How to Clean and Lubricate a Sliding Glass Door

Sliding doors rely on an upper and lower track to keep it in place and help it glide back and forth. Sometimes it gets jammed or becomes hard to open when the track has accumulated a lot of dirt and debris. When the track is compromised this way, the sliding glass door needs a thorough cleaning. Lubrication only works when all the components of the sliding door are clean. A sliding door that makes a lot of noise also needs cleaning and lubrication.

There are two main ways to clean and lubricate a sliding door:

1. The thorough way
2. The quick and fast way

The steps listed below tell you how exactly how to do it.

Cleaning And Lubricating A Sliding Glass Door

To clean a sliding glass door, you’ll need the following:

1. A screwdriver
2. A stiff wire brush
3. A vacuum cleaner
4. A rag
5. A lubricant

The Thorough Way

You should execute this deep cleaning method at least once every year following these steps:

1. Remove any curtains, blinds, and the screen from the door, if applicable.
2. Hold both ends of the door and push it up, so the lower wheels clear the tracks.
3. Use the screwdriver to loosen the bottom wheel screws to get them to clear the bottom threshold.
4. Push the door further up so that it clears the door opening
5. Set down the door on a sturdy table. This way, the trackwheels are better positioned for easier cleaning
6. Remove all the dirt from the bottom and top of the door using a stiff wire brush and vacuum.
7. Lubricate the tracks and wheels and test to see if they now glide smoothly
8. Wipe out the door track and the area around with a rag to remove excess lubricant grease
9. Lift the door from the table and put it back. Push it up so that the bottom rollers clear the bottom threshold
10. Retighten any screws that you’d previously loosened and slide the door back and forth until it glides smoothly

The Quick Way

This option is for sliding doors that aren’t too badly off and will have your door back in order in just a few minutes.

1. Vacuum the track when the door is still locked.
2. Next, slide the door open to access the other side of the track.
3. Remove all the dirt and debris using a stiff wire brush aided by the vacuum.
4. Apply a generous amount of lubricant on both sides of the sliding door and use the rag to wipe off any excess.
5. Slide the door back and forth so that the grease spreads out evenly throughout the track.

Note that if all that we’ve recommended doesn’t work, you need to reach out to a patio sliding door repair company to help with the sliding glass door repair because it’s probably broken. No amount of cleaning and lubrication can fix the problem.