Doors are often overlooked by home sellers when it comes to the salability of their home. Caring for your doors through proper maintenance is important to ensure that they remain beautiful and functional for years. Renewal by Andersen® provides these tips on how you can properly care for your exterior and interior doors:
1. Before you start cleaning your door, consider its stain or paint finish. Use a mild diluted cleaning product and test a small area first to ensure that it won’t react negatively to the cleaning solution. For wood doors, use a wax or polish to give its surface a clean glow.
2. Among all your doors, your front door is the most exposed to dirt. Use a feather duster to get rid of any loose dirt. For stubborn stains, use a sponge and a mixture of mild detergent and lukewarm water. Gently scrub down the door to avoid scratches. Use another sponge soaked in water for rinsing. Then dry the surface with a paper towel to prevent moisture infiltration, which can cause your door’s finish to fade.
3. For your door’s glass, you may also remove any loose dirt with a feather duster. To avoid unsightly streaks, in a circular motion, remove stubborn stains using a sponge soaked in diluted dish soap. Use another sponge soaked in water to remove the cleaning solution and dry the glass surface with paper towels.
4. Your door hardware requires regular attention as climate and exposure to harsh elements like salts, herbicides, and pesticides affect how it looks. To clean them, use a mild detergent and soft cloth. Avoid using hard brushes and harsh cleaners.
5. For brass hardware, apply a non-abrasive wax to protect and restore its luster. Go to your nearby hardware store and ask for different options suitable for your hardware’s material.