Get Out the Grime: How to Clean Sliding Door Tracks

How to Clean Sliding Door Tracks

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Sliding doors are save a lot of spaces and look elegant, but they can sometimes be tricky to clean. Click here to learn how to clean sliding door tracks.

There’s nothing quite as nice as just sliding your beautiful glass door and stepping into your marvelous outside space. That is until the door doesn’t seem to move as smoothly as it once did. Or even worse, it’s sticky.

Believe it or not, this is a pretty common issue. In most cases, if your sliding glass door is sticking, this resistance to movement is the result of oil, dirt and other debris stuck in the door’s track.

The only solution to fix this is to remove whatever is causing the problem. Keep in mind, though, it’s a good idea to regularly clean the track for your sliding door. This will ensure the “sticky” issue mentioned above, doesn’t become a problem.

If you are ready to get started, keep reading to learn how to clean sliding door tracks here.

1. Remove the Door

No, this is not a step you have to do every time you clean the sliding glass door track, but if the door is having serious sliding issues, it’s a good idea. After all, if you don’t remove the door, you’re only going to be working with a portion of the track.

There are two basic ways to remove a sliding glass door:

  • Grab the door at each end and lift up
  • Locate the lower rollers and use a screwdriver to take them off the track

Either method is effective, so chose the one that works for you.

2. Perform the Initial Clean

Gravel, dead bugs, leaves, and sand are some of the most common things that get stuck in the track of your sliding doors. All these things can prevent the doors from moving with ease.

To clean out this debris, use an attachment on your vacuum. Be sure to vacuum the bottom and top of the door, and inside the tracks. Remember, there are actually four different areas you need to clean.

3. Remove All Signs of Rust

In most cases, the tracks holding your sliding glass doors are going to be made of aluminum or another weak metal. Usually, this metal isn’t treated against rust, which means it’s likely to develop.

Rust can cause your doors to stick. You can easily remove rust with steel wool and then use a tack cloth to collect any metal particles that are left behind.

4. Clean Up the Oil and Grime

Changing temperatures, the constant opening and closing of the door, and exposure to the elements can cause grime to accumulate in your door’s tracks. Oil can seize and get thicker, which will keep your door from moving without stopping or getting stuck.

To remove this buildup of grime and grease, you need to use acetone and a toothbrush. Soak the bristles with the acetone and rub the tracks and the bottom and top of your door to fully remove the grease.

Finishing Things Up

After the cleaning is complete, use some grease or other lubrication to ensure the doors will move smoothly. As you can see, when it comes to how to clean sliding door tracks, the process doesn’t have to be difficult or challenging.

Keeping your home clean just takes a bit of time, ingenuity and elbow grease. If you aren’t much of a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to cleaning, learn about the benefits of using a professional cleaning service.