Care & Maintenance Guide

Thank you for choosing a BEST FLY SCREEN for your home.

This guide offers important operation tips and maintenance requirements to ensure your screens continue to work well and to keep your warranty within validity.

Operation

To draw the fly screen or privacy screen, pull on the handle and simply pull it across until it clicks onto the magnet at the other end of the track.

Your fly screen and/or privacy screen can also be stopped in any position along its track.

If for any reason you feel resistance at any point along the track, do not force the fly screen or privacy screen. Check for any obstruction in the track which may be impeding the smooth operation of the screen.

Privacy Screen – Be mindful of wind

Privacy Screens are not designed to cope with wind. While we have gone to significant lengths to make the screens robust, a large screen is in effect a large sail and may be creased, torn or otherwise damaged by strong wind.

Therefore, we recommend that your Privacy Screens only to be used when your doors are in a closed position.

If you do have a Privacy Screen in its privacy position and wind is creating problems, you should immediately retract the screen and close the door panels before re-opening.

Fly Screen – Be mindful of wind

Fly Screens are designed to be used on an open doorway, but also being a large sail, strong winds may cause problems. If it is windy outside, slide your screen away.

Be mindful of rain and moisture

Our screens are made from water resistant fabrics that are resistant to water damage. However, privacy screen fabrics can be stained by water, dust particles or other contaminants spread unevenly across the surface of the fabric.

Therefore, only use the privacy screens while the doors are closed so that they do not get wet from rain.

Any form of wetting to the screen should be dabbed away immediately to minimise the risk of staining.

Make sure your screens are dry before sliding into the closed position. Closing the fabric screen when wet slows down the drying process and can lead to mildew or mould growth on the screen.

If the screens get wet, remove the excess moisture and leave them to dry in an open position. If interior surfaces become wet, dry them as soon as possible using a paper towel or a soft cloth.

KEEPING YOUR SCREENS IN TOP CONDITION

Cleaning Frequency

The following cleaning procedures need to be carried out according to the following schedule in order to ensure the validity of the warranty:

• General environments: Every 6 months
• Coastal & industrial environments*: Every 3 months

*Coastal environments are defined as any residency within two kilometres of salt water.

General

Vacuum floor channels regularly to remove debris, using a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment.

A build-up of sand, leaves, grit, general debris or animal hair can affect the operation of your fly screen / privacy screen

For a fast and easy clean, insect screen mesh can be vacuumed using a soft brush attachment.

For a more thorough clean, gently wipe down the insect mesh with a soft cloth dampened in water and a few drops of mild detergent.

Protect the fabric

To protect your fabric and give it the best chance to stay clean and beautiful for years to come, we recommend the following steps.

• Slide the screen back to its starting position when not serving a useful purpose.
• Clean staining and marks from the fabric as soon as possible.
• When cleaning the fabric, use the least invasive method possible.

Before treating marks:

1. Assess the nature of the contaminant on the material before trying to remove it. Some stains / marks will only be made worse by trying to remove them. For example, any dry marks are best removed without water as wetting the material can spread the mark further into the screen.
2. If applying any liquids to the screen, test first in an inconspicuous area of the fabric. Water marks can be left after cleaning with liquids if the fabric is not dried properly.
3. When cleaning marks, always work from the outside-in to avoid spreading the stain to a larger area.

Identify the source of the mark

1. Inspect the soiled / marked area closely.
2. If you are sure, you know what has caused the stain / mark, then proceed to relevant treatment steps.
3. If unsure of what the stain / mark is, trial cleaning steps very carefully, working through processes in this order:

a) Dry particulate matter (dust, dirt).
b) Grease and finger-marks.
c) Wine and plant juices.

Important notes for all cleaning processes: In all of the following processes, be sure to:

1. Avoid working any of the contaminant into the fabric. Do not rub the stain / mark.
2. Work on a local, inconspicuous area of the screen first.
3. Avoid applying wetting agents to the screen fabric if possible – particularly to the backing on blackout fabrics.
4. Use cotton cloths for cleaning rather than synthetic materials (eg. microfiber cloths). Synthetic fibres tend to generate static charge in the fabric, which can make the contaminants on the screen adhere more aggressively to the fabric.
5. Avoid spreading the contaminant on the screen:
6. Always work from outside in, when treating stains / marks.
7. When using a vacuum head, brush or cloth that will make contact with the screen fabric surface, ensure it is clean first.
8. If any liquids are present on the screen, either as a contaminant or cleaning fluid, ensure that any dampness is sponged out as well as possible using a clean, dry cotton cloth.
9. If practical, after sponging, dry the area gently with a hair dryer (cool or warm air only) , working from the centre of the damp area outwards to minimize possible water marks upon drying. Do not use hot air to dry.
10. Leave the fabric to fully air dry before retracting screen back to its starting position.
11. We recommend using deionized water wherever water is required for the cleaning process. Tap water carries salts and other contaminants that can leave stains. Deionized water will tend to dissolve minerals and salts from contaminated sites on the fabric more effectively than tap water. Use deionized water from a new container, it always more active and effective than if used with an old, part-used container.

Dry particulate matter (dust, dirt)

Dust and dirt particles can usually be successfully removed from the fly screen fabric and also from the backing of blackout fabric. The fabric is factory treated so that dust and dirt will not readily adhere to it.

1. Vacuum the area without making direct contact with the fabric by the vacuum nozzle. This will require using a vacuum rod with a brush head attachment. Please ensure the brush head attachment is clean before use.
2. Use a clean brush to help dislodge adhered particles to the screen, working in one direction only and using the tip only of the brush to try to flick the particles off. Use in conjunction with a vacuum as in step 1.
3. Using a clean cotton cloth, wipe in one direction only (do not scrub) from outside the mark towards the centre. Use a clean area of the cloth with each wipe. Apply the vacuum again as per step 1.
4. With a piece of adhesive tape, touch the adhesive surface lightly onto dirt marks and lift particles away from the surface. Repeat several times using a clean piece of adhesive tape, then try gently rubbing the back of the tape while the adhesive side is in contact with the marked surface .of the screen.
5. Lightly dampen a cotton cloth, wipe in one direction only (do not scrub) working from outside the mark towards the centre. Use a clean area of the cloth with each wipe. If doing a large area, change or clean the cloth regularly.

Grease and finger-marks

Grease can be a difficult contaminant to remove from the screen fabric as it gets locked between the fibres from where it is difficult to dislodge.

1. Prepare a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and warm (not cold), clean deionized water.
2. Spray the solution from an atomizing bottle or dab on the mark with a clean cotton cloth soaked in some of the vinegar solution. Do not apply too much solution that runs occur; if they do, then sponge them up immediately with a dry cotton cloth. Do not rub the soiled area with the cloth as this may work the grease further into the fibres, causing further staining.
3. Immediately dampen another clean cloth in the solvent solution and gently sponge the soiled area to lift the dissolved grease away from the fabric. Note: solvents will dry fast, so ensure you have this mixture ready to go while the solvent is still wet.
4. Using a clean part of the dampened cloth, repeat the sponging process.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 above.
6. If repeated dabbing with the cloth dampened in the solvent solution does not work, then move to light wiping in one direction at a time, always working from outside to the centre of the mark.

Do not rub the backing on blackout fabric when using solvents of any kind.

If the vinegar solution fails to lift the stain, undiluted rubbing alcohol (e.g. denatured alcohol, methylated spirits) or similar solvents can be trialled in place of the vinegar following steps 1–6 above.

Wine and plant juices

Remove as much of the liquid as soon as possible with a dry cloth, avoiding spreading the stain further onto the screen.

1. Dab gently at the wet mark / stain with a dry, clean cotton cloth, working from the outside-in.
2. Put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a bowl of warm deionized water.
3. Lightly dampen a clean cotton cloth in the deionized water and detergent, then dab gently at the stain / mark. Do not rub into the fabric.
4. Repeat step 3. Use a clean area of the cloth each time to avoid re-contaminating the fabric.
5. Ensure that any dampness in the fabric is sponged out as much as possible using a clean, dry cotton cloth.
6. If practical, after sponging, dry gently with a hair dryer or similar, working from the centre of the damp area outwards to minimise possible water marks. Do not use hot air to dry.
7. Leave the fabric to air dry fully before sliding the screen away. If staining has occurred, it may be possible to remove or reduce the visibility of the stain by oxidizing it with hydrogen peroxide.

a) Prepare a deionised water/peroxide mix (maximum 3:2 of deionized water/peroxide). Add the peroxide to the water as per the directions on the peroxide bottle.

b) Using an atomising spray bottle or a clean cotton cloth, carefully apply a small amount of the mixture to the stain/mark.

c) After approximately 1 minute, dab the liquid away with a paper towel or clean cotton cloth lightly dampened with deionized water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid.

d) Repeat the application and dabbing process, increasing delay time.

e) Do not allow the mixture to dry on the surface of the screen. Sponge any dampness away with a dry, clean cotton cloth.

f) Leave the screen fabric to fully air dry before sliding the screen back into the cassette.

Insects and blood

Trapped insects can imprint on both sides of the screen and effective removal will depend on the type of insect and the duration it has been left on the fabric.

1. Treat a dead insect as dry particulate matter, removing as much of the insect as possible without using liquid cleaners of any sort. We recommend a clean vacuum brush attachment in the first instance.
2. Wet blood stains should be dabbed away as soon as possible using a clean paper towel.
3. Treat any remaining contaminant as for wine and plant juices. (see previous steps).

** SCREEN and BLIND Cassettes are warranted for interior applications only, pleated, and solid fabrics are not designed to prevent accidents or withstand windy conditions, heavy rain, hail.

** IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO USE THE BLIND WITH THE DOOR PANELS IN THE CLOSED POSITION. The blind fabric is solid, a simple breeze or wind would not be able to filter through and may cause the fabric to rip or come off the tracks.

**If the buyer or end-user fails to adhere to the installation, operation, care, and maintenance instructions, or uses the product inappropriately; all warranties detailed in the terms and conditions will become null and void.