What are lift doors made of?
Well, lets start by saying that most lift doors are made of stainless steel, the problem is 99% are “brushed” stainless steel and only a few “mirror shine” stainless steel. Brushed stainless steel has a matt finish (see image below) opposite to a shiny finish (mirror shine) and has a pattern that is embossed into the metal.
Things you NEED to know before polishing:
- Brushed stainless steel cannot be polished, it can be cleaned, but not polished.
- If you polish a brushed surface you’ll end up with a broken pattern that is very hard to repair.
- Mirror shine stainless steel can be both polished and clean, and you are safe doing so.
- You can also polish and clean the inside of the lift if its a metal surface.
Once you understood the difference between mirror and brushed stainless steel, we can now move to the cleaning/polishing process:
- For Mirror Shine Stainless Steel Polishing: You can either use Autosol Metal Polish or Autosol Metal Polish Liquid to remove marks, stains, light rust and corrosion of the surface and bring back the shine. This process will leave a waxy thin layer that will protect the surface from further deterioration.
- For Mirror Shine Stainless Steel Cleaning: If the doors are still in good shape, then there’s no need to polish them. You’ll only need to clean them with a soft cloth and Autosol Stainless Steel Power Cleaner.
- For Brushed Stainless Steel Cleaning: The good thing about brushed stainless steel is that the surface pattern hides any scratches that will be remove in the polishing process. Si the need to polish is almost minimal. You’ll only need to clean them with a soft cloth and Autosol Stainless Steel Power Cleaner.
NOW, it’s time to get your hands dirty:
1- Clean, wash, get all dirt off the surface. How? use hot water and detergent with a soft cloth or towel and let dry.
2- For the Mirror Shine SS, apply the polisher, it could be either Autosol Metal Polish or Autosol Metal Polish Liquid
3- Polish in circular motions until you have achieved the desired shine or remove scratches and marks.
4- To clean Brushed and Mirror Shine SS, use Autosol Stainless Steel Power Cleaner as regular cleaner, with a soft cloth and not applying much pressure.
If you have any queries, let us know, we are happy to assist you. 02 9905 8400 or info@autosol.com.au
Related Tag: Carports and Garages