How to Clean and Lubricate a Sliding Glass Door
Occasionally sliding glass doors can get stuck or become difficult to open. When this occurs it can be the result of dirt and grime build-up. To resolve this issue you will need to clean and lubricate the door to get it back in working condition.
- Fully open up your sliding glass door. If you have a screen door in place, remove it.
- Clean the door by using a stiff brush to sweep up and loosen any dirt or debris that may have settled in the door tracks. If the dirt has hardened to the point that the brush does not remove it, use a butter knife to scrape the grime loose. Alternately, you can use a soapy, wet rag to wipe down and clean the dirty tracks.
- Turn on your vacuum cleaner with the hose attachment in place. Use the attachment to vacuum up and remove the remaining dirt.
- Apply a generous amount of lubricating grease or oil to the tracks of the door. Graphite powder may also be spread along the tracks to reduce the amount of oil that attracts the dirt that you've just cleaned.
- Slide the door closed and then open it up again. Do this several times so that the door spreads the grease or powder evenly along the track. As you repeat this step you will feel that the door has begun to move more freely. Continue this movement for roughly three to five minutes.
- Spray the glass with window cleaner and clean both sides using a microfiber cloth.