Roller shutters are fitted on windows and doors to serve various functions. Top of the list is security. The shutters also provide thermal insulation, sound insulation and enhance privacy. Nonetheless, the installation requires maintenance work.
Cleaning is one of the routine work done on roller shutters, and it has numerous benefits. These include:
Preservation of aesthetics
If you want anything to look good, it must be clean. The same applies to roller shutters. Cleaning the surfaces ensures the overall aesthetic appeal of the shutters is preserved.
Stains and dirt are removed from the surface, leaving behind a uniform surface with an attractive look.
Preservation of function
Roller shutters have numerous moving parts. When the system is dirty, particles can get into the moving parts and reduce efficiency.
Extension of the lifespan
Dirt reduces the operational lifespan of many moving machines. It increases friction between moving parts and causes wear and tear. Unfortunately, roller shutters suffer the same fate.
How is the cleaning done?
Cleaning roller shutters is a systematic process. The best approach is to divide the shitters into two different surfaces: interior and exterior.
The separation makes it easy to cover all surfaces while cleaning.
What you need
Before we get our hands dirty, here is a list of everything you will needs to clean roller shutters.
Sponge
Soft cloth
A bucket of warm water
Soft brush
Soft cloth
Washing up liquid
Garden hose
External cleaning
The first step in cleaning the external surface of the roller shutter is to close the slats. Closing provides access to the entire exterior surface.
The next step is to mix some of the washing up liquid with warm water. Afterwards, wipe down the roller shutters with a clean sponge. Finally, ensure you remove all the dirt on the surface of the slats.
Unfortunately, the sponge may not be effective in removing dirt embedded between the slats. However, you can use your garden hose.
Wash out the dirt between the slats with low-pressure water. As for the slat surface, you can use high-pressure water to wash away the cleaning solution.
Do not hose the box housing for the roller tube. Water may damage some of the electrical components operating the motor system in the box housing.
Drying is a crucial part of the cleaning process since it prevents the formation of watermarks. For the best results, use a dry, soft cloth to dry the surface. An up and down motion is the ideal option for drying the shutters.
Once you are done with the external surface, it’s time for the hard work, cleaning the internal surface.
Internal cleaning
Cleaning the internal surfaces of the roller shutters is difficult since the slats lie directly in front of the windows. Therefore, access is limited.
Nonetheless, you can put the shutters halfway down and clean the internal surface from outside. This will cover the bottom half of the interior surface.
You can clean the top half of the roller shutters from the inside. Alternatively, you can use a sponge fixed on a stick to access the top areas on the shutters. Luckily, the internal surfaces don’t accumulate a lot of dirt. Therefore, cleaning takes less effort.
The practice of cleaning the external surface first prevents the transfer of dirt into the inner surfaces after completing the cleaning process.
It’s essential to remove all spider webs and nests as you clean the surface.
Once you are done with the cleaning, ensure the shutters are working well. Test the opening and closing functions and access the movement of the slats.
Remember, cleaning is done routinely. Therefore, don’t wait too long before wiping down the shutters.
