Here , the company offers some tips to make the most of your hardware .

HANDLE MAINTAINANCE With regular cleaning with the right materials , handles can last a lifetime , but with many different bases and coatings available how do you know the best approach ? Here ’ s a quick guide to getting a handle on your handles :

PAINTED HANDLES Painted handles and other furniture will probably be applied onto a zinc or aluminium base material but possibly also steel and brass components . If the base material has been properly treated before the paint is applied , then the adhesion and long term corrosion resistance achieved is exceptionally good and the maintenance required is exactly the same across all materials . Simply clean every 1-3 months with warm water and a small amount of domestic detergent using a soft cloth or sponge . Once cleaned , the furniture should then be dried thoroughly with a soft clean cloth . Do not use any abrasives cloths or cleaning agents on a painted surface . If however , the painted finish is scratched or damaged , exposing the base material , then corrosion will commence and over time will spread . Aluminium and zinc base materials in particular may suffer from bubbling and flaking paint and discolouration ( white oxidisation ). Try to keep the painted surface

in good condition and in particular avoid scratching . With regular cleaning and no surface damage your painted finish should last ten years or more in a normal environment .

PLATED HANDLES The most common plated finishes for door and window furniture are polished chrome , gold and satin chrome but many other special colours are available particularly for window handles . The most common base material used is zinc , but plating is also used on brass , aluminium and steel components . The cleaning guidance for all plated finishes and base materials is the same . External plated products should be cleaned every month , whilst internal furniture would benefit with a clean every third month . Simply wipe with a damp soft cloth then dry with a clean duster . Non- abrasive wax polish can be applied to the surface to help maintain its appearance . Under no circumstances should an abrasive cloth or cleaning agent be applied to a plated surface .

SOLID BRASS FUNITURE

COATED OR UNCOATED BRASS ? Traditionally brass furniture was always supplied uncoated , and kept in tip-top condition by the application of elbow grease ! Winlock still supplies uncoated solid brass products , but brass can also be found with lacquered , chrome plated or PVD coatings .

The cleaning regime is different for the different finishes so it is important to establish whether your brass is coated and if so what with . If the finish dulls relatively quickly then it is almost certainly uncoated brass , if it is a polished chrome finish then it is probably chrome plated , and if it is a high gloss brass finish that does not dull then it will either be lacquered or PVD coated . In general , older and cheaper high gloss finishes are probably lacquered .

LACQUERED BRASS Winlock does not sell lacquered brass and we do not recommend it – and here ’ s why . The lacquer will break down over time and will leave unsightly dull patches where the lacquer has flaked off . If the surface is scratched , then this process is accelerated . The only solution to this problem is to remove all the lacquer with an acetone thinner , it can then be maintained as uncoated brass . In the meantime , cleaning with warm mild soapy water and drying with a clean duster is all that is needed .

UNCOATED One of the beauties of solid brass is that you can choose to let it naturally oxidise and take on an aged patina or you can keep it bright by regular cleaning . Wipe with a soft dry cloth

regularly in either case to keep the surfaces clean , and if a bright finish is required then elbow grease , a soft cloth and a proprietary brass cleaner ( such as Brasso ) will do the job .

CHROME PLATED BRASS A plated finish ( normally polished chrome ) on solid brass furniture should be cleaned regularly with warm mild soapy water and thoroughly dried with a clean duster . If the chrome plated surface becomes slightly dulled or discoloured for any reason , then the application of a non- abrasive metal cleaner such as Autosol will return the finish to a bright gloss .

PVD COATED BRASS These products are treated with a PVD coating which provides an extremely hard surface finish which makes it unlikely to scratch or mark in normal use . Cleaning with a damp cloth followed by drying with a dry duster should be sufficient to maintain the surface appearance of these products . Wiping with a soft cloth is recommended for all solid brass furniture monthly . Unlacquered brass will probably require polishing with a brass cleaner every three months or so to maintain a bright finish . Plated or PVD coated brass should be cleaned every three months

if used externally , and as frequently as is needed to maintain a bright finish if used internally .

STAINLESS STEEL FURNITURE Whilst stainless steel finishes are used for high corrosion resistance and carry long surface finish guarantees ( 15-25 years ) they do in fact require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best . They will not corrode over time , but the finish will become dull and marked if not regularly cleaned . In most instances cleaning with a clean cloth and

warm mild soapy water is sufficient . Rinse with warm water and thoroughly dry with a soft dry cloth . For more stubborn dirt and stains , a non- abrasive powder household cleaner can be used with warm water and cloths or brushes with natural bristles . Again rinse off with warm water and dry thoroughly . Under no circumstances should steel bristles or abrasive cleaning agents be used as these may contaminate the stainless steel finish . Stainless steel finishes are best preserved by regular cleaning and it should be undertaken monthly or even