Cleaning a Steel Garage Door Properly

The first step of garage door maintenance is inspection, which does not require much effort on your part, apart from looking closely at all components. The harder part comes next. You will have to clean the unit. As long as you know what tools, materials and techniques to use, you will certainly do a great job.

Proper Care for Panels and Hardware

When you choose a cleaning agent for the panels, you should check what the manufacturer recommends first. Usually, a cup of liquid detergent dissolved in a gallon of water will make an excellent solution. If the door has stubborn dirt and grime on it, you may want to dissolve a one third cup of trisodium phosphate in two gallons of water. If you decide to use a readymade commercial product, you must confirm that it is safe for steel.

You should use a sponge to clean all the sections of the overhead door starting from the top and going down. Rub the surfaces gently without applying too much pressure. After the door is cleaned, you should rinse it with the sponge. Change the water as often as necessary. It is not a good idea to spray the unit with the garden hose as you will end up using up more water and it will take much longer to dry. You should definitely wipe the door with soft lint-free cloth to help it dry faster.

The inspection of the metal garage door parts will show how dirty they are. Usually, dirt accumulates in places where there is a considerable amount of lubricant. The rollers can also pick up dirt and deposit it along the tracks. Both of these components require proper cleaning. Choose the mildest solvent safe for metal to remove dirt from the rollers. Use a thin soft-bristled brush to remove the loose dirt. While the door is fully open, spray the vertical tracks with brake cleaner. Usually, there is no need to wipe the excess solution. It will just drip down to the ground removing any dirt deposits left. You should pad the surface a bit to dry it and that's it. You can do the same with the horizontal tracks as well.

You can use the mild solvent for removing sticky dirt from other hardware components such as the torsion spring. If you have to clean the drive chain or rod of an opener, you should check what type of product the manufacturer recommends for the purpose. This is important for keeping the entire automatic system safe and in good condition.

Once you are done with the cleaning, you should to move on to the other maintenance tasks. When necessary, the panels have to be repainted. The moving hardware parts require lubrication. You can contact our company for any of these services today.