A garage door is a big investment, and it’s exciting when it’s first installed and looks brand new. But how do you keep it looking like that? In this blog, we’ll outline how to clean your garage door so you can prolong its lifespan with minimal maintenance efforts.
Your garage door is likely made of vinyl or a different variation of wood. There’s also a possibility that you have decided to incorporate windows into your garage door design. Depending on the materials, your garage door cleaning products will look a little different.
No matter the material of your garage door, we recommend not pressure washing the surface because you risk denting your door or chipping off the paint or stain. Below, we’ll provide some easy solutions that help prolong the life of your garage door.
Vinyl garage doors require less maintenance than wooden doors because they are naturally insect-, moisture-, and rot-resistant. However, dirt and debris can still get onto your garage door, so it’s best to clean it every so often.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend cleaning your doors at least once a year. If you find that dust and debris are dirtying your garage door more often, then you may want to consider cleaning it every few months.
By keeping your vinyl garage door clean, you’ll be able to prolong the color of your door. Without cleaning, you risk your door fading unevenly down the road.
Now let’s explain how to clean a vinyl garage door. We suggest using either a simple dish or car wash soap. Dish soap will be a little more aggressive since it’s made to clean off grease. If your garage door is regularly cleaned, we recommend using car wash soap for a gentler wash.
Although a real-wood garage door may have more maintenance, it is a great choice for high insulation. In order to properly clean your wooden garage door, you’ll need mild detergent and a big bucket full of water.
The main difference between a vinyl cleaning solution and a wooden garage door cleaner is that you should thoroughly dilute your wooden cleaning solution. If you just use a mild detergent, you risk chipping or damaging the stain on your door.
You can use a common household detergent or a specific cleaning solution for your exterior siding or garage door.
If you have any decorative hardware on the surface of your garage door, you can clean these with the same solution as you would with a wooden garage door. Make sure you’re using a soft cloth and diluted detergent so you don’t cause your hardware to rust or chip.
