How To Clean Your Garage Door For A Spotless Home Exterior
Your garage door can make up a third or more of your home's exterior. It is probably one of the first things that people see when they pull up in front of your house. Over time, dirt can build up and affect its appearance. If your garage door is dingy or dirty, it can really impact your home's curb appeal. Want to make your garage door look good without painting or replacing it? If it is in good shape and operates well, you simply need to give it a thorough cleaning.
Cleaning the garage door is something that most homeowners overlook. But it is a task that can dramatically improve the appearance of your home, and it's also easy to do. It doesn't take too much time to give your garage door a good cleaning. — you can get this done in just a couple of hours. So, how often should you clean your garage door? To keep grime from building up, you should clean it once in the spring and again in the fall.
Pre-rinse the surface
The first step in cleaning your garage door is to pre-rinse the door surface. This is similar to how you pre-rinse your car before washing it. This step helps remove excess debris and dirt from the exterior. Use the garden hose to pre-rinse your door. Turn the nozzle to the wide-angle setting if possible. Take note, though, that you should never use a power washer to rinse or wash your garage door, as the power produced by a power washer can easily damage it.
Apply soap
Next, you'll want to apply soap to the entire door from top to bottom. For this, you can use regular dishwashing detergent. Make a soapy mixture by adding one cup of detergent to two gallons of warm water. Use a soft microfiber cleaning mitt or large sponge to apply the detergent to the door. Make sure to avoid using abrasive sponges or cloths as they can damage the finish on your door.
Rinse well and dry
Rinse the door until all the soap is gone. Again, use your garden hose for this step. While you are rinsing the door, inspect it for any dings, dents, rust, or other areas that may need attention. You should also inspect the weather stripping on the bottom of the door and make sure it is in good shape. After you have rinsed all of the soap off and inspected your door thoroughly, dry the entire door with a soft, clean cloth.
Lubricate door springs, hinges, and tracks
If you don't lubricate your garage door rollers, springs, tracks, and hinges regularly, it can make your garage door become squeaky and hard to open. A great time to lubricate your garage door parts would be right after washing your garage door. Use WD-40 White Lithium Grease for this task. Make sure you don't use regular WD-40 as the original version can cause garage door parts to stiffen and dry out even more.