By Anna Chisholm of the ABC
Flyscreen doors can be tricky to clean. Photo: Creative Commons
Insect screens do an excellent job of letting fresh air in and keeping bugs (and other unwanted creatures) out.
It can be difficult to notice but they do get pretty grotty and benefit from a wash every now and again, which can be an awkward job.
We asked two experts for their tips on the most effective ways to clean them.
How to clean fly screens and doors
Max Kincade works for a company based in Naarm/Melbourne that sells security doors and mesh screens.
Kincade says many modern screen doors are made with a steel weave. This can be to boost home security or counter bushfire risk. But if not, doors and window screens are often made of a fibreglass mesh.
"If they are dusty or dirty," he says, "you can't see through them as nicely."
Kincade says a soft brush - like the one from a dustpan and broom - "will get off surface dust and spider webs … but for a better clean a microfibre cloth or mitt is best."
He recommends keeping things simple by using warm soapy water with the cloth.
If they require a more thorough clean
Kate Croukamp owns a cleaning business on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Language Region.
She says if "screens are on the inside [of windows or doors] and they're not riveted or bolted in … I would lift them out, take them outside, and wash them".
For a really good clean, she uses a small pressure washer.
Before you try this method, make sure the pressure is not so strong it will damage anything.
And if your screens are not removable, that's OK, but "obviously, make sure your windows are shut," Croukamp warns.
If you don't have a pressure washer, she says you can hose down screens and doors from the outside and use a soft-bristle broom to "agitate" dust, dirt and cobwebs.
In an apartment or other situation, where hosing from the outside might not be realistic, she suggests dipping a broom into warm soapy water and "running that broom over the entire screen".
How often to wash your insect screens
Croukamp says "some areas attract more dirt and dust than others" but recommends cleaning screens "at least once a year".
"It seems to be that thing in the house that people don't get around to doing because it [can be] quite a big job."
She also recommends a clean of window glass and tracks at the same time.
She says tracks often "get built up with all sorts of dust, bug and hair" and might need to be vacuumed and wiped out more frequently, particularly if pets live inside.
Other fly screen tips
Kincade says he regularly does work for customers who have mangled their fly screens trying to remove them to clean window glass.
With many sliding windows, he says screens need to be removed from the inside - a lesson often learnt the hard way.
If you do remove your fly screens, Kincade recommends clearly labelling which screen belongs to which window to avoid getting stuck with mismatched screens when putting them back in.
Croukamp also advises caution when attempting to remove screens, noting some screens are rivetted from the inside.
Screens that are secured with rivets "sometimes require special tools" to remove, in which case she recommends just leaving them put and sticking with a microfibre cloth.
This story was first published by the ABC.
