Plastimet

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓pH-neutral glass cleaner in warm water. Microfibre T-bar and professional squeegee. Inner face in tilt, outer face in turn position.
• ✓Squeegee top to bottom. Wipe rubber after each pass. Edge wipe in rebate before final pull.
• ✓Check glass unit seal condition at each visit. Note any unit with visible moisture between the panes.
• ✓On entrance door glazed panels, clean the door glass on the same visit as the windows.

Frames

• ✓pH-neutral solvent-free PVC cleaner on damp cloth. Straight strokes top to bottom.
• ✓On colour foil frames, minimal moisture and no pressure near seam edges at corners and cut surfaces.
• ✓Rinse with clean water. Dry with cotton cloth. Do not leave cleaner residue on PVC.
• ✓Clear all sash drainage slots after every frame clean.

Hardware

• ✓Annual lubrication: hinge scissors, corner transfer pieces, espagnolette rod guides.
• ✓Wipe hardware at every clean. Dry immediately to prevent surface rust on steel components.
• ✓Condition rubber seals annually with non-silicone seal conditioner.

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 Plastimet installation.

1. 1

   Pre-clean check

   Check foil condition at corners and cut surfaces on all colour windows.

   Note any glass units with internal condensation - these need reporting.

   Identify high-use windows (balcony, terrace) for twice-yearly hardware service.

2. 2

   Glass cleaning

   Apply solution with T-bar. Tilt for inner, turn for outer.

   Squeegee top to bottom. Rubber wipe after each pass.

   Edge wipe before final pull.

3. 3

   Frame cleaning

   Apply pH-neutral solvent-free cleaner to cloth. Straight strokes.

   On colour foil, minimal pressure near seams.

   Rinse and dry.

4. 4

   Drainage clearance

   Clear every sash base drainage slot with plastic tool.

   Test drainage with a small amount of water.

   Clear external cill junction debris.

5. 5

   Hardware and seal service

   Apply light oil to all mechanism points. Operate full cycle.

   Condition EPDM seals with non-silicone conditioner.

   Check all locking cams engage cleanly.

6. 6

   Final check

   Close and lock all windows. Confirm smooth handle operation.

   Check for any draft gaps at sash corners.

   Record any drainage, seal, or hardware issues.

Pro Tips

• ★ On a building with multiple Plastimet windows, set up one product station and work methodically through each window in sequence. Consistency across the building is more time-efficient than adapting product and technique window by window.
• ★ Plastimet woodgrain foil windows are popular in Polish residential architecture. The oak and mahogany foil options look premium but are maintained the same way as any other foil laminate - solvent-free and gentle.
• ★ Check the inner face of the drainage slots as well as the outer face on tilt-and-turn windows. Debris sometimes blocks from the inner side, particularly in windows adjacent to kitchen or bathroom ventilation.
• ★ Polish PVC frames in high-humidity interior environments - bathroom windows particularly - show faster rubber seal deterioration than windows in drier rooms. Increase seal conditioning frequency on bathroom windows to twice yearly.
• ★ A window that is noticeably colder at the glass edge in winter than at the centre of the glass has a thermal bridge at the glass unit spacer bar. This is a glazing unit issue, not a cleaning issue, but noting it during the clean is a useful service for the property owner.
• ★ Entrance door hinges on Plastimet doors carry significantly more load than window hinges. Include entrance door hinge lubrication in the annual hardware service schedule.
• ★ If a Plastimet tilt-and-turn window will only tilt and not open to the turn position, the handle is in the tilt position and needs to be returned to closed before re-operating. This is a user error rather than a hardware fault but is commonly reported as a fault by property owners.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year (Residential standard. Urban and roadside locations: quarterly in winter months.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Non-negotiable on mid-range PVC.). Hardware lubrication and seal conditioning: Once per year (Twice per year on high-cycle terrace and balcony doors.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Plastimet windows represent a large proportion of the Polish residential window stock. Correct maintenance protocol is the same for Plastimet as for other mid-range Polish PVC manufacturers - the product follows standard central European construction. The foil laminate issue is the most frequently encountered cleaning damage on Polish mid-range windows. Every operative working on Polish residential windows needs to understand solvent-free protocol before starting. Annual hardware service on a building with 20 Plastimet windows takes approximately 3 hours. Skipping it for 3 years produces a building where half the windows have stiff or incomplete locking - the catch-up work takes significantly longer.”

Justin Orloff