How To Maintain and Clean Your Fly Screens
How To Maintain and Clean Your Fly Screens. At Suburban Security Screens, we provide quality fly screen solutions for your home. Our team knows first-hand how important keeping the flies, mossies and creepy crawlies out is, especially here on the Gold Coast.
Fly screens are made of mesh designed to keep insects and unwanted guests out of your home. Like most things they need maintenance, keeping them clean is simple but needs to be done on a regular basis to maintain the integrity and keep your home’s airflow clean.
Fly Screens are an important component of any building’s ventilation system, so it is important to keep them clean and working properly. There are several types of fly screens on the market, but they all gather dust and spider webs the same way, the fine mesh can easily be clogged with dirt and grime. Most Fly Screens can be removed from windows and doors which makes them easy to clean however reinstalling them again can be challenging.
So how do you maintain and clean your fly screens?
Before you Clean Your Fly Screens
Before you clean your fly screens, here are a few tips:
- Never use harsh chemicals on your fly screens
- Never use waxes
- Never sealants
- Never use high pressure water
- Never use hard bristled brushes
These types of cleaning products can damage the mesh and in time compromise the integrity of your screens.
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty
If you can remove your screens, place them in the bath or on the lawn away from dirt or dust.
Gently spray the screen with water, for heavily soiled screens you can use a soft-bristled brush and soapy water to gently rub away the debris. Rinse your screens well and let your screens dry completely before reinstalling them.
Don’t use bore water as it may stain the screen, and likewise avoid gray water as it will leave containments.
Avoid brooms and hard-bristled brushes as they can cause damage to the mesh and scratch the coating.
If you can’t remove your screens, use a soft spray of water on them, from the inside it’s a good idea to use a spray bottle, cleaning from the outside you can safely use a hose, but ensure all your windows and doors are closed! Use a dry cloth to mop up any water that has dripped into the tracks or onto your windowsills.
Never use a pressure cleaner or your hose on high pressure, a soft spray of water is recommended to avoid water leaking into your home.
How Often Should You Clean Your Fly Screens?
The frequency in which your screens should be cleaned varies upon location:
- City – At least every 6 months
- Rural – At least every 3 months
- Coastal – At least every month (within 10kms of surf coast and within 1 km of non-surf coast – this includes rivers).
Don’t forget to Clean the Tracks
The tracks on your sliding doors get dirty easily and if not cleaned properly will start to damage the rollers and eventually the tracks themselves. Clean your tracks thoroughly while cleaning your screens and vacuum them regularly. For maximum efficacity treat the tracks annually with a silicone spray.
If you have any questions about maintaining your screens, please call the team at Suburban Security Screens.