Care & Maintenance
Normal Maintenance
Stain Removal
Stubborn Stains
The great thing about Benchmark's vinyl and composite products is their low maintenance and easy care. You'll never need to paint, stain or refinish our products. General maintenance is a breeze and typically only takes soap and water.
It's easy to maintain the beauty of Vinyl Railing
Vinyl railing comes closer to being totally maintenance free than any other railing on the market. It can become dirty just as a freshly painted house or a new automobile, or any other product that is exposed to atmospheric conditions. With very little effort you can keep your vinyl rail clean. Although the rail will get dirty, like anything else exposed to the elements, a heavy rain will do wonders in cleaning it. Or you can wash it down with an ordinary garden hose. If neither rain nor hosing does a satisfactory job, just follow these simple instructions:
Normal Maintenance
Get an ordinary, long handled car washing brush at your auto supply store. This brush has soft bristles and the handle fastens onto the end of your garden hose. It lets you wash the fence just like you wash your car.
If the dirt is hard to remove, such as soot found in industrial areas, wipe down the fence with a solution made up of the following:
1/3 cup powder detergent
(e.g. Tide, Fab, or equivalent powder detergent)*
2/3 cup household cleaner
(e.g. Soilax, Spic & Span or equivalent)*
1 gallon of water
If mildew is a problem in your area, use the solution above, but substitute 1 quart of liquid laundry bleach for 1 quart of water.
If you want to wash down your railings, start at the bottom and work up to the top in order to prevent streaking.
If stubborn stains exist, use the following chart. Follow the precautionary labeling instructions on the cleaning agent container. Protect shrubs from direct contact with cleaning agents.
*Reference to proprietary names is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to suggest that there are not equally effective competitive products.
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Stain Removal
Light oils and greases, heavy grease, caulking compounds, wax, crayon, asphalt, tars, etc.:
a. Cleaning Agents: Mineral spirits, VMP napha, auto tar remover.
b. Preparation: Remove excess with plastic or wood scraper.
c. Special cleaning procedures: Use soft cloth to apply mineral spirits. Avoid polishing stained area by using too much pressure. After removing stain, rinse area with water.
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Inks (marking), nail polish, paint, lipstick, gum:
a. Cleaning agents: Cleaning fluid (Trichloroethyne)
b. Preparation: Remove excess with plastic or wood scraper. Chill gum to remove excess.
c. Special cleaning procedures: Use soft cloth to apply cleaning fluid. Avoid polishing stained area by using too much pressure. After removing stain, rinse area with water.
Rust stains:
a. Cleaning agents: Oxalic acid, auto radiator cleaner, Bright bowl (Bayse Janitor Supply Co., Eustis, FL), Riddo-Rust.
b. Preparation: Make solution of 1 tablespoon of oxalic acid crystals to 1 cup warm water.
c. Special cleaning procedures: Apply oxalic acid solution with soft bristle brush. Wipe with damp cloth and then flush with rust free water (use rubber gloves and eye protection).
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Stubborn Stains
a. Cleaning agents: Xylene, Lacquer Thinner
b. Preparation: Try above procedures (1-3). If they fail to remove the spots, then use this procedure.
c. Dampen small section of cloth with xylene. Rub vigorously on the affected area. Rinse area with clean water.
—Adapted from Kroy web site, care and maintenance
