Looking after your ironmongery products and maintaining their original appearance is important and essential to achieving a long-lasting and beautiful finish. Depending on whether you’ve purchased internal or external ironmongery or even depending on their metal finish, there will be different ways of maintaining these products.

General maintenance.

Operational ironmongery such as door handles which are installed in high-traffic commercial buildings or door locks and latches which have moving parts which are used on a day-to-day basis should be checked regularly and lubricated to ensure they are fully operational.

External ironmongery should also be looked after regularly as they are more prone to lose their original appearance due to the exposure to the elements, especially in coastal areas where there are high levels of salt content in the air.

Chrome, stainless steel and nickel finishes.

These finishes do not require much maintenance. However, they should still be regularly cleaned with a damp cloth and soapy water or mild detergent and then rinsed off and dried with a towel, in order to restore the appearance of the original surface plus, reduce finger marks and any dirt that gathered on the surface.

Brass finishes.

Unlacquered brass finishes will naturally age and darken over time due to oxidation. To restore the bright brass finish, remember to polish this type of ironmongery finish with a dry cloth.

Beeswax finishes.

To maintain beeswax products, we would recommend the From the Anvil beeswax maintenance wax. This will ensure that the original appearance of the product is preserved and will prevent rusting. If there are signs of white bloom on the product, we recommend buffing the product with a soft cloth.

For outdoor use, we would also recommend only using the products which clearly state, “external beeswax”. If surface rust does appear, the product can be restored with fine wire wool and beeswax maintenance wax.

Black finishes.

Although our From the Anvil black finished ironmongery is very low maintenance and resistant to moisture, it should still be lightly wiped over from time to time with an oily cloth to remove any dirt or dust from the surface.

Pewter finishes.

This type of finish is extremely durable and can either be used internally or externally without the worry of deterioration. It is still recommended to clean this finish regularly with an oily cloth to remove any dust or dirt deposits.

If you have any questions regarding any other type of finish and their care instructions, don’t hesitate to contact our team at info@ironmongeryexperts.co.uk or on 01376 557 561.