Failure to clean and care for your window and door hardware may result in permanent damage that could effect how you open and close your windows and doors.
Following these guidelines will help you maintain operation and also will protect your product warranty.
How to clean stainless steel brushed finishes
- Clean stainless steel brushed hardware with warm soapy water or mild detergent and a soft cloth.
- Rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth to avoid water marks.
If tea staining (brown discolouration of the surface) does occur, this is not a defect – it will occur naturally in coastal and industrial environments.
- Regular cleaning will reduce the prevalence of this issue.
- Tea staining can be removed with a mixture of Ajax, warm water and baking powder – brush with a toothbrush until clean.
- After cleaning, application of products like CRC Marine 66 or Inox for Marine will reduce this occurrence.
Cleaning powdercoated hardware
- Clean with warm soapy water or a mild detergent and a soft cloth.
- Rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth to avoid water marks.
Plated metal finishes
- Clean with warm soapy water or a mild detergent and a soft cloth. Rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth to avoid water marks.
- Plated metal hardware is not recommended for extreme coastal conditions, we recommend a powdercoated option.
General hardware maintenance
- The operational life of hardware is increased if a light machine oil is applied to moving parts, hinges, slides, etc.
- Powdered graphite should be applied to the keyway in lock barrels, with a squeeze puff applicator.
Frequency of cleaning
| Environment | Description | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| City | Cities and suburbs in normal, clean air environments. | At least every 6 months |
| Rural | A rural area exposed to weed killing chemicals or fertilisers. | At least every 3 months |
| Coastal | Within 10km of breaking surf or 1km of non-surf coastline. | At least every month |