Not only do aluminum window sills look beautiful, but with proper maintenance, they will still look as shiny as ever. Anodized and powder-coated aluminum and surface care are the same, with some exceptions. Don’t worry, we’ve marked you where you need to care.
Cleaning And Maintenance Tips
1. Cleaning interval
To keep aluminum windowsills shiny, it is recommended to clean them at least twice a year. If you live in the city, it is recommended to clean at least four times a year.
2. Choose the right cleaning cloth
Just use a damp cloth or soft sponge to clean up the dirt. Brushes or scraping objects are not suitable for cleaning as they damage the surface.
3. Water, soap, acid – which cleaner helps?
When it comes to cleaning windowsills, the simplest is usually the best. Lukewarm water (~25°C) is sufficient to remove dirt. Superheated water is not recommended as it can also damage the aluminium surface.
For stubborn dirt, a little pH neutral (5.5-7) soap will help. It is important to rinse off any soap residue on the windowsill with clean water.
If the pH of the soap is outside the 5.5-7 range, the surface will undergo a chemical reaction and be damaged. Anodized window sills stain and powder-coated window sills lose their paint finish.
3.Clean coarse dirt – always these birds…
To keep aluminum windowsills shiny, cleaning is recommended at least twice a year. If you live in the city, at least four cleanings per year are recommended.
5. Avoid leaving stains when installing
Sometimes it also leaves stains on the windowsill when building. Aluminum window sills will react to acids and bases. This can leave spots or dullness.
So remember to cover with film when working around windowsills. It is not always easy to tell which things are acidic or alkaline. Prolonged contact with lime, gypsum, fresh concrete, etc. will corrode the window sill surface.
Once stains are noticed, they should be removed immediately.
6. I have a cleaner like this, but I’m not sure…
Anodized and powder-coated surfaces react easily with chemicals. To know if the surface will corrode, you can test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area.
If you don’t know which cleaner it is, we recommend not using it if possible. Water and a small amount of pH-neutral soap cleans well.
7. Would it be better to use a high pressure cleaner or steam jet?
Sometimes we get the question – is it possible to clean windowsills faster with a high pressure cleaner or a steam jet?
Look at this story:
“I got a call from a customer who had water stains on the wall under the window of his house. It turned out that he cleaned the window sill with a high pressure cleaner and severely damaged the seal. He didn’t notice it until it rained heavily and the walls were wet. It cost a lot of money to repair…”
Therefore, we recommend avoiding the use of high-pressure cleaners as much as possible.
Steam ejectors are pretty much the same. In addition, warm water can dull and tarnish the surface of aluminum windows.
8. Cleaning of adhesive residue, silicone, rubber, grease, soot and oil
If cleaning with soap is difficult, special cleaners made from aromatic-free hydrocarbons can be used. You can test it in an inconspicuous place beforehand and watch the surface of the window sill change.
After applying the cleaner, do not clean for more than an hour, then wipe off with clean water. After this cleaning, wait at least 24 hours or so before next cleaning.
9. Scratch repair of powder coated aluminum window sills
If the powder-coated surface becomes dirty and scratched, paint can be carefully applied to the scratched notches with a touch-up pen. Peel the touch-up pen from the edges and apply a little color at a time to avoid color drips.
10. Scratch repair of anodized window sills
Compared to powder coated windowsills, anodized windowsills cannot be used in other colors because the anodized layer is only a few µm thick. This means that scratches cannot be fully repaired, but can be treated to make them inconspicuous and the damage cannot be seen.
Scratches and their surrounding areas can be carefully treated with a very fine grinding stone. By deburring, the window sill surface is even again and the black film inside the scratches is removed.
