Did you finally get a new letterbox installed at your property? Congratulations! We understand how much relief a letter box gives you by eliminating the stress from your life. You sure are not spending time at home anymore in stress or waiting at the post office to claim your missing parcel! But wait for a second are you keeping a check on your letter box for its maintenance and care?

Yes, even your new letterbox with parcel box needs to be cleaned on a regular basis and oiled multiple times a year. So, here we are with a complete guide to maintaining your letter boxes and not damaging the protective surface in the process. Let’s see simple ways to protect and clean your letterbox and how to care for different kinds of letterboxes made from different materials.

Ways to Protecting & Cleaning Your Letterbox

Even if your letterbox is finished to high quality, it does require regular simple maintenance to last a lifetime. Let us see the ways you can do so:

While it is critical to keep the entire letterbox free of particles such as dust, dirt, cobwebs, and dampness. A little cleaning down with a towel every now and again will help keep your letterbox in good condition.

To avoid long-term damage, you should clean your letterbox around twice a year. Polishing it with auto polish or wax will protect the finish from sunlight and corrosives while also keeping it bright and presentable. If your hinges are exposed, you can also use WD40 to keep them from squeaking when you open the flap.

Here are a few more steps to thoroughly clean our letterboxes:

ü  Remove all mail from your letterbox to avoid getting wet.

ü  Dampen a rag in cool water and lather it with a neutral detergent. Carefully rub the entire surface, both internally and externally.

ü  Rinse the entire interior and external area to remove all soap traces.

ü  Wipe with a dry towel to prevent stains from appearing.

How To Maintain Letterboxes Made from Different Materials?

Different material made letter boxes may need different care. Let’s see how you can do that:

Stainless Steel Letterboxes

The stainless-steel mailboxes must be maintained in order to not get rust-like tempering. It is recommended that the surface of stainless steel should be cleaned on a regular basis and additionally wiped with acid-free oil at least 3-4 times a year.

If the stainless steel is not cleaned then tempering may occur, this can be removed using a very fine abrasive agent that will restore the material back to its previous state. However, it is important that the box is cleaned afterward and oiled multiple times a year.

Under no circumstances are steel wool, steel brushes, or similar items to be used for cleaning as they damage the protective surface and therefore enable a rust film to form due to abrasion.

Aluminum Letterboxes

Aluminum letterboxes are completed in high-quality powder coating; but, because they are exposed to corrosive environments and UV radiation from the sun, the mailboxes will lose their glitter with time. We recommend regular washing and a good clean and polish using a suitable vehicle polish or wax twice a year to keep the letterboxes in immaculate shape.

This will aid in safeguarding the product from ultraviolet radiation and corrosive environments. On letterboxes with exposed hinges, we also recommend using WD40 or a comparable spray.

Coastal Location Installed Letterboxes

'Filiform corrosion' can occur when mailboxes are erected in a coastal location with corrosive air (industrial waste gases). If this is a concern in the location where the mailboxes will be erected, a solution such as adding a clear lacquer finish to the mailbox during production may be considered. Inadequate surface cleaning and care, as well as scratches, can promote the spread of filiform corrosion.

Letterbox Locks

Locks Mailbox locks should be greased 1-2 times each year with a locking spray to reduce general wear and jarring sounds. If the mailbox lock freezes during the winter, lock oil can be used to loosen it.

How Do I Stop My Letterbox from Banging in The Wind?

It is critical to note that a fully functional letterbox will not wind up slamming against your front door. In most cases, it only occurs after a small piece of it has become fractured.

What Can Go Wrong with The Letterbox?

In general, a letter plate will bang when:

o   The spring has snapped or been removed.

o   A little section of the letterbox has broken away.

o   The letter flap's outside edges are no longer flush.

You should be able to spot any damaged parts pretty immediately when inspecting your troublesome letterbox. At this stage, you'll know whether it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

How to Fix it?

Depending on what's actually happened to your letter box will determine exactly what kind of tape or screw fix you'll need to administer. However, here are a few ideas to think about.

Put Blu-Tac on each corner

If you're after a quick way to stop the noise, then just a couple of pieces of blue-tac will do quite nicely. Stick a couple of pea-sized pieces on the inside edge and it will deaden the sound if it happens to hit the door.

This is just a quick solution, however, as Blu-Tac is often not that secure, particularly when it's wet outside.

Tape the letter flap down

Our next solution involves simply putting some tape over the flap, so it can't move, even when buffeted by the wind. However, as you might imagine, this is another temporary solution, as it prevents the posts from being put through your door.

It's a good solution in the middle of the night when you just want the sound to stop, but you'll need to come up with a more permanent solution when the sun comes up.

Make use of magnets

Another more permanent option is to place a small magnet or two on the edge of your letterbox frame, with a similar number on the flap itself.

This means that even if the spring breaks, the post can still be inserted through the door, with the magnets cushioning the movement and creating silence.

Putting in a new mailbox 

Of course, there will be occasions when your letterbox is irreparably broken, leaving a huge hole in your front doors. The good news is that replacing your letterbox and filling up this hole is not as difficult as you would assume. There are also a plethora of styles to choose from, like Antique Black Iron, Victorian Brass, and Polished Chrome.

Conclusion

To maintain and make your letterbox last for years, you must care for and clean it on a regular basis. We hope the information above has helped you keep your letterbox looking like new.