Retractable security gates are strong and durable, but like everything else in your house, they need to be maintained. Cleaning regimen of security gates is one among the foremost common queries we tend to get. Like anything else, cleaning and maintaining your gates will extend its life span, keep it performing optimally and safeguard your warranty.

Despite Xpanda’s attention to quality, our product, like all products with a considerable amount of steel, aluminium or stainless content, remain vulnerable when exposed to certain environmental conditions, no matter the anti-corrosion treatment it received. Although all our colours have a built-in Sun Protection Factor (SPF), the colours can fade over time. If you follow the instructions below, you may increase the lifespan of your security product.

We firmly recommend that you look at the maintenance of other steel-based products that you might own, in the same manner, that you look at your car’s maintenance, i.e. without daily cleaning and polishing to remove dirt and dust, your car’s condition will quickly deteriorate considerably. Your security products do not need as much caring as your vehicle, but similarly, they will need to be washed and maintained.

How much your sliding security gates need to be cleaned is determined by:

  • How close the security gates are to corrosive environments like a huge body of water (e.g pool) or the sea.
  • If they are installed inside out outside a building.

As this will also affect how prone the security gates will be against corrosion damage and dirt etc.

In many instances, security gates will be in a warm dry interior where it will not corrode or prone to corrosion, and the structural stability of the product will not be threatened during its design life. Examples include security gates inside dry buildings with neutral atmospheres such as multi-storey office buildings, shops, schools, hotels, residential buildings, airport terminals, and hospitals, etc.

However, when security gates are exposed to moisture, corrosion will occur at a rate depending on the severity of the environment. In such cases, a coating system appropriate to the environment category should be provided or inherently design anti-corrosion features, followed by the correct or recommended cleaning regimen. Note that some buildings may contain areas where different environment conditions apply e.g. hospitals would normally have a clean atmosphere but may contain kitchens and laundry areas that would normally have high humidity and some air/chemical pollution.

So a combination of the right security gates for the environment it’s installed and its cleaning schedule will certainly prolong the life the product and ensure continuous protection against unwanted intruders.

Here are a few suggestions on how to keep your Xpanda products looking beautiful and operating smoothly.

Recommended cleaning method:

  • Dip a soft cloth into a diluted mixture of soap and water (regular car wash will do) and wipe down the entire unit.
  • Dry off the unit using a similar soft cloth or chamois.
  • Always lubricate the moving parts of the product after cleaning, using a lubricating SILICONE spray, available from most hardware stores.
  • Should the cylinder lock become a bit difficult to use, try using a DRY lubricant like ‘Just a Puff’, available from most locksmiths. You can also use this product for all your household locks.

What NOT to do:

  • Never use detergent or abrasive cleaners like dishwashing liquid, Vim, Handy Andy, thinners etc as this will affect the longevity of the product.
  • Preferably avoid using lubricants such as WD40 or Q20 as these products tend to attract dust, & will affect the moving parts in the long term.