It is important to clean a garage door for exterior home aesthetics. The garage door is usually exposed to dust and stains from outside. Cleaning your garage door at least two times a year can help you maintain a clean and bright look. Whether your door is wooden or metallic, cleaning is easy and can help you to maintain a beautiful home exterior.
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Why you should clean a garage door regularly
Preserve door quality
Cleaning your door regularly can help you to preserve the quality of your door. When you clean your door at least three times a week, you can preserve the door’s material. Apart from the normal cleaning, remember to wax your door so that you can get a sheen that shows quality.
Prevent rusting
Rust can be a big challenge for people with metallic garage doors. Fortunately, you can reduce the occurrence of rust on garage doors by regular cleaning. When your door is covered by grime and dirt, it encourages the spread of rust. Keeping your door clean is likely to reduce rust.
For aesthetic purposes
Aesthetics are everything when it comes to the exterior of your house. A dirty garage door can affect the exterior look of your house. Cleaning your garage door regularly can help you to maintain a clean exterior look of your house. Sometimes you do not have to repaint your door, cleaning it is always a good idea.
Inspect your garage door
When cleaning your garage door, you can take the time to do some inspection. Garage doors rollers and springs are prone to damage due to regular garage door movement. Every time you clean your door, you can get the chance to inspect your door for damages. It will be easy to oil and tighten screws before the door gets damaged.
How to clean a garage door
Cleaning the garage door panels
The first step is to clean the interior and exterior of garage door panels.
Items required
- Liquid dish-washing or car cleaning soap
- Piece of cloth or soft brush
- Water hose
- Bucket
Cleaning steps
- Roll down the door in case you have a roll down door and secure it before your start cleaning.
- The door should be well secured to avoid accidents.
- Wipe dust from the garage door using a clean piece of cloth. This step is important to remove loose dust and dirt from the door.
- Mix some water and liquid soap in a bucket
- Wet the door with water from your hose pipe
- Use a piece of cloth or soft brush to clean the entire door with the soapy water.
- Rinse out soap with a hosepipe
- Allow the door to dry.
Caution
- Pressure washing your garage door for stain removal is not recommended. This cleaning method will be too harsh on the garage door, and it might peel off the paint. Using a simple hose pipe is enough to clean the door.
- Avoid using a brush with hard bristles to clean the door. Hard bristles from the brush are likely to scratch off the paint when cleaning. Using a piece of cloth or sponge is enough to remove dirt from the garage door.
- Use mild cleaning agents that will not compromise the paint. It is also advisable to use green cleaning agents that will not harm the environment since you will be cleaning outside.
- Avoid using bleach because it can damage your garage door painting. It can also cause fading of the paint.
- Dishwashing soap is safe for the environment, and it is also mild on the door. Using dishwashing soap to clean the garage door will also help you to remove grease.
Remove stains from the garage door
It is not uncommon to see stains on your garage door. Some of these stains can be removed using dish washing soap and especially if you are dealing with grease. However, if you are dealing with stubborn stains, it is advisable to use something more effective like a magic eraser. You can use a magic eraser to clean spots or stains on your garage door.
Clean the garage door weatherproofing
Cleaning the garage weatherproofing is also a good idea when cleaning the door. It is advisable to use soap and water to clean the seals of the garage door. You can take this time to inspect the functioning of the weather stripping to make sure that the rubber is functioning. Door weatherproofing can affect the door’s opening and closing, so make sure that you keep the seals clean.
Clean oxidation from metal garage door
Apart from stains, you might notice that your garage door has rust. Rust on the garage door is caused by oxidation, and it is advisable to clean all the rust before you treat it. The simple way to go about it is to use steel wool to scrub off all the rust. After scrubbing all the rust, spray a mixture of water and vinegar on the affected area. Vinegar is a quick home solution for treating rust and oxidation at home. If you want to go an extra space and prevent rust in the future, you can spray some rust reformer on the door.
Clean mold from garage door
Wooden garage doors are susceptible to mold, especially the bottom part. Cleaning the door is easy, but liquid soap might not be enough. Use a mixture of vinegar and water to remove the mold with a soft brush. However, when cleaning mold, remembers to wear a mask and clothes to avoid getting into contact with the mold. If you want to stop mold once and for all, you can use e-z wash mold armor to wash away the mold and prevent it.
Clean a garage door tracks
Apart from cleaning the garage door panels, it is advisable to clean the garage door tracks. Cleaning the tracks will make it easy to open and close the door. If you are experiencing problems closing or opening the door, it might be due to dirt trapped between the tracks.
Dirt between the garage door tracks will also make the garage door noisy. For roll up and down the door, it is recommended that you clean the tracks at least three times a year. Here are some tips on cleaning garage door tracks:
Roll up the door to expose the tracks. You will need to open the door so that you can be able to see the garage door tracks. Use a damp piece of cloth to remove all the dirt build-up from the tracks. You will need to have patience so that you can reach all the areas of the garage door.
Use a toothbrush and soapy water to clean between the tracks. Sometimes you might have stubborn stains between the tracks that can interfere with the door’s opening and closing. Oil build-up can be difficult to clean, and a piece of cloth is not enough. Use a toothbrush and soapy water to clean between the tracks. The best thing with a toothbrush is a small size, and it can go in all parts. After that, you can rinse the area with a hosepipe.
Using brake fluid to clean the door tracks is also a good idea. This can work for cleaning oil build up. Apply some brake fluid on a piece of cloth and wipe between the tracks to remove oil residue.
Caution when cleaning garage door tracks
When cleaning garage door tracks, you need to take caution to avoid injuries. It is important to secure the door properly so that you do not end up hurting yourself.
Oiling your garage oil tracks is not advisable. After cleaning the tracks, many people grab oil and start oiling the tracks making the cleaning effort useless.
If you want to prevent rusting, it is advisable to use oil that is specifically made for the garage. We have garage oil that does not cause build-up and will keep the tracks clean. In case you do not have oil that is specifically made for the garage door, you can use brake fluid or oil.
Waxing garage door
After cleaning your garage door, the last step should be to do some waxing. Garage door waxing is meant to help maintain the look of your garage door. You do not have to wax it all the time, but waxing your door at least two times a year can be beneficial. Here are some tips on waxing your garage door:
Apply wax on a dry surface
It is recommended that you apply wax on a dry surface. You should wax your door on the same day that you clean it. However, make sure that your door is dry before you use the wax on your door. Give your door some time to dry before using wax on your door.
Use liquid tax
When waxing your door, it is advisable to use liquid tax. This type of tax is easy to apply to your door, and you can use it even if you are a beginner. Many people make mistakes to paste wax that ends up damaging the look of your door.
Use automotive tax
The best quality of wax to use for your garage door is automotive wax. It will leave your door with a beautiful sheen that will love. Apart from making your door look good, using tax will also protect your door from scratches to keep your door scratch-proof.
