How to clean a fly screen

[prettyliving]

Difficulty: Beginner

It's common for fly screens to become dusty and dirty over time. This can potentially block fresh air from entering your home and look unsightly.

Here is a simple guide to cleaning a standard fly screen.

Let us know if you have any questions. We’d be happy to assist.

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Steps

Step 1

Remove the fly screen.

Unscrew any clips or fasteners holding the screen in place. Hold the screen’s left and right edges and push it upwards into the window frame’s top track. Do this until the screen's bottom edge slides out of the bottom track. Now remove the screen out of the frame by pulling it down out of the top track.

Locate a clean and dry area for cleaning the screen and place it there.

For fixed fly screens, place towels along your windowsill and floor to protect them from any water or product stains. 

    

Step 2

Dilute the degreaser.

Follow the instructions on the product label to dilute the degreaser. Make sure you are wearing the recommended personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and eye protection.

Fill the bucket with the required amount of water and add the degreaser. I added one part degreaser to 10 parts water.

For heavily stained or dirty screens, use the degreaser undiluted.

  

Step 3

Scrub the fly screen.

Dip a soft bristle brush into the diluted degreaser and then use it to scrub the screen. Do not scrub the screen too vigorously as doing so can damage the mesh.

Scrub both sides of the screen.

    

Step 4

Wash the fly screen.

Lean the screen against a wall or post. Hose off the dirt and degreaser solution until the water runs clear. If the screen is still dirty, repeat step 3.

For fixed screens, use a spray bottle filled with water and a wet cloth to wipe away the dirt and degreaser solution. 

  

Step 5

Dry the fly screen.

Leave the screen to dry outdoors in a clean area.

For quicker drying, wipe the screen gently using a clean towel.

  

Step 6

Reinstall the fly screen.

Once the screen has dried, push the top edge of the screen up into the top window track. Now insert the screen's bottom edge back into the bottom track. Position the screen in the frame and clip the edges back into place.

Enjoy your clean fly screen.

    

Materials

• Water-based degreaser, such as Diggers 1L water-based degreaser
• Water.

Tools

• Bucket
• Garden hose
• Soft bristle brush
• Towel or rag
• Safety gear, including gloves and safety glasses.

Images

                          

[MitchellMc]

Wonderful guide, @prettyliving, that I trust our members will find useful.

I appreciate the advice on removing the flyscreen from the window frame, as I always find that a bit tricky. Now that I think of it, I've got a few flyscreens around my home that could do with a clean-up. It looks like I've got next weekend's job lined up. 👍

Many thanks for sharing.

Mitchell

[Akanksha]

An effective and easy method of cleaning fly screens. Thank you, Jess (@prettyliving).

Those looking for more information on cleaning different parts of their home can find similar guides underneath the topic labelled Cleaning in our How To section. These include guides like How to remove stains from garage floors and How to unclog a blocked shower drain.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help with your cleaning project. We'd be happy to assist.

Akanksha

[sunillinus20]

Thank you for this post. Been looking for a post or video around the web to know how to clean the fly screens. 

Question. Does bunnings sell those brushes as well?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @sunillinus20,

It's great to hear that you've found this article useful and I'm sure @prettyliving will be pleased to know it's been helpful. The brush used here can be found in the budget-friendly Morgan Black Dustpan And Brush Set. We also have the Permastik Fly Screen Value Brush and Permastik Fly Screen Vacuum Brush that can be used to maintain your flyscreen after washing.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[DjKid03]

If you need to do many screens, the above is great, its very thorough but more time consuming, but a must do for older screens that haven't been maintained.

As a cleaner, the most time efficient way I have found is to spray baby wipes with a degreaser, wipe down, repeat as needed. A dustpan brush to loosen any stuck dirt, then wipe down again using wipe, no degreaser, to remove the dirt and any left over product.

Go the extra mile with a rag sprayed generously with WD-40, helps lubricate and coat the screens so future dirt and dust is very easy to wipe off.

You can use rags instead of wipes, however screens get filthy and you will find yourself using many! Also use enough degreaser or face dry dust and dirt flying off the screen at you - baby wipes are great in this regard as already wet, I find the process overall is much nicer using wet wipes. 

[EricL]

Hello @DjKid03 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience regarding cleaning fly screens. Who knew WD40 and wet wipes would be such a big help.

We're keen to hear more about all your projects and plans around the house and garden. Please feel free to reach out whenever you need assistance or would like to share a project with the community.

Eric