Maintenance
Maintenance: Best practices to ensure long-term durability and shine.
To maintain your HIDE Cover's stainless steel components in optimal condition, consider the following care tips:
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Regular Cleaning: Rinse the stainless steel parts with clean, fresh water frequently to remove debris and reduce the effects of pool chemicals.
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Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Do not use bleach or acidic cleaners, as they can damage the protective layer of stainless steel, leading to corrosion.
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Use Gentle Cleaning Tools: Opt for soft cloths or sponges when cleaning to prevent surface scratches. Avoid abrasive materials like steel wool.
Regular Cleaning
It’s a good idea to regularly open your HIDE product and check for and remove any leaf litter or debris which may have gathered inside the HIDE Edge Protector. If not removed, the debris may cause the HIDE lid to become loose or to sit unevenly.
Check regularly to ensure the HIDE product is fitting well and is sitting evenly in its recessed area.
Simply wipe clean your stainless steel lid with soapy water each time you empty the skimmer basket.
Remove Tea Staining
HIDE components are made of 316L marine-grade stainless steel. Although this is a very high-grade external product, it is normal for visible surface “browning” to occur (known as ‘Tea-staining’).
It should not be confused with rust; it is a cosmetic discolouration on the surface of the stainless steel, from foreign objects. Simply clean regularly and carefully remove ‘Tea-staining’ as soon as it’s noticed with a nylon scouring pad.
Typically the ‘tea-staining’ will form on the underside of the HIDE lid where residues and salt deposits gather. To clean, all you need is a stainless steel scourer, soapy water and a little elbow grease. Just be sure to use the scourer parallel to the grain direction of the HIDE lid. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water when done.
Please be aware that if the surface staining is allowed to build up over time, it may leach onto the HIDE lid inlay or surrounding paving. This is not a fault of the lid and is completely avoidable with occasional cleaning, as mentioned above. If allowed to occur over a prolonged period, the leaching may not be able to be removed.
Beware of acid and chemical wash
WARNING! DO NOT ALLOW ACID OR CHEMICAL WASH SOLUTIONS TO CONTACT THE HIDE PRODUCT. IT WILL CORODE THE STAINLESS STEEL FINISH AND VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
Pool owners may look at professional acid washing if their pool suffers from algae build-up and water discolouration. Similarly, homeowners may look to clean their outdoor pavers or tiles with a chemical wash. If embarking on either option, please be aware that the HIDE lid should not come into contact with any acid or chemical washing solutions. This is one of the main causes of damage to a HIDE product, and it is not covered by your warranty.
Chemical contact with most pool and paving cleaning solutions will rapidly affect the surface finish of the stainless steel HIDE components. This contact will damage the lid inlay and potentially the structural integrity of the HIDE lid itself. Alternatives are available in the form of “Green Acid Replacement.”
GuardIT®
GuardIT® Green Acid Replacement (G.A.R), is an environmentally responsible acid alternative. Green Acid is a safe alternative to harsh acids, replacing hydrochloric acid in the removal of cement residue, mortar residue and efflorescense. Suitable for removing cement residue from concrete, sandstone, ceramic, terracotta, bricks, blue stone, painted metal surfaces and other similar surfaces. Not suitable on Zincalume.
Reasons to choose G.A.R:
- Effective, replaces harmful acids Safe to use
- Non-dangerous goods
- Non-corrosive Phosphate free
- Readily biodegradable Contains no VOCs
- Non-fuming
