How To Clean Your Garage Doors

A thorough cleaning of your garage doors is easy, keeps them looking good, and helps their operation.

Madden Door recommends using a garden hose for the job. Pressure washers are not necessary and may damage the finish on some types of garage doors, particularly wooden ones.

You’ll also need a clean sponge, a bucket, and some rags. On particularly dirty garage doors, we also suggest using a mild cleaning agent such as dishwashing liquid.

Here’s how to clean your garage doors, step-by-step:

• Using the hose, wet both sides of the door. Mix a small amount of your cleanser and water in a bucket. Dampen the sponge with the solution and wipe down the door. You may have to do this a couple of times, with the garage door windows requiring a bit more attention.

• Open the door to clean the weather-stripping at the door’s base. Be careful not to tear or loosen the weather-stripping.

• Garage door tracks should be free of leaves, dust, spider webs, and other debris. Wipe down the tracks with a clean, damp towel or rag. Homeowners may also apply oil to the tracks and rollers to improve operation. Be sure to use just a small amount of a lubricant designed for garage door use. Other types of oils attract debris and dust and may cause premature wear.

• We recommend cleaning photoelectric sensors. Garage door sensors, located about six inches off the garage floor on either side of the door, are a safety feature mandated in the early 1990s. They connect with each other via beams of light that are triggered when the door is in operation. If an object or person blocks the light beam, the door stops operation. Gently wipe down the sensors to avoid knocking them out of alignment.

• Leaving the exterior part of the door to dry in the sun is usually sufficient. Physically wiping dry the door’s interior dry is a good idea. Moisture may rust steel garage doors.

Contact Us for Garage Door Repairs or Installation

Madden Door sells, installs, and services residential garage doors in Bay Area cities such as Berkeley, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Hercules, Lafayette, Oakland, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.

After you’ve cleaned your garage door, open and close it to make sure it operates correctly. When a garage door does not work correctly, speak to a Madden Door repair specialist. Call 925-357-9781 today.