Your home's garage door is bound to get dusty and dirty over time from rain, pollen, insects and more. Garage door outer finishes are often enameled and made to withstand the elements, but the chalky, faded coloring of an older or unloved garage door can become unsightly enough to reduce the curb appeal of your home. So giving your garage door a good cleaning in the Spring and again in early Fall is a good idea.

Your choice of cleaners and cleaning tools is important, as many cleaners can use harsh or abrasive chemicals, which can ruin the door's finish. Avoid using rough or abrasive cloths, sponges or scrub pads that may scratch or dull the finish.

Simple Green Oxy Solve House and Siding Cleaner uses the power of peroxide to remove dirt and stains from garage doors, as well as vinyl, aluminum, stucco, wood, brick and more. The biodegradable* formula brightens and renews surfaces without bleach, and can be used manually or in a pressure washer.

Manual cleaning is recommended. Pressure washing is common, but care and caution should be exercised. Even a 40-degree nozzle can potentially damage your door's finish, as well as the rubber seal or weather stripping on the bottom or the sides of the door. Weather stripping helps to maintain interior temperature and prevent exposure to the elements. If any part of it is cracked or broken, it needs to be fixed or replaced right away.

When cleaning your garage door, be careful not to harm, dislodge or misalign any of sensors along the sides. Take care to maintain their alignment with each other, to prevent a time-consuming realignment task.

Directions for cleaning a garage door:

Pressure Washer Directions

1. Drop the siphon tube into the bottle or fill the on-board "soap reservoir".
2. Switch equipment to plain water at low pressure and wet surface with clean water.
3. Clean from lower to higher areas at low-pressure setting, apply Simple Green Oxy Solve to an area that is small enough to be rinsed before it dries.
4. Allow cleaner to dwell on surface for 3-5 minutes.
5. Rinse at high pressure from higher to lower areas, keeping the nozzle at least 2 feet from the surface and the spray perpendicular to the surface. Do not spray upward under siding.

Manual directions:

1. Mix 1-measure of Simple Green Oxy Solve with 20-measures of water in a bucket (example: 1.5 cups Simple Green to 2 gallons water.)
2. Clean lower to higher sections with a soft-bristle brush or sponge. Do not allow cleaner to dry on surface before rinsing.
3. Rinse with a garden hose at highest pressure.
4. Move to a new section and repeat.