How to care for your bifold doors

If you have committed yourself to buying top quality bifold doors (and they are the only ones we supply), you will be pleased to read that the aftercare is minimal.

One thing you must not do is use harsh cleaners on either your doors, the glass, the frames or the track. If you are tempted to use wipes – as they are convenient – you must make sure you go over the area afterwards with clean water and a clean cloth. Our advice, however, is to use gentle products, even if you may need to use slightly more elbow grease. As with most cleaning, little and often is the way to go.

Take extra care if you have to use a stool or similar to get to the higher parts of the glass. Make sure it is fit for purpose, will not slide and can take your weight. Better still, if you can, subcontract this part to a tall person.

Your new bifold doors are fairly easy care and certainly don’t need the attention that conventional wooden windows and doors do.

Cleaning the glass on your bifold doors

The doors are cleaned just as you would your windows.

Internally

If you have children, you may need to clean the glass doors more often to remove sticky finger marks, but a quick once over, about every two months, with a proprietary window cleaner should be sufficient to keep them looking pristine. Don’t use too much product and do small sections at a time.

Externally

Dirt and dust stick to the glass especially through the winter, so clean first with a mild warm soap mixture (soap flakes for handwashing wool are ideal). Rinse off with clean, warm water, taking off excess with a squeegee. Then go over with your vinegar spray or proprietary cleaner and buff until gleaming.

Homemade glass cleaner

If you prefer to use a homemade cleaner, mix one part of distilled white vinegar with ten parts of warm water. You should be able to buy the vinegar from a supermarket. A spray bottle (from garden centres) is useful to apply the mixture to the glass. Buff off with a lint-free cloth. The vinegar evaporates and you don’t get a vinegary smell at all. This was what our grandmothers used before Windolene was invented.

Hinges and moving parts

These may need to be lightly oiled occasionally. Your fitter should have advised you. Keep water away from these areas.

Handles

Wipe regularly with a wrung cloth of warm soapy water. Repeat with clear fresh water.

The track aftercare

One level, low threshold doors are a popular option and the track is not difficult to care for. Keep the track free of leaves, small stones, dry grass and dust throughout the summer when the doors are open by regularly brushing or vacuuming. Use a soft brush to avoid scratching the track.

Keep the doors closed when the lawn is being mown and it’s a good idea to do this as well if it’s very windy, to keep the dust down.

As you can see, your bifold doors are very easy to maintain and you should have years of light enjoyment ahead of you.