Spring is well and truly under way, and if you haven’t yet gotten around to cleaning your garage door after the onslaught of the winter months, now is as good a time as any.
What are the benefits of cleaning your garage door?
With routine cleaning and maintenance (this can be carried out by a professional), you can get the best out of your garage door and help to:
- Prolong its life
- Keep rust at bay
- Preserve your warranty
- Boost your homes curb appeal
For those living in areas with a particularly harsh, snowy climate, you may need to clean your garage door more than twice a year, for others, once every six months is probably enough.
With the tips below, you can get your garage door ready for summer and help preserve it so that it can perform at its best until the following spring:
What should you use to clean your garage door?
All you need to get your garage spotlessly clean and looking great, is a bucket full of warm, soapy water (mild dish soap will do), some non-abrasive cloths or sponges, and a step ladder to get to all the more difficult to reach areas.
- Begin by scrubbing the door –you may need to exercise a little effort to get rid of all the dirt and dust that is doubtless covering your garage door, and provided you use non-abrasive cleaning materials, you can scrub away to your hearts content! For really stubborn stains, try using a mixture of bleach and water to eliminate them.
- Next, wipe down the weatherstripping – using an all-purpose cleaner,wipe down the weatherstripping around the door. Once it’s completely dry, take a silicone-based lubricant to help prevent any dehydration and cracking. If you’re not sure what lubricant to use, your local garage door specialist will be able to advise you. In an ideal world, it should be reapplied every few months to help maintain and protect the seal around the door.
- Then, clean the hardware – wipe down all of the metal components of your garage door with a non-abrasive sponge or cloth, dipped in the soapy water. Once all of the moving parts are dry – such as the tracks, rollers and hinges – take a lithium-based lubricant and apply it carefully to each component. Remember that if you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, a garage door technician can do it during a regular maintenance check.
Keep an eye out for any hardware components that are beginning to look worn or which may have come loose, and remember to report them to your local garage door specialist.
- Lastly, check the door opener – it’s best to check the manufacturers guide when determining how often to lubricate the opener tracks and chains (if at all), and if doing so, make sure the chain and track are clean.
If you notice any issues with your garage doors springs while carrying out routine cleaning and general maintenance, you should never try to fix them yourself, as it can be extremely dangerous. Only someone trained in repairing both torsion and extension springs should ever touch them, but you can clean them gently and apply a little lubricant to help maintain them.
Helping the door to last longer, and preventing costly repairs over time, garage door cleaning and maintenance is always a good investment of your time.
