Plate Care & Maintenance

Maintenance of Letterbox Plates and House Signs

STAINLESS STEEL
All of our Stainless Steel plates are Marine Grade 316 so they won’t rust, however regular cleaning is essential to keep the plate looking its best especially if you’re living near the coast.

Keeping the plate clean with regular cleaning will help prevent tea staining which can occur even on Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel, particularly in coastal areas, and is not covered by warranty.
Start with cleaning weekly for the first month, fortnightly for 6 months, then once a month thereafter or whenever dirty.

*Australian Stainless Steel Development Association Recommendations:
ASSDA FAQ 6: Technical notes on Tea-staining
ASSDA FAQ 2: Cleaning your indoor Stainless Steel

Polished (Mirror Finish) Stainless Steel Fascia
Polished stainless steel should only be cleaned with a soft cloth and some water.

Brushed Stainless Steel Fascia
To remove marks or stains on brushed stainless steel, clean with a good quality stainless steel cleaner. Spray the cleaner into a soft cloth and polish the stainless steel gently in the direction of the grain, taking care to use minimally around any laser etching.

When tea staining occurs, using car polish on a soft cloth does a good job if caught early enough. It shouldn't fade the etching if applied directly, but it's best to minimise contact with if possible. If the tea staining is quite bad, try using stainless steel polish but use carefully as it can fade the etching. Then use a good quality protectant like Inox or a silicone spray.

POWDERCOATED ALUMINIUM

The best way to remove marks or stains from powdercoated aluminium plates is with mild detergent, water and a soft cloth.