That salt air is relentless, right? I’ve seen a lot of hardware just seize up or pit after a couple seasons, even with regular rinsing. Your routine sounds solid—fresh water makes a bigger difference than folks realize, especially if you’re near the ocean. As for those corrosion-inhibitor sprays, I’ve used Boeshield and CorrosionX on some client jobs. They’re not miracle workers, but I do think they slow things down, especially on exposed hinges and locksets. The trick is actually getting the spray into all the nooks, which isn’t always easy if you’ve got older windows or tight hardware.
One thing I’ve noticed—if you’re using silicone, just make sure it’s compatible with the gasket material. Some rubbers don’t play nice with certain solvents and can break down faster. Also, if you’re seeing white powdery buildup on metal, that’s aluminum oxidation, not just salt, and it needs a different approach (sometimes a light scrub with a nylon brush before rinsing). Have you tried swapping out for stainless hardware? It’s pricier, but it’s held up better in the long run for most of my projects.