The Easiest Way To Clean Your Garage Door

Your home's exterior reflects how you care for and maintain your dwelling as a whole. While it's important to maintain the roof in good condition, keep the windows clean, the garden neat and tidy, and the paint fresh, you may be overlooking one part of your abode: your garage door. Garage doors see a lot of wear and tear from the elements and daily use, and play a huge role in your home's curb appeal. If yours is dirty and worn down, it could affect the overall finish of your exterior. 

If cleaning your garage door is one of those tasks you avoid because it seems daunting and fairly tedious, there's a simple way to clean and touch it up without spending hours of your day. All you need are some rags, a hose, mild soap or detergent, a sponge, and a step ladder. Unless there are tricky stains, you can get the job done efficiently with these basic supplies. Depending on the material of the door, to prevent your garage door from rusting, you can also add wax to help create a protective coating against the weather.

When it comes to cleaning, ensure you tackle the steps in the proper order, with your supplies already prepped. One of the most important things to do is to first wipe your garage door with a clean, dry cloth. You obviously won't get everything, but it helps to remove some of the layers and set you up for success with the latter steps.

Next, before turning on the hose, ensure that nothing is behind or around your garage door that might become wet and damaged. Then, screw on any attachments you want to get a stronger stream, or just use your basic hose to rinse the door. This helps loosen more of the dust and dirt that has accumulated from weather and daily wear and tear. It also primes the material for the soap and sponge phase. Make sure to spray the hose in all corners and crevices, including along the bottom interior, if there are edges where a lot of dirt collects. 

Fill a bucket with a mild detergent and water, then begin scrubbing your door with a sponge. For this, you will want to use a little force when scrubbing to really tackle the stuck-on spots and stains. For wood doors, follow the grain. For aluminum or steel, you can scrub in circles or across from side to side, as long as you rinse away soap from the top.

While it might be tempting to use a power washer and go to town on your garage door, resist this urge, as it could warp or damage your materials, including the paint and any finishing coats. Scrub what you can with the soap and water, then rinse the door again to check how it has cleaned. For stains that did not rinse away, you may want to consider using a Magic Eraser or a combination of bleach and water to help remove them.

It's not just the exterior of your door that needs attention. Every time you open the door, dirt and dust accumulate on the inside as well. While this area may not need as much attention as the outside, it's still worth wiping it down and giving it a good scrub to prevent staining. You could even use a small vacuum to get around the corners on any edges that might be holding excess dust. Don't forget the weather stripping, too.

Drying the door is very important as well. Use a fresh dry cloth to remove any water and pat the door dry, going over it several times. Add wax to prevent your steel garage door from rusting and help create a coating against the weather. There may be other steps you're forgetting to maintain on your garage door, such as adding lubricant and replacing light bulbs, while you have the ladder ready. Consider doing everything at once to save time. 

Lastly, if stains persist after spot treating, you may want to employ a fresh coat of paint. Keep in mind that, as a big part of your home's curb appeal, a fresh garage door can make a big difference, whether you're trying to sell or simply present a stylish exterior. Using these easy garage cleaning tips means you will get the job done more efficiently while also giving your home a much-needed clean!