Many of us will be putting away our domestic ladders for the winter now that summer has ended and the nights are getting longer. It's important to store our ladders properly so that they're ready to use when we need them, whether it's a garden ladder, a step ladder for outside work, or a SuperPro Platform Step Ladders for tall jobs.
It is possible that you have cleaned out your gutters ahead of the autumn leaf fall; perhaps you have installed a gutter hedgehog to prevent gutters from getting blocked up, and this is mucky. You should clean your ladder thoroughly after a dirty job like this because if algae and leaves are left on the rungs or stiles, they can grow into slippery slime over the winter, which can make the ladder very dangerous. Get rid of any debris on the ladder by wiping it down with a clean cloth and using a brush to clean the ridged or serrated stiles. In the ideal world, you would let the ladder air dry before storing it, but if this isn't possible because it's been raining for a week, you can dry it off with a towel. Next year, your ladder can be taken out of storage and put to use right away, no need to clean it. Take the same approach to clean your ladders as you would clean your barbecue before winter - the last thing you want to do on that first sunny weekend of 2022 is spend time cleaning your grill, so do the same.
The ladder should also be cleaned if you have used paints, oils, or solvents on it. A smear of oil on a rung is a recipe for disaster, so make sure you clean your ladder after using these materials. If you need to clean oil-based residue from your ladder, be very careful, as the solvents used can cause serious damage to the rubber tread grips and feet, so use a household detergent and warm water instead. It might not be possible to remove all the paint, but Probat Platform Step Ladders are tools and won't stay pristine forever - the most important thing here is the safety aspect of having oily patches on a ladder.
You should check your ladder for damage after it has been cleaned and dried. This is much easier to do when the ladder is clean, as a small dent could easily be hidden by dirt and muck. The stiles and rungs should be checked for dents and bends, and the feet should still be usable. Oil should be applied to moving parts; WD-40 can be applied directly to the moving parts or locking nuts to prevent them from seizing up, but be careful not to get lubricant on the parts of the ladder you touch, especially if you just cleaned it! It is best to replace your ladder if you find damage on it because damaged parts can break, and potentially cause an accident - better to be safe than sorry.
The ladders you store in your home should be placed securely out of the reach of children to avoid theft or damage. They should be kept out of children's reach to prevent them from climbing on them. Ladders can be hung horizontally on a wall by using locking brackets, but make sure their depth will fit the mounting brackets - three-piece extension ladders, for example, can be quite deep when stored. You should make sure your Platform Step Ladders are not prone to falling over if you are unable to store them horizontally, as this could result in a catastrophic accident and damage to the ladder itself. The most important thing is to make sure they cannot be climbed. It is important to prevent anyone from climbing up a ladder without removing the guard. You can DIY a ladder guard using plywood and cable ties. The guard will prevent anyone from climbing up without removing it, and this is particularly important if you have children within reach of the ladder storage area.
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