Taking care of a hand painted mailbox is easier than you think.
Forget those outdated instructions telling you to re-seal your mailbox each season or each year. Disregard what you’ve heard about the need for constant and frequent washings of your mailbox; harsh chemicals and cleaning agents are not recommended. These things are simply not necessary.
An important step to remember in taking care of your hand mailbox is to not do anything to your mailbox for 3 weeks and let your mailbox do all the work. Yes, during the first three weeks, your mailbox needs to do a work-out of its own. You might be wondering just what kind of working out does a hand painted mailbox do? Naturally, it will need to do an aerobic work-out. Well, not THAT kind of aerobic work out; its an aerobic curing to be precise. An aerobic cure is more technically referred to as an out-gassing. The solvents in the sealer need to out-gas (evaporate).
Once your hand painted mailbox has out-gassed, you can then wipe it down with a soft, damp cloth to make sure its dirt free. ( Its important that there is nothing that will be abrasive on your mailbox.) Then gently apply a liquid car wax and with a soft cloth, and very gently buff it. The car wax (any brand) will provide an additional layer of protection for your mailbox. Waxing your mailbox once or twice with each season should be sufficient, but for those of you who live in extreme climates, waxing your mailbox more often will be necessary. As I mentioned, its important that you wait 3 weeks to allow your mailbox to out-gas before you wax it however. Waxing before the mailbox has out-gassed can cause the sealer to permanently cloud up. An additional measure to keep your mailbox looking new is to use galvanized screws to mount your mailbox. This will help insure that no rust from the mounting screws will stain your mailbox.
Waxing your hand painted mailbox will prolong the life of your mailbox. Depending upon your climate, you won’t have to reseal your mailbox for anywhere from few years to several years. Waxing is an extremely easy and cost effective method of getting additional years to enjoy your beautiful new hand painted mailbox.
Tina – CottageAndCabana.com
One thought on “HOW TO CARE FOR A HAND PAINTED MAILBOX”