Roller shutters are known for their wide range of benefits like offering our homes more security, comfort, and saving energy bills. However, for the roller shutters to do their job well and also last longer, there are a couple of things that need to be done.
Procuring and having the windows roller shutters installed is not enough. There are some follow-up tasks that you need to do for the roller shutters to last longer. This article is for everyone who wants to learn about how they can increase the longevity of their roller shutters through proper cleaning and maintenance.
How to properly clean window roller shutters?
Keeping your window roller shutters clean is one of the ways of ensuring they last longer and also give you the best performance while using them. Below we are going to share with you the right procedures and tips for cleaning your window roller shutters.
What is required to do the cleaning
- Clean water
- Detergent that is not so strong
- A soft cloth that won’t scratch the shutters
- A medium-sized brush (something slightly bigger than ordinary toothbrushes)
Cleaning steps
- Remove any big debris or objects that might be stuck on the shutters. Before pouring any water or detergent on the shutters, you need to, first of all, remove such stuff. This will make it easier to clean the shutters thereafter
- Mix the detergent with water and get started scrubbing the shutters. After you have mixed the detergent in water, you will then sprinkle the water on the closed shutters and start scrubbing with your brush or cloth. The choice between using a cloth or brush should depend on the kind of dirt the shutters have. A cloth would be good for wiping off simple dust. But in case the shutters have sticky materials on them, you may have to use a brush to remove such dirt
- Rinse the shutters with clean water. When you are satisfied that every dirt has been scrubbed off from the shutters, the next step is rinsing them with clean water.
Tips
- While cleaning your window roller shutters, always start from the upper sections to avoid dirtying the parts of the shutters that you had already cleaned.
- Avoid using strong brushes. Cleaning with a brush that is too strong may scratch off the color especially shutters that were painted after production
- Disconnect the shutters from power before you start cleaning them. It is possible to clean the roller shutters even when the power is on but it safer to put it off fast.
- Avoid pouring water into the electrical components of the shutters. Pouring water into components such as the motor and sensors may lead to shocking that will eventually damage them
How to properly maintain the shutters
Maintenance of shutters involves both planned maintenance and corrective maintenance. However, it is better to concentrate on planned maintenance because it involves simple procedures that you can do yourself. After all, they don’t need any technical skills. Let’s look at some of the planned maintenance tips for ensuring your window roller shutters last longer
- Clean shutters regularly and not only when they get dirty.
You need to set up a cleaning schedule for your roller shutters and always follow it. The schedule will depend on the environment you are in. For instance, someone living in a dusty environment will have to clean their roller shutters more often than those leaving in clean environments.
- Don’t use sticky lubricants
While lubricating the moving parts of the shutters, always avoid using lubricants that are so sticky because they attract dust. Spray a small quantity of the lubricants in the guides and other parts that experience friction at least once a year. If you open and close your window roller shutters more often, you may have to do the lubrication more than once a year
- Don’t ignore any abnormal noise and vibration
The opening and closing of the shutters should not bring about any form of noise or vibration. Vibrations and noise are a sign that something is not right and should be fixed urgently. These two abnormalities are normally caused misalignment of the shutter curtains, external objects that may be stuck in the guides, and not lubricating the shutters in time.
- Always grease bearings of the shutters
This should also be done at least once a year along with lubricating the guides. Not greasing the bearings will affect their longevity due to the increased friction that increases wear and tear inside the bearings.
Final thoughts
The longevity of the shutters largely depends on how you take care of them and not only their quality. Good quality shutters that are not given enough care will not last that long. To ensure your shutters last as long as possible, always clean them, do regular planned maintenance and also operate them with care
Just like we have shared above, doing the cleaning and simple maintenance does not require any technical expertise. All you need to know are the best cleaning materials and tools that wouldn’t have any negative effects on the shutters after cleaning. However, if the shutters get any fault that you do not know about, always invite a technician to help you out.
Cleaning and maintaining the roller shutters will also not take a lot of your time because it won’t be done every day. But whenever, it is time to clean or do maintenance, you always need to step up to avoid expenses that may come up as a result of not properly giving these two activities enough attention.
