Indianapolis, IN — Each year during the month of May, the U.S. Postal Service asks all homeowners to inspect and repair their mailboxes during Mailbox Improvement Week says Communications Programs Specialist Kim Yates.

“Repairing suburban and rural mailboxes improves the appearance of our communities and makes delivering and receiving mail safer for our carriers and customers,” Yates says.

The Postal Service makes this annual request because of the wear and tear that occurs to mailboxes every year. “This is especially important after the effects of the winter,” she adds.

Some of the typical repairs that may need to be done include:

• Replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door.
• Repainting a mailbox that may have rusted or started peeling.
• Remounting a mailbox post if loosened.
• Replacing or adding house numbers.

“If a homeowner plans to install a new mailbox or replace a worn one, he or she must use only Postal Service-approved traditional, contemporary or locking mailboxes,” said Yates. “Customers should be careful when purchasing curbside mail receptacles - they may use a custom-built mailbox, but they must consult with the Postal Service to ensure it conforms to guidelines applying to flag, size, strength and quality of construction.”

For more information on the use of names or numbers on mailboxes, or answers to any other questions, please contact your local postmaster.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.