How to Clean a Screen Door

Screen doors are a great addition to any home and have many aesthetic and energy efficient appeals. However, they’re exposed to the elements more than your entry door since they’re installed on the outside. It’s important to know how to clean a screen door to keep it looking great.

You’ll want to clean your screen doors after every season to make sure they don’t get too dirty which can damage them in some cases.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know to clean your screen door effectively and efficiently.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you start any project, it’s important to gather your materials prior to anything else. The last thing you’ll want to do is have to pause in the middle of the process to go to the store.

In order to properly clean your screen door, you’ll need a few items. You probably already have everything at your house and if not, you can find everything at a local hardware or department store.

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to clean a screen door:

• A dirty screen door
• Sponge or microfiber cloth
• Water
• A bucket
• Towels
• Vacuum
• All-purpose cleaner

After you’ve gathered everything, it’s time to start cleaning your screen door. We’ll go step by step below on how to clean a screen door.

Step 1: Remove Screens If Possible

The first step to on how to clean a screen door is to remove the screen itself. Removing the screens on your storm door is a simple process. Usually, you can just pop them out by pushing a couple clips.

Some storm doors have hardware that cover and hold the screens in place. In this case, remove the hardware first. This can easily be done with a screwdriver.

If your storm door doesn’t have a retractable screen, skip this step. Don’t worry, if your screen is fixed on your door, you can still thoroughly clean it.

Step 2: Vacuum the Screen

Once you’ve removed the screen from your door or if it’s still on there, it’s time to vacuum the screen. It may seem like an unnecessary step, but you’ll be surprised by how much debris gets stuck in those little pores.

If your screen has been removed, lay it down flat on a towel and use an extendable attachment to vacuum it. Be sure you’re gentle as you don’t want to damage the screen at all and have to replace it, which is an entirely different process.

For those that have a non-retractable screen, you can run the vacuum extension along the screen on the door. However, you need to be more careful while doing this as it’s easier to damage the screen this way.

Step 3: Wash the Screen

After you’ve vacuum any debris off your screen, it’s time to actually wash it. Using an all purpose cleaner, bucket and water, make a mixture of around 1/4 cleaner and 3/4 water.

Once the cleaning mixture is made, lift your screen to an upright position and use your sponge or microfiber cloth to gently scrub down the screen. Be sure to wash both sides.

For those with the screen still on the door, you can simply scrub it there. You won’t have to worry about any excess water and soap getting on your door because you’ll be cleaning that next.

Step 4: Rinse Your Door Screen

After you’ve given the screen a good scrubbing, you can rinse it down with water. Be sure to do this right after scrubbing because you don’t want any soap to dry on the screen or else it’ll look like it’s still dirty.

There’s a couple ways of doing this. You can hose it down with a medium stream or you can simply pour water from a bucket on it.

Using a hose is a more effective method of rinsing because the stream is hard enough to wash away any dirt or debris that may have gotten left behind.

If your screen is fixed on your door, the best method is to rinse from the inside out so you don’t get any water in the house.

Step 5: Dry Your Screen

Once you’ve thoroughly rinsed off your screen, you can dry it. The best way to make sure you fully dry your screen is to do this on a sunny day where you can leave it in the sun for a little.

Even if it’s a sunny day, you should still use a towel to wipe down any water to make sure your screen is completely dry before reinstalling it back on your door.

Step 6: Wash Your Screen Door

After you’ve cleaned your screen and are waiting for it to dry, you can begin cleaning the actual door. You can use the same mixture of cleaner and water as you did with the screen.

Give your door a good wipe down and be sure to get in all the corners and crevices to wash away any dirt and debris. You can rinse it with a stronger stream since your storm door is durable enough.

When you’re done cleaning it, dry the door with a towel and you’re ready to put the screen back on.

And That’s How to Clean a Screen Door

Learning how to clean a screen door isn’t a complicated process, but it’s necessary. You don’t want a bunch of dirt and debris building up on it making it look bad. Plus, if enough debris builds up in certain areas, it can damage your storm door by getting stuck in hinges or other hardware.

Maintain your screen door regularly after washing it by vacuuming the screen to keep any dust and pollen off of it.

If you find your screen door is too dirty to salvage or it’s just old and worn out, choose Feldco for your replacement screen door. Our durable and beautiful screen doors come in many styles and colors to match any home and they’re designed to withstand the Midwest climate.

You can get a free quote now to get started on your screen door replacement project with the Midwest’s #1 door company!