When it comes to protecting a home’s interior from various harmful external elements, an aluminum storm door is usually the best choice. This type of door allows you to protect a home from rain, wind, dirt, and dust, among other components.
It is also a door that needs to be cleaned due to the great battery of elements and rust/salt/water it faces daily. It is possible to restore the original shine of these doors, putting an end to the aluminum’s dull and old appearance. There are aluminum cleaners that are usually incorporated.
It can be very useful for aluminum storm doors and is available at many automotive stores. Once you have everything you need, you can begin to restore your aluminum storm door.
And if at the end of this article you will still decide to replace or buy storm doors, here’s a recommended read for you; how to measure storm doors for replacement, what is the average cost to install a storm door, and lastly, your best storm doors guide for the best ones in the market today!
Cleaning of an aluminum storm door – Step by Step
1. Take a bucket of water and add two or three drops of dish soap. It is also important to have rubber gloves to perform the entire cleaning procedure more comfortably. Otherwise, it will be a rather uncomfortable procedure because you must deal with all the dirt on the door.
Inside the bucket necessary to get to create foam to perform a much more uniform and accurate cleaning in all parts of the door. To do this, shake the bucket of water with the drops of dish detergent. Once the proper foam has been achieved, it’s possible to continue with the next step.
2. People who use a large sponge to wash the aluminum door have much faster and more efficient results. Different sponges can be used to get a much better result. If you are dealing with an aluminum storm door that is too deteriorated with a high level of dirt, you should choose the right sponge. (1)
Some eras incorporate special materials to offer a deeper level of cleaning. You should consider that the sponge does not have materials that are too hard to produce scratches on the aluminum door. Using the sponge and water with dish soap, start cleaning the aluminum door.
As soon as dead insects or hardened stains are found, a nylon brush can provide excellent results. Although these stains are too difficult to remove, it is not recommended that you use a steel wool pad. Perhaps this provides a more thorough result, but it will also produce streaks on the surface.
3. For the rinsing procedure, the sponge should be thoroughly cleaned by removing all soapy water traces. Clean water should also be used to remove any dirt and soap residue left on the aluminum door. Some people may choose a much stronger and more efficient option.
A pressure washer could offer a highly efficient result if one chooses the water jet that is best suited for it. The person who removes the aluminum storm door could implement superior cleaning and rinsing. It also makes it possible to use the pressure washer in a much freer way without the need to fill the home with water.
4. Once the rinsing procedure is finished, the drying procedure should be continued. Under no circumstances is it advisable to leave the aluminum storm door with water droplets or wet parts. It could generate mold, fungus, or corrosion such as rust. (2)
There are many ways to dry the door but a popular option is using a rag to clean off any excess water and then leaving it in direct hot sunlight.
5. Once the aluminum storm door is completely dry, the aluminum cleaner can be added. Before incorporating this product, it is necessary to carefully read the instructions, which may vary between different aluminum cleaners available on the market.
Incorporating more than the recommended amount could generate some corrosion on the surface of the door. The most important thing is to get the aluminum cleaner to restore the shine over the entire surface.
The required amount of aluminum cleaner should be added over the entire surface of the storm door. It should be more than enough to bring the aluminum door back to the new look it had before.
6. Once you see a bright shine on the aluminum storm door, the cleaning procedure will be finished. This whole procedure does not always require a great deal of time and effort on the person’s part.
A soft cloth is usually more than enough to do a weekly cleaning of an aluminum storm door. It allows for the removal of dirt and dust that could accumulate over time. It also prevents the surface of the aluminum storm door from becoming dull once again.
Applying aluminum cleaner often also allows you to keep the aluminum surface’s shine as bright as the day you bought it. To keep the aluminum surface’s shine fully intact, we recommend you incorporate this type of cleaner once a month. When it comes to applying this product for the second time, a smaller amount of cleaner may be necessary.
Final Words
This whole procedure is very simple to perform and requires very few products. The effort is not too large and allows an aluminum door to look as good as new.
Complete cleaning of an old aluminum door also allows renewing the interior and exterior look of a home. Cleaning an old aluminum door can be much more important than people think.
References
(1) sponge – https://www.thespruce.com/types-of-cleaning-sponges-1900899
(2) fungus – https://www.britannica.com/science/fungus
