After investing in beautiful wood exterior doors, any proud homeowner is going to want to keep them looking their best. In any city, exterior doors can easily gather grime and dirt. However, with a little know-how and some elbow grease you can have yours looking great again in no time.
A fresh looking front door will liven up your house and help it stand out on your street. You’ll feel good as you enter your home through a clean portal, and it will give your guests a nice first impression too.
Cleaning your doors is not difficult, but you may need a few different cleaning products depending on the type of door you have.
Starting with some of the supplies you’ll need and explaining how to prepare and clean them from top to bottom, this is how to keep your wood exterior doors looking their best.
Gather Your Cleaning Supplies
The first task is to take a look at the type of door you have and the amount of dirt and grime you need to get rid of. For both the preparation and the cleaning, you may only need some of the supplies here. For certain types of door, or depending on the task in hand, you may need them all.
To prepare your door for cleaning, any of the following equipment may be required: a vacuum with a hose and brush attachment, paper towels or soft rags, a feather duster, a small artist’s paintbrush, a step-ladder, and a broom.
For the cleaning step of the process, we may need any of the following: soft rags and soft sponges, a commercial wood cleaner such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, a homemade cleaning solution of dish soap, one teaspoon of baking soda, and four cups of hot water, glass cleaner (newspapers make a good cleaning rag that won’t leave streaks on glass), commercial metal cleaner or hot soapy water for metal door fixtures, and oil for use on hinges.
Use a commercial product or the homemade mixture for cleaning wood exterior doors without paint. For doors with paint, use the homemade solution; don’t use Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Preparing Your Door For Cleaning
Before you can actually clean your wood exterior doors, you’ll need to get rid of the dust and dirt that has accumulated on it.
Open the door and start at the top of the door frame, using the brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner everywhere possible. Then dust with paper towels, rags, or a feather duster in the places the vacuum cleaner couldn’t reach.
Dust the entire door frame and door from top to bottom, and use this time to inspect the door for stains and damage. Use the little paintbrush to get into any cracks.
Finally, sweep up the entryway, inside and out.
Getting Rid of the Grime
Use a soft sponge or rag to apply the cleaner, always going with the grain of the door. Again, go from top to bottom and include the door frame.
Be gentle, and don’t scrub too hard as this can remove the paint or finish from your wood exterior door. Once done, go over the door with a soft rag to get rid of any left-over cleaner or water.
When cleaning any windows, be sure to watch carefully for drips and get them quickly. These could stain your door and leave you with an ugly reminder every time you leave or enter.
Clean the doorknobs, locks, hinges, and other metal fixtures. Again, be sure not to scrub too hard if you’re using an abrasive cleaner.
For wood exterior doors with a stain finish, use furniture polish or wax to give it a like-new shine. Wipe the door in the direction of the grain so the polish goes on smoothly and looks even once finished.
Finish by oiling your locks and hinges to give your door a smooth feel to go along with its new look.
Although it may look like a large task, and it pays to take care of any paint or other finishes, cleaning an wood exterior door doesn’t have to be a complicated task.
Start by gathering everything you’ll need so you have it all to hand during the process. Then get rid of all the dirt and little particles that have built up on and around the door. Finally, clean that door until it sparkles and makes you proud!
Afterwards, you can enjoy your wood exterior door every time you come or go from your home, and maybe even catch a nice compliment from a neighbor.