How to Clean & Maintain Your LED Neon Sign

LED neon signs are a great way to add a fun twist to any space. You’d be surprised at how much one sign can do to change up the vibe of a place. Their blazing, colorful, light is hard to miss and they inject a certain kind of energy around them. However, to keep them looking bright and pristine, it’s important to care for your LED neon sign. Keeping them clean will ensure that they’re always giving you the dazzling effect you want, and can even help your sign last longer.

You’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to clean your LED neon sign. Well, it’s actually incredibly easy. LED neon, unlike traditional neon, consists of hundreds of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which are tiny lights, encased in synthetic polymer tubing. This tubing can be bent and cut into practically any shape to create the design you want. Cleaning this polymer tube is a cinch compared to traditional neon lights, which are made of glass and get very hot. You can keep your LED sign looking good all by yourself and with minimal effort. If you had a traditional neon sign, you’d have to pay a specialist electrician to come and clean it.

Here’s how to clean and care for your LED neon signs:

1. Hang It in an Appropriate Spot

When you buy a sign, you’ve probably designated a particular place to hang it. The thing about LED neon signs is that they’re very easy to set up. They’re also quite durable and can be made waterproof, unlike traditional glass neon signs. For this reason you might be tempted to put it up in some very unconventional locations. And honestly, that’s half the fun with an LED neon sign.

Just remember that while the sign itself is fairly water-resistant, it does include an adapter and an electric cable that needs to be plugged into a socket. As with any other electrical appliance, you want to limit its exposure to water and the elements. If you plan on hanging it outside, make sure you order your sign with an acrylic box for protection. This way, you’ll avoid damage to it from passers-by or inclement weather. Another strategy for how to keep your LED neon sign clean for longer try not to hang it directly under an air conditioner, where dripping condensation can congeal with dust on the sign to spoil its look.

At Radikal Neon, our signs come with a transparent acrylic backing and a complimentary wall mounting screw set for a hassle-free installation. They’re very safe to use in a variety of conditions because the PVC tubes on our signs are sealed off at the ends with silicone glue to ensure no moisture seeps in.

2. Dust It Regularly

LED neon signs are very safe to care for and handle. Even if you happen to drop the sign, it’s the acrylic backing, not the lights, that might break. The polymer tube that contains the LEDs is near impossible to smash open. Moreover, they don’t emit any heat.

Traditional neon signs, on the other hand, are made of glass that glows hot when under use. And if you drop one of those, it’ll shatter, releasing glass particles and hazardous gasses everywhere.

But how to clean the dust off your LED neon sign? Easy. Use a feather duster to remove loose dust. Then, use a soft cloth or a nylon brush with soft bristles to get rid of any remaining dust. Make sure you unplug the sign before you clean it. If you’ve left the sign on for a long time, it may be faintly warm to touch. In this case, give it a few minutes to cool off before you begin to dust it.

3. Remove Stains and Grime

If your LED neon sign gets some stains over time, here’s how to clean them off. You’ll have to wet clean it, so it’s best to unplug it first. Then, mix half a cup of water with a half cup of household ammonia in a container. Dampen an absorbent cloth with this mixture and gently clear any dirt clinging to your sign. If you don’t want to use ammonia, vinegar and baking soda or even just plain water will do fine.

The polymer casing makes it easy to clean and care for your LED neon sign. How often you have to do it depends entirely on where your sign is placed and how quickly it gets dirty. Keep in mind that under no circumstances should you ever soak your sign in the water or use strong chemicals. If your sign is defaced by paint or substances you can’t easily clean, reach out to us for suggestions on how best to restore it.

4. Switch It Off Periodically

If you use your sign 24/7, we recommend switching it off for 24 hours every 14 days or so. This can help prolong its life. If you’ve requested a dimmer with your sign, this can make it easier to control and also enhance its lifetime.

5. Get It Repaired Professionally

How to repair your LED neon sign is a very different question from how to clean it. While it’s true that it’s quite simple and cost-effective to repair them, it’s best to let trained professionals attend to it. There are a few different ways your sign could be damaged electrically, and there are usually giveaways to indicate what the problem is. If your sign doesn’t work and the transformer’s status light is flashing, it’s likely there’s a short-circuit. If parts of your sign will not illuminate unless you fiddle with the cable, there’s probably a loose connection somewhere. Sometimes the transformer itself may have glitched out, indicated by a lack of a status light.

In any of these cases we can easily identify and resolve the problem. If your Radikal Neon sign is under warranty, this service is free for you! We offer an excellent 12-month warranty on all our standard and custom LED neon signs.

6. Replace It When Necessary

Sometimes, it isn’t possible to clean or repair your LED neon sign. How do you keep the vibe going? Replace it! Just like traditional neon signs, LED ones have a limited lifespan. The difference is, it’s much more cost-efficient to operate and replace your LED signs. Radikal Neon signs can be used for up to a massive 40,000 hours or over four years of illumination.