One of the main tasks of any housewife is to maintain cleanliness in all corners of her home. Heating radiators are no exception. And many people fear how thoroughly they will have to clean old batteries, on which centuries-old dust has accumulated. But don’t worry, as useful tricks have long been invented to make life easier for clean people. In order to figure out how to wash heating radiators inside and out, you just have to read this article and learn all the most important things for yourself.
Why is it dangerous?
The sizes of dust particles are determined within the range from 0.00002 to 0.1 millimeters.
Above forests, rivers, and lakes, its content does not exceed 1 milligram per cubic meter. In cities, dust levels can reach 20 milligrams per cubic meter. The structure of dust in an apartment/house primarily depends on finishing materials, service life and quality of furniture and household appliances. The most common harm caused by household dust is allergies, which affect every tenth city resident. It is often confused with the common cold due to the similarity of symptoms. Allergies can result in bronchial asthma.
Dust allergies are primarily caused by saprophytic mites, insects up to 0.5 millimeters in size. In 1 gram of house dust there are up to 500 individuals that process organic dust components. Their waste product is guanine, an allergen that causes runny nose, conjunctivitis and asthma. In a city apartment, a person inhales 25 times more dust particles per minute than outside the city. Cleanliness in the house for city residents is important for maintaining health.
Preparing for washing
Do not be mistaken that this is easy to do, especially when it comes to cast iron. But if you approach the situation wisely and your hands “grow from where they should”, two men will cope with the task.
Preparation technology:
- It is better to choose a day before mid-autumn, when services have already purged the main line, but water has not yet been released into the system. Ideally, you need to clean the batteries of all neighbors in the riser at the same time. Otherwise, dirt in a radiator located in another apartment will end up in yours, and the procedure will become useless.
- Draining water from the system in a private home is not difficult and can be done at any time. In an apartment building, you will have to negotiate with a plumber to carry out all the manipulations in the basement, where the distribution center of the house is located. You need to notify your neighbors if this happens during the heating season. Although the latter is resorted to when there is a blockage. It is better to carry out routine cleaning of radiators in the summer.
- If you have only superficial knowledge about the operation of batteries, their connection to the system and other nuances, it is better to first study the hardware. Or call a professional.
- Prepare a container in advance where the remaining liquid will drain.
- After unscrewing the element, you need to remove it. At this stage you will need an assistant. Even a bimetallic product is inconvenient to dismantle alone.
- The coolant should be inspected. Maybe there is no point in cleaning it anymore.
- If you plan to wash the product with water in the bath, you need to put something under it. For example. silicone mat. Otherwise, the scratches on the tank will be so serious that you will then have to pay for the restoration of the bathtub.
Tip: If the joints are welded, you need to use a cutter or other tool to heat the coupling.
Long brush with curved brush
Sometimes it’s worth spending money on comfortable cleaning and buying a special brush-brush for cleaning hard-to-reach places. This brush with a curved ring penetrates perfectly into the battery, eliminating any kind of contamination. The peculiarity of its use is that you can reach those places where your hand could not previously reach. In a store of various household items for the home, such a device may be called a bottle brush.
When choosing the most convenient and affordable method for yourself, you need to remember that the dirt and dust that accumulates in the radiator cells is harmful to the health of households and pets, and can cause allergies and other diseases. That is why you should not bypass such hard-to-reach areas.
The essence of the problem
- During the heating season, you may notice that one of the sections or the entire radiator is colder than the rest of the radiators in the house. This is a clear sign that the inside of this area is covered with a thick layer of rust or plaque;
- if the temperature of the riser is higher than that of the battery, this is another obvious sign that hot water does not enter the radiator in full due to internal contamination;
- all the radiators in the apartment are slightly warm, while those of the neighbors in the house are hot;
- uneven heating of the battery also indicates that cleaning is necessary.
The easiest way to clean off plaque on kitchen surfaces is with a toothbrush and a fat-soluble cleaner.
Folk remedies Recipes for masks At home Hair loss in women How to stimulate growth Causes of hair loss Hair loss in men Review of vitamins Helpful tips
We use a steam generator
A steam generator will be a more modern alternative to a hairdryer and a rag. This equipment is ideal for cleaning old type radiators with many small cells. This universal device copes with any type of contaminant, while helping to disinfect radiators from the inside.
Before using the steam generator, it is necessary to place cloths under the battery to absorb water and moisture. If walls and floors need more reliable protection, then it is worth covering them with polyethylene or construction film. All that remains is to use the steam generator not exactly for its intended purpose, but according to the standard scheme!
Classification
Radiator cleaning procedures are divided into different types, depending on the auxiliary means used and the area of influence.
There are significantly more options, but only those that can be done independently and at home without the use of specific equipment will be covered.
Ways to quickly wash a battery
Let's take a closer look at what methods exist for washing cast iron, aluminum and bimetallic radiators.
Dry radiator cleaning
This method should be used at least once a year. As can be understood from the name, it consists in the fact that the heating device is cleaned superficially: from dust, cobwebs, crumbs and other light stains. The batteries inside are removed from debris using a broom, vacuum cleaner or dry cloth.
Wet cleaning of radiators
Carried out at least once every 2 years. This method will help get rid of greasy and stubborn stains. But before you start, you must do dry cleaning. Next, you will need to assess the degree of contamination: light, medium or severe. Because depending on this, you will be able to understand what auxiliary products and chemicals to use to quickly wash the batteries.
Tip #1
The cleanliness of the radiator must be constantly maintained, which will always allow you to quickly and easily clean its surface. At the same time, the device itself will last you much longer.
Tip #2
If there is a protective screen on the radiator, it must be removed before washing the cast iron or aluminum battery. The most effective way to clean the grill is to place it in the bathtub and wipe it thoroughly with a cloth soaked in soapy water. And then dry well with a clean cloth.
Tip #3
If the heating is turned off, it becomes possible to remove the radiator completely. Then you can soak it in a bathtub, having previously covered it with thick material to avoid damaging the enamel. Add detergents if necessary. Then the debris and dirt will come off much easier, you just need to rinse the sections with good water pressure.
Tip #4
When using wet cleaning, you should take care of the surrounding finish: wallpaper, laminate and parquet. Therefore, it is recommended to cover them with waterproof material. This could be oilcloth, film or an old unnecessary piece of linoleum.
Tip #5
The cast iron battery should be cleaned carefully. Since the surface of cast iron is uneven and has some defects that can injure your hands. It is better to clean with rubber gloves.
Tip #6
If the heating device has a completely unattractive appearance and cannot be washed, then all is not lost. Special acrylic paint will come to the rescue.
Tip #7
When using various chemicals or boiling water, you should think about the safety of your hand skin. Namely, wear thick rubber gloves.
Cleaning the radiator inside from corrosion and scale
Our clients ask the most questions about the topic: how to wash old cast-iron batteries with fins inside? The work requires patience, time, physical effort, chemicals and equipment. If you don’t want to delve into the intricacies and waste energy on hard dirty work, invite professionals from a specialized company that provides servicing of heating communications.
The algorithm for performing the work will be of interest to those who want to know how to wash a cast-iron battery from the inside:
- water is drained from the heating system;
- the radiator is disconnected from two pipes - water supply and water outlet;
- move the sections to where the washing will take place (in the yard or in the bathtub);
- pour water into the battery, shake vigorously so that the water washes away deposits from the inner walls;
- then a special solution is poured inside, which will clean the walls of corrosion and scale in 10-15 minutes.
Now imagine the weight of a cast iron battery and you will understand how difficult it is to wash the battery inside in an apartment. Entrust the work to cleaners or a specialized service company. Craftsmen use a pump to supply water under pressure inside the battery and professional chemicals to remove rust and limescale. In addition, they know how to wash the radiators inside without removing them.
Seven ways to clean your battery from dust
- A vacuum cleaner with special narrow attachments is the fastest and most effective way to clean cast iron or steel radiators;
- Instead of a vacuum cleaner, you can use a steam generator, which not only cleans, but also disinfects. To do this, place rags under the radiator that absorb water well. Or, to protect the walls and floor, you can first lay or hang an oilcloth, and lay a rag on top. Then treat the heater with steam;
- Place a wet cloth on the wall behind the battery and use a hair dryer to blow the dust off the device. Then the dust will settle on the rag;
- You can wash the battery without using additional equipment. In this case, use manual cleaning and cotton gloves. Put gloves on your hands and soak them in a soapy solution, then use your hands to clean the dirt and dust from inside the device;
- You can clean the battery using boiling water. To do this, take a baking sheet from the oven, a kettle of boiling water and a bucket of rags. Place the baking sheet under the radiator, and start pouring boiling water over the device itself. During cleaning, you can additionally wipe the battery with a cloth. When working, use rubber gloves and be careful with boiling water! Water and dust will drain into the pan. And as the pan fills, pour the water into the bucket and put it back. After the procedure, thoroughly wipe the radiator with a damp and then a dry cloth, and remove any splashes around;
- Heavily dirty heating appliances can be washed using special cleaning products. Household chemicals effectively remove dirt, dust, grease and plaque. First, rags are placed under the battery, and then the spray is sprayed over the surface of the radiator and left for the time specified in the instructions. After this, wipe the battery with a sponge or cloth;
- To properly clean the inside of the battery, use a dish brush with a curved end, a long-handled radiator paint brush, or an old toothbrush. This way, you will reach hard-to-reach places, you will be able to completely wash the device, and effectively and permanently remove dust.
Prepare everything you need
Ideally, it would be good to wipe the batteries with a damp cloth every week, but there is not always time for this. If you haven't done this for a long time, you'll have to do a more thorough cleaning.
Take note
