Signs are objects, and like all objects, signs, over time, collect dust or become dingy, and you’ll want to keep them looking their best, so there are different ways to approach this quest. First of all, the best way to keep any sign looking its best is to perform routine dustings, weekly or so, and this is particularly important when you have a sign mounted with standoffs, as the number of surfaces is increased. This is especially true of the top horizontal flat surfaces, which are the number one collectors of dust and any other falling debris.
Different Environments Create Dust Differently
Different methods of sign maintenance apply, depending on whether a sign is mounted outside or indoors. On indoor-mounted signage, routine dusting can be performed by a number of methods. The main thing is to do it fairly frequently, depending on need, obviously. Some environments tend to collect dust faster than others, based on several different factors, like the type of ceilings used and even the physical location of the building in which the business is located.
Dry Dusting Methods
For the routine cleaning/maintenance of interior signs, dry-dusting is the best method to use, as it’s quick and won’t require any solutions or paper towels, etc. There are a number of different dusters for sale, with some being superior in terms of offering a dust magnetism. If you prefer, you can use a vacuum cleaner hose attachment with a brush fitting on the end, or you might use a clean, dry paintbrush to evacuate the dust with one hand as you hold the vacuum hose with the other hand to capture the dust as it’s loosened. When it comes to standoff lettering, a smaller artist’s-type paint brush will work best at getting the dust out of smaller crannies and grooves.
What’ll Do the Trick
Some people will use canned air for cleaning standoff signs and lettering, however there’s no reason to go to any additional expense in terms of buying something you really don’t need, to get the same result you can get without it. Clean, dry paint brushes do the trick, and you can use them over and over. You’ll find they also work well for a variety of dusting needs to be found in an office or business with different levels of traffic.
Special Considerations for Dusting Layers
When you’re dusting a standoff-mounted sign, you’ll want to make sure you dustthe base areas upon which subsequent layers are mounted, and especially around and under letters. When you have difficulty accessing a larger area between two layers, try wrapping a small hand towel or dusting rag around a long stick or broom handle and giving it a gentle pass through the two layers. Just make sure that the diameter of the towel-wrapped stick is slightly less than the distance between the two sign layers, and don’t agitate as you dust, just glide the “duster” through once or twice.
Dust-Free and Successful Go Hand in Hand
Your signs reflect your company and the precision with which you conduct business, so while you may not exactly have people patting you on the back for maintaining clean-looking signs, keeping your signs clean looking will pay off considerably in the areas that count.