In the spring, the sunny weather and school holidays give you a perfect excuse to get out of the house and work on all your outdoor chores. One of the chores on your to-do list might be cleaning aluminium door and window frames – it’s easy to get them sparkling and clean once again! Here is a basic guide on how to clean aluminium.
Whenever cleaning your aluminium door and window frames, make sure to start from the top and work your way down – this will make them easier and quicker to clean!
Cleaning Aluminium Frames on the Outside
Follow these simple instructions for cleaning aluminium on your external door and window frames:
Use a hose to douse your door or window frames with water. This will remove much of the superficial dirt, making the job a lot easier.
Scrub the frames with a detergent solution or a special aluminium cleaner. Make sure to follow the directions on the label and test any product on a small area
Wipe down the frames, from the top to the bottom. Use a damp cloth. This method will prevent gravity from pulling the dirty water onto the cleaned portions.
Rinse with clean water. Be sure to rinse away any dirt or cleaning product residue.
Cleaning Aluminium Frames on the Inside
Cleaning internal windows and door frames is very simple:
Wipe down the frames with a damp cloth.
Use the same aluminium cleaner as on the external frames.
Rub the remaining water off with a dry cloth – this will help to buff up the aluminium.
How to Polish Aluminium Frames
After you’ve cleaned your aluminium frames, it is time to put a shine on your metal surface! Fine steel wool and a lot of water will do the trick – but bear in mind that the complete polishing process will be a time-consuming one.
Also don’t forget that if your aluminium has been exposed to the elements for a long time, it will start to anodise – this is a similar process to iron rusting and means that oxides will start to build up on the surface of your frames, making them dull and very hard to polish effectively. If you suspect that your aluminium has begun to anodise, consider contacting a professional aluminium cleaning professional to remove the build-up of oxide.
Hose down any outdoor aluminium frames with water.
Scrub with a detergent solution or a special aluminium cleaner.
Rinse.
Polish with steel wool and water.
If there is a build-up of oxide on your door and window frames contact a professional aluminium cleaner.