How to Restore Aluminum Sliding Doors

Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid in water and pour it into a hand-held spray bottle. Put aside.

Lift the screen up and out of the door track at the bottom, then pull downward to remove it from the track at the top. Examine the sliding screen section for signs of wear. If it has become bent or if the screening has holes in it, buy a replacement door. Measure the width and height and take this information to your builder supply store.

Remove one side of the sliding door the same way. If both sides of the door are sliding doors, remove the second side as well. Some sliding doors have one stationary panel.

Examine the tracks in the door casing to ensure they are not bent and restricting the work of the rollers. Also examine the rollers at the bottom of the sliding door. Replacement tracks and rollers are available at hardware and builders supply stores. Remove any damaged tracks or rollers by undoing the screws that hold them in place. Take them with you when you shop for new ones. Put the new ones aside for later mounting.

Vacuum the lower tracks of the door casing with a crevice tool if you are retaining the old tracks and remove loose debris. Brush the tracks with a dry scrub brush to loosen any remaining debris and vacuum carefully again. There won't be much clinging to the sides or the top tracks but vacuum them as well.

Prop the screen door against the house or a tree and spray it with the hose to loosen and remove debris. Spray gently so that the screening material does not come loose. Then spray the screen with the dishwashing solution. Let this stand for a moment before rubbing with a cleaning cloth or scrub brush. Pay special attention to the bottom of the door where most of the dirt and grime are located. Rinse with the hose. Set the screen aside in the sunshine to dry.

Prop the glass door against the house or tree and rinse it with spray from a garden hose. Spray the dishwashing solution on the door, let it stand for a moment and then clean the door with a cleaning cloth or a scrub brush. Again, pay special attention to the bottom of the door. Rinse with the garden hose sprayer and set aside to dry in the sunshine. When dry, mount any new parts you purchased and set aside.

Spray the dishwashing solution around the edges of the permanent door panel if applicable. Rub it with a cleaning cloth and rinse with clear water and a clean cloth. Dry with an old towel.

Spray the bottom and top tracks with an all-purpose household lubricating spray when all door parts are completely dry,. Replace the glass door panel by inserting the top of the door into the track at the top, then seating the bottom of the door into the bottom track. Move it back and forth to be sure the lubricant is sufficient. Add more, if necessary, until the door slides easily in the track. Replace the second glass panel if it was removable and the screen portion of the door in the same manner.

Spray glass cleaner on the glass portions of the door, inside and out, to remove any streaks or water spots left from the cleaning. Wipe the glass dry with old newspapers to give the aluminum sliding doors a sparkle.