One of the issues that cause sliding doors to become unmanageable is because the tracks have built up dust, grime, and other objects. A dirty track can lead to those bits and particles getting stuck in your door’s wheel, which will at best limit its mobility and at worst halt it altogether. Maintaining a clean track for your sliding door is important not only for the door’s usability, but your own safety. Here is what you need to to keep your sliding door track clean and usable.
Vacuum It Up
With either a standing vacuum that has nozzle and hose, or a small handheld vacuum that you can handle over the tracks, you will be able to remove a larger percentage of the debris from the tracks. This is by far the easiest and simplest way to remove loose visible debris. Go back and forth over a few times for the fullest effect.
Wipe It Down
For this next part, there’s a couple ways to go. It all depends on just how involved you want to be. If you want to do the cleaning completely yourself, take a sponge damp with water and dish soap and wipe both the inside and outside of your tracks. Alternatively, you could also choose to wipe down with vinegar in a spray bottle and a towel. Wipe down when you’re done. Now, if you want to let a cleaning solution almost entirely take care of itself, sprinkle baking soda on the track and apply hydrogen peroxide on top of the baking soda. You can leave it there to set for 5-10 minutes. Your role then is to just wipe off the grime that’s been loosened. Easy peasy!
Getting Into the Hard to Reach Spaces
Sometimes towels and sponges aren’t enough to get all the gunk out of track, especially if it’s lodged in a hard to reach spot. If there is something lodged in there, or if you just want the peace of mind of a fully cleaned track, take a Q-tip or old toothbrush into the nooks and crannies.
