If you’ve just spent thousands of dollars installing a new folding door system in your home, then you have even more reason to keep everything clean and well-maintained. However, if you’re reading this article, then you’re probably wondering if it’s okay to pressure wash folding doors…

The answer is yes; it is okay to pressure wash folding doors. However, you’ll want to exercise certain precautions so that you don’t damage your folding doors or accidentally void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Staying on top of regular cleaning and maintenance is the best way to protect your investment and ensure that your home retains its value. Having your home pressure washed at least once or twice a year will keep it free from mold, mildew, bug infestation, and other problems that can grow out of control.

Below, we’ll discuss whether or not it’s a good idea to pressure wash glass folding doors, how to wash them correctly, and how to clean folding doors without using a pressure washer.

Is It A Good Idea To Pressure Wash Folding Doors?

Ultimately, whether or not it’s a good idea to pressure wash your folding doors depends a lot on the type of material that your doorframe is made out of.

For the most part, pressure washing your folding doors should be fine if you have an aluminum, stainless steel, or vinyl/PVC doorframe. These materials are naturally designed to be water-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about water getting into the system and warping the doors (although you do want to be warry of how much pressure you apply to the doors).

However, if you have natural hardwood doors, then you may want to reconsider pressure washing them. As an organic material wood is especially susceptible to water damage and if too much moisture is allowed to penetrate the wooden doorframe, then it can cause significant problems.

There is a way to safely pressure wood folding doors (described below), but we typically recommend cleaning wood folding doors by hand.

What About The Protective Stain?

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “isn’t that what the wood stain is there for?”

Well, yes… and no. Wood stain is designed to provide a protective layer that seals the wood and protects it from rainwater, excessive moisture, and the sun’s UV rays. However, it’s not designed to stand up to high-pressure water hoses at close range.

While the stain would protect the underlying wood from sustaining too much damage, the finish of the stain may be compromised (causing an unsightly appearance). Also, keep in mind that wood stain is designed to protect the doors from regular rainwater and atmospheric moisture, not a direct blast of high-pressure water.

How To Safely Pressure Wash Folding Doors

Whether you have aluminum folding doors or wood folding doors, you’ll want to exercise caution either way. This also goes for other delicate areas of your house as well, such as windows, screens, vents, etc.

Use A Light Cleaning Solution

If you’re working with aluminum, vinyl, or stainless steel doors, then this shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you’re working with wood doors, then you’ll want to use a lighter bleach solution than you use on the rest of the house. Using too much bleach can cause the wood stain to break down faster than normal, and re-staining wood folding doors is a very painstaking process.

To accomplish this, just use 15% to 20% less bleach and make up the difference with added water in the mixture. Or, add 15% more water to your bleach mixture.

Use Very Low Pressure

No matter what material your doorframe is made out of, you’ll want to use a low-pressure nozzle. If you apply too much pressure to the doorframe, it can damage the paint, anodized finish, or the woods stain. In the case of vinyl doors, extreme pressure can also cause the doorframe to crack or splinter.

To prevent this, you’ll want to pair using a low-pressure nozzle with holding the wand at least 6 to 7 feet away from the surface of your doorframe. Let the cleaning solution do most of the work, and let gentle, low-pressure water wash away the dirt after it’s been loosened.

How To Clean Folding Doors Without A Pressure Washer

If you’re not confident in your ability to use a pressure washer correctly or don’t have one, to begin with, then you may consider cleaning your folding doors by hand. This is a fairly simple process that shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes or so, depending on the size of your doors.

Clean The Doorframe

To clean the doorframe, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of:

• 1 part household bleach.
• 2 part water.
• 3 tablespoons of white vinegar.

Shake the mixture vigorously to mix it, and then, spray the doorframe with the mixture. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then use a soft-bristled brush to scrub the doorframe. This mixture will remove any unwanted oils and grime as well as dirt, stuck-on debris, pollen, and any mold or mildew spores.

Clean The Glass

To clean the glass, you can either use a good old-fashioned Windex/household glass cleaner or a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water. Let the glass cleaner sit on the glass for 30 seconds and then wipe it away using a squeegee or a microfiber cloth that won’t leave cloth fibers behind.

Final Tips

If you end up choosing to clean your folding doors using a pressure washer, just make sure that you follow the safety tips outlined above. This will prevent unwanted damage to your doorframe or your wood door’s stain. However, you can give them the same level of cleanliness using the hand cleaning method instead. Ultimately, the choice is up to you!