Caring for your windows and doors: a simple annual routine
Ten minutes twice a year keeps modern uPVC and aluminium performing for decades. The exact products to use, and the ones to avoid.
Twice a year is enough
Modern uPVC and powder-coated aluminium do not need much. A spring and autumn service — frames wiped with warm soapy water, hinges and locks lubricated, drainage slots checked — is all it takes to keep windows sliding smoothly for 25+ years.
Frames
Warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid is enough. Do not use solvents, acetone, white spirit or abrasive creams on uPVC — they can dull the foil finish and void the manufacturer's guarantee. On powder-coated aluminium, the same rule applies: mild detergent only, never a wire brush or scouring pad.
Hinges, locks and gaskets
A light spray of PTFE-based lubricant on the friction hinges of casement windows twice a year keeps them opening smoothly. Do not use WD-40 as a lubricant — it is a water displacer, and it evaporates within weeks leaving the mechanism drier than before. Silicone spray on rubber gaskets keeps them supple and prevents the frame from sticking in cold weather.
Drainage slots
Every casement and sliding window has small drainage slots along the bottom of the outer frame. These need to stay clear — a blocked slot means water backs up into the frame and eventually into the room. A quick check with a toothpick or a puff of compressed air is all it takes.
No. High-pressure water can force past the gaskets and into the frame. A soft brush and a hose is the maximum pressure to use.
Twice a year with a PTFE or silicone-based lubricant is plenty. Multi-point mechanisms are the most expensive component in the door and worth looking after.
