Home Maintenance: Practical Tips for Cleaning Your Garage Door

Cleaning is an essential maintenance process for residential garage doors. These features are quite large and have a significant impact on the appearance of the house. If the structure is allowed to accumulate dust and grime, it will compromise the appeal of the home. Also, a dirty door is more prone to structural degradation due to an unfavourable reaction with built-up salts and chemicals. Therefore, you should clean your garage door regularly while ensuring that the feature is safe during the cleaning tasks. Here are some practical tips to help you get started on caring for your garage door.

Eliminate the Dust

You should clean off the dust from your garage door surfaces regularly. If a layer of dust is allowed to build up, your garage door will become discoloured with time. Fortunately, you can prevent this problem by taking some time for simple cleaning. If you have a steel garage door, you can use a hose to wash of the dust. These doors are coated with a protective layer. Therefore, the door will not rust due to the short term exposure. If your door is wooden, you should be more cautious. You should wipe the dust with a damp cloth to avoid moisture damage.

Cleaning Oil and Grime

If there are significant oil spots, grime or stubborn stains, you will not be able to get good results with simple hosing off or wiping. You will need to carry out deeper cleaning. Ideally, you should scrub the door gently using a sponge or cloth or a soft brush. You should use these tools along with a mild soap and water. When cleaning, you should take extra care not to damage the finish on both metal and wooden doors. If the outer coating is compromised, the inner material will be more susceptible to damage.

Clear the Tracks

If the garage door is not moving as smoothly as expected, you should check the condition of the tracks and rollers. If these parts are dusty and dirty, the door might not operate smoothly. You should take time to clear these parts with a soft brush and some water. Once the components are free of debris, you should wipe or allow the water to dry. Then, you should apply a light lubricant and wipe with a soft cloth for smoother door movement.

Finally, you should monitor your door for malfunctions such as stalling, failure of auto-reversal and strange sounds. If you notice these anomalies, you should contact a garage door repair expert for immediate troubleshooting.