Maintenance

Wideline products are manufactured from the most suitable materials and finishes available and when properly maintained, will give many years of quality service.

Aluminium

A good general rule is that aluminium should be washed to remove dirt deposits as often as it is necessary to wash windows.

Aluminium requires only minium maintenance, but, like your motor car, the finish may deteriorate if dirt, which collects on the surface, is allowed to remain unwashed over a period of time. This is because dirt absorbs moisture present in the atmosphere.

Moisture can contain salt near the ocean or other impurities in industrial areas, and it is the combination of dirt and contaminated moisture that can cause deterioration of almost any surface finish.

In rural areas where normally there is very little contaminated moisture, you may not need to clean your aluminium fittings more than every six months. In industrial and costal areas, washing at intervals of one to three months may be required - or even more frequently in locations close to the ocean or in heavily polluted industrial areas, especially where the windows or other product is sheltered from the washing effects of rain.

To clean aluminium use the mildest treatment you can which produces satisfactory results.
Start with warm water, with soap or detergent; on anodised material try solvent cleaners (eg kerosene, turpentine, white spirit); or non-etching chemical cleaners; or a wax-based polish cleaner.

NEVER use harsh liquid chemicals, abrasive cleaners or wire wool.

Glass

To clean, wipe over the surface with a few drops of methylated spirits on a damp cloth, and then polish the surface dry with a lint free cloth. Proprietary glass cleaners are not recommended as some of them can cause damage to the silver backing on mirrors and the interlay of laminated glass. Ensure that all cleaning cloths are free of any abrasive substances.

Avoid causing extreme temperature changes as this may lead to thermal fracture of the glass (i.e. do not direct hot or cold water onto glass).

Cleaning tips for ComfortPLUS - Important (as it is not like any other type of glass)

Routine cleaning The coated (interior) surface of Pilkington ComfortPLUS^TM can be easily cleaned by hand to remove accumulated dust or fingerprints. This can be accomplished with various glass cleaning products.

As the exterior surface of the glass is not coated it can be cleaned in the same way as ordinary glass. Commercial vinegar-based products usually provide a streak-free glass surface. So does a mixture of one part vinegar with ten parts water.

Pilkington does not recommend the use of ammonia or alcohol based glass cleaners because they tend to leave visible streaks.

Internal cleaning procedure

• Flood the glass surface with the spray-on cleaning solution or apply with a cloth saturated with the cleaning solution Be generous with the amount of solution applied
• Scrub the wetted surface with a clean, lint-free towel
• Wipe dry with a clean, lint-free towel or cloth - do not squeegee on the ComfortPLUS^TM coated (interior) surface.
• To prevent streaking, stop wiping when the glass is almost dry and there is a slight, uniform film of moisture left on the glass surface

Spot cleaning

This may occasionally be required to remove any stubborn dirt or foreign materials that adhere to the Pilkington ComfortPLUS^TM surface.

Spot cleaning products remove marks from grease, oil, tape adhesive, crayons, waxy materials, paint and rub-off marks from plastics.

We recommend Acetone, a solvent available from most hardware stores.

Spot Cleaning Procedure

• Apply a small quality of the cleaner listed above to clean, wet cloth or towel
• Rub onto areas of glass needing spot cleaning
• Wipe clean using a dry, clean lint-free towel or cloth followed by the normal internal cleaning procedure

Specialised cleaning

Do not use razor blades, steel wool or other metallic objects on the Pilkington ComfortPLUS^TM surface. If metallic objects contact the coated surface, a thin layer of metal removed from the object may be deposited onto it; this results in a discoloured stain which is difficult to remove with normal cleaning products. We recommend hydrochloric acid, available from hardware stores.

Specialised cleaning procedure

• Carefully follow the chemical manufacturer's safety instructions
• Apply a small quantity of the specialised cleaning product listed above to a wet cloth or towel - a cotton bud may be used for thin marks
• Rub on areas of glass that need cleaning
• Wipe clean using a dry, clean lint-free towel or cloth followed by routine cleaning procedure
• Ensure that the cleaning solution does not come into contact with framing materials