Purchasing a set of panoramic aluminum exterior folding doors is one of the best ways to modernize your home and really open up your space. They’re also an excellent choice for high-traffic areas such as a retail business or office.

One of the key advantages of choosing aluminum as your doorframe material is that it’s relatively low-maintenance. It’s also lightweight, incredibly strong, and can last a lifetime if it’s well-maintained!

Whether you’re still deciding if aluminum folding doors are right for you or if you’ve already purchased a set of aluminum doors, you’ll find a lot of helpful information in this article. First, we’ll take a few minutes to go over some of the key advantages of picking an aluminum door over a wood or vinyl doorframe.

Then, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on how to clean your multi-fold aluminum doors. Lastly, we’ll take a minute to answer some of the most common maintenance-related questions. Check it out!

What Are The Advantages Of Aluminum Folding Doors?

Aluminum was first successfully extracted from ore in 1825 and has been used in a number of applications ever since. Although steel remained the dominant building material of the late-1800s and early-1900s, aluminum eventually found its place as a modern-day building material.

So for those of you who are still on the fence about what type of doorframe material they want to use for their folding doors, we figured that we would start off by discussing some of aluminum’s key benefits and advantages.

Strong and Lightweight

Aluminum is about one-third as dense as steel, which means that it’s incredibly lightweight. Despite its lighter density, though, aluminum is actually incredibly strong. This is why almost all aircraft in existence are crafted using an aluminum body.

Some of the first folding doors to ever hit the market were manufactured using stainless steel. However, the obvious disadvantage of this was that these doors were incredibly heavy and were a huge pain to install. For this reason, aluminum took over as the dominant metal doorframe used to manufacture folding door systems.

Low-Maintenance

Another great reason to choose aluminum exterior doors is that they’re very low maintenance! Wood is arguably the most maintenance-intensive material to use for folding doors and requires constant re-staining and mold removal treatment.

Aluminum, on the other hand, requires almost no maintenance at all. In fact, the most “maintenance” you’ll need to perform on your doors is simple surface cleaning and the occasional fresh paint job.

Easy To Clean

This brings us to our next point… aluminum is incredibly easy to clean! When compared to wood, for instance, the difference is night and day. One requires a brief 5-minute wipedown, while the other requires an in-depth bleaching and re-staining process.

How Often Should You Clean Aluminum Folding Doors?

How often you need to clean aluminum doors depends largely on the environment you live in. For example, if you live in a coastal area with a lot of salt in the air, then we suggest cleaning your doors once every couple of months, especially if your doors are powder-coated. This is because the salt in the air can break down the paint quicker than normal. Keeping the surface of the aluminum free from corrosives ensures a longer-lasting paint job.

However, if you live in a dry environment such as Nevada or Texas, then you probably won’t need to clean your aluminum bi-fold doors as often.

How To Clean Aluminum Multi-Fold Doors: Step-By-Step

So, all of that being said, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the best way to clean aluminum doors?”

Well, you might be surprised to find out that vinegar is the easiest (and cheapest) way to effectively clean your aluminum doors. Additionally, the same vinegar solution can also be sued to clean the windows for a crystal-clear polish! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to keep your aluminum porch folding doors clean and good as new.

Step 1: Spray Down With Water And Dry

Before applying any other cleaning solution, it’s a good idea to spray down the outside-facing door panels with a hose. The interior can be sprayed down using a spray bottle and some warm water from the sink.

The goal of this is to remove any dust, pollen, or salt that may have landed on the surface of the aluminum. You can dry using a dry cloth or paper towels.

Step 2: Apply A Light Vinegar Cleaning Solution

Next, it’s time to mix your vinegar cleaning solution. We recommend using an empty spray bottle and mixing one part white vinegar with nine parts warm water (1:9). Shake the bottle vigorously to ensure that the solution is well-mixed.

Then, spray down the aluminum door frame and let it sit on the surface for 30 seconds or so. This will give the vinegar solution time to break down any dirt, oils, or grime that may be on the metal’s surface.

Can You Clean Aluminum Doors With WD-40?

You may have heard that WD-40 is good to clean aluminum with. However, there are two problems that can arise when cleaning your aluminum doors with WD-40:

• It can create a greasy, hard-to-remove film on the glass.
• It can break down the paint or finish on the aluminum.

Step 3: Wipe Away And Rinse With Water

Lastly, it’s time to wipe everything away. We recommend using a microfiber cloth for this step, as it won’t leave behind any strings or unsightly cotton fibers. Once you’re finished using the solution to clean the aluminum doorframe, you can use the same mixture to clean the windows (you should use a microfiber cloth for the windows as well).

Conclusion

As long as you can commit to cleaning your aluminum exterior doors occasionally, then they can easily last a lifetime! Aluminum doors are incredibly high-quality, are naturally rust-resistant, and will give your home a beautiful, modern appearance. What’s not to love?