After investing in stunning wooden exterior doors, every proud homeowner would want to keep them looking their best. In any city, exterior doors can quickly accumulate mud and dirt. But with a little know-how and some elbow grease, you can make yours look amazing again in no time.
A fresh-looking front door is going to liven up your house and make it stand out on your street. You’ll feel amazing when you reach your home through a clean portal, and it’s going to give your visitors a great first impression.
Cleaning your doors is not tough, but you may need a few different cleaning items based on the kind of door you have.
Starting with some of the materials you’re going to need and explaining how to plan and clean them from top to bottom, here is how to keep your wooden exterior doors looking their best.
Gather Your Cleaning Supplies
The first job is to look at the kind of door you have and the amount of dirt and grime you need to get rid of. You will only need any of the supplies here for both the planning and the cleaning. You can need all of them for some types of gates, or depending on the job at hand.
You may need any of the following equipment to ready your door for cleaning: a vacuum with a hose and a brush attachment, paper towels or fluffy rugs, a feather duster, a small artist’s paintbrush, a step-ladder, and a broom.
To clean the process, we need either of the following: soft rags and soft sponges, a commercial wood cleaner such as Murphy’s Oil Soap, a home-made cleaning solution for soap dishes, one teaspoon of baking soda, and four cups of hot water, a glass cleaner (newspapers make a decent cleaning cloth that does not leave stains on glass), a commercial metal cleaner or hot soapy water for metal door fixtures, and oil for use on hinges.
Using a commercial substance or a homemade blend to clean wood exterior doors without paint. Using a homemade remedy for doors with paint; do not use Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Preparing Your Door For Cleaning
You’ll need to get rid of the dust and dirt that has gathered on it before you can clean your wooden exterior doors.
Open the door and start at the top of the door frame, with the brush attachment to the vacuum cleaner wherever possible. Then dust with paper towels, rags, or feather duster in areas that the vacuum cleaner does not handle.
Dust the whole door frame and door from top to bottom, and use this time to check the door for stains and damage. Using the little paintbrush to break some cracks.
Finally, sweep up the entryway, inside and out.
Getting Rid of the Grime
Using a soft sponge or rag to spread the cleaner, often with the grain of the door. Again, go from top to bottom and bring in the door ring.
Be careful, and don’t brush too hard to remove any paint or polish from your wood exterior door. When done, go over the door with a soft rag to get rid of any remaining cleaner or water.
When washing the windows, make sure to watch the drips closely to get them fast. They could stain your door and leave you with an ugly warning any time you leave or enter.
Clean doors, locks, hinges, and other metal fixtures. Again, make careful you don’t scrub too hard if you’re using an abrasive cleaner.
For wood exterior doors with a stained finish, use furniture polish or wax to give it a fresh shine. Wipe the door in the direction of the grain so that the shine continues seamlessly and looks even until it’s done.
Finish by oiling your locks and hinges to give your door a sleek feel to go along with your new look.
While it can look like a huge challenge, and it pays to take care of some paint or other polish, it doesn’t have to be a complicated task to clean a wooden exterior frame.
Start by collecting everything you’re going to need so that you’ve got everything to hand through the process. Then get rid of all the dirt and tiny particles that have been formed on and around the entrance. Finally, clean the door until it shines and makes you proud!
After that, you will appreciate your wooden exterior door any time you come or go home, and maybe even get a sweet compliment from your neighbor.