Aluplast

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Use a pH-neutral glass cleaner or diluted washing-up liquid on a microfibre cloth.
• ✓Work top to bottom to stop dirty water running over cleaned areas.
• ✓Dry with a clean lint-free cloth or rubber squeegee to prevent limescale deposits.
• ✓Never use razor blades on coated glass units - check with your fabricator before attempting paint removal.
• ✓Inspect the glazing bead seal annually for cracks or separation from the profile.

Frames

• ✓Clean PVC frames with warm water and a small amount of pH-neutral washing-up liquid.
• ✓Use a soft microfibre cloth only - never abrasive pads, steel wool, or scouring powder.
• ✓For yellowing, a specialist PVC restorer cream can recover surface colour - test a hidden area first.
• ✓On foil-laminated surfaces, avoid anything with acetone, white spirit, or strong alkalis.
• ✓Clear drainage slots at the bottom of the outer frame with a soft brush every six months.

Hardware

• ✓Oil espagnolette locking points, hinges, and tilt-and-turn mechanisms twice yearly with a light machine oil or dedicated window hardware lubricant.
• ✓Do not spray oil directly onto PVC frame surfaces - it attracts dirt and stains white profiles.
• ✓Check handle fixing screws for tightness once a year.
• ✓If a sash drops and drags on the sill, adjust the bottom hinge keep before the fault worsens.
• ✓Wipe hardware with a dry cloth after cleaning - standing moisture on steel components causes rust bleeding onto white frames.

Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol

The Orloffs Protocol

Pro Tools

My daily tool list. This is what I carry to every job.

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. This is the same sequence I use on every Aluplast installation.

1. 1

   Assess the frame and glass condition

   Before touching any product, look at the overall frame - note yellowing, scratches, foil lifting, or hardware staining.

   Check drainage slots at the base of the outer frame for blockage. Blocked drainage is the single most common cause of frame staining.

   On foil-laminated frames, check the edges of the foil at corners and hardware cutouts for lifting.

2. 2

   Flush drainage slots

   Use a soft brush to clear any visible debris from drainage holes at the bottom of the frame.

   Pour a small amount of clean water into the outer rebate channel and watch that it exits through the drainage holes freely.

   If water pools, probe gently with a plastic tool - never metal, which scores the PVC.

3. 3

   Clean glass first

   Apply pH-neutral glass cleaner to a damp microfibre cloth and wipe the glass in overlapping horizontal passes.

   Follow immediately with a dry rubber squeegee, working top to bottom.

   Dry the frame rebate where glass meets frame with a clean cloth to remove any solution that ran down.

4. 4

   Clean PVC frames

   Mix warm water with a small amount of pH-neutral washing-up liquid in a bucket.

   Wipe all frame faces, sill, and head with a soft microfibre cloth. Work from top to bottom, rinsing the cloth regularly.

   For foil-laminated surfaces, use the same solution but wring the cloth out more - avoid pooling water at foil edges.

5. 5

   Lubricate all hardware

   Open the sash fully and apply a small amount of light machine oil to each visible hinge knuckle.

   Run a single drop of oil down the espagnolette bar where it contacts each locking keep.

   Operate the handle through tilt and turn positions three times to work the lubricant into all contact points, then wipe excess from the frame face.

6. 6

   Final check and documentation

   Close and lock each sash - resistance should be smooth. If a sash is stiff, note the window for hinge adjustment.

   Check the outer perimeter seal (the compression seal between sash and frame) for brittleness or gaps.

   Record the service date. aluplast-profiled windows in normal residential use should be serviced once yearly.

Pro Tips

• ★ White PVC yellows fastest on south-facing elevations. Annual PVC restorer cream on these windows adds years to the visible finish.
• ★ Foil-laminated frames in dark colours (anthracite, black) absorb more heat and expand more. Check foil edge adhesion on these windows first each spring.
• ★ Never use a pressure washer on PVC windows. The jet forces water behind glazing beads and into hardware keeps.
• ★ If white PVC frames have brown rust staining near hardware, the steel espagnolette bar inside the frame has corroded. Lubrication alone will not fix this - the bar needs replacing.
• ★ On tilt-and-turn windows, always check the tilt function as well as the turn. Hardware faults often show in tilt mode first.
• ★ Drainage holes are usually hidden under the outer sill overhang. Use a mirror or phone camera to check them rather than guessing.
• ★ aluplast profiles are widely available to fabricators - if a frame section is damaged, replacement profiles through the original fabricator are usually possible.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass cleaning: Every 6-8 weeks (More often on ground floor or near roads.). Frame cleaning: Every 3-4 months (South-facing frames may need more frequent attention in summer.). Hardware lubrication: Twice yearly (Spring and autumn are ideal timing.). Full service check: Annually (Drainage, seals, hardware adjustment, and frame condition review.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“aluplast profiles are made in Germany to consistent tolerances, but the finished window quality depends entirely on the fabricator. The same profile in two different windows can feel completely different. Yellowing on white aluplast-profiled windows is a surface phenomenon in most cases. A quality PVC restorer cream recovers around 80% of the original white in our experience. The IDEAL 7000 system is the most common profile we encounter in Austrian residential work. Hardware access points are well-positioned and maintenance is straightforward.”

Justin Orloff