You can easily and efficiently clean fiberglass doors with the help of homemade DIY hacks using vinegar, baking soda, furniture polish, and acetone. Fiberglass doors can be cleaned using commercial cleaners as well. However, we recommend that you stick to natural, homemade cleaners.
We all know that doors, particularly the entry doors, create the first impression of your home. Therefore, we invest a lot of energy, time, money, and effort into making sure that our front, as well as interior doors, reflect our style.
Fiberglass doors look alluring and artistic and they add elegance with a hint of glamor to your home. Not only that, they are environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and durable as well. They come in various styles, colors, and sizes.
Similar to steel and wooden doors, fiberglass doors are also susceptible to grime, dust, and dirt buildup. Since fiberglass doors come with slippery surfaces, only stubborn and hardy materials tend to leave noticeable stains on them.
To make sure that they last and look beautiful for years to come, you have to take care of them properly. Let’s see how you can clean fiberglass doors to keep them lustrous and scintillating.
How to Clean Fiberglass Door – Methods
From easy maintenance to affordability and sturdiness, fiberglass doors come with plenty of good features. Their colors hardly fade and stay pretty much intact for a long while. However, cleaning stains off them is slightly tricky.
The first thing you have to do is remove all the clutter and obstacles around the area to allow easy & free movement as you scrub the door. You are going to use cleaning products such as acetone, vinegar, etc. Therefore, open all the doors and windows nearby for better air circulation and ventilation.
Use Vinegar
Supplies Required
- Vinegar
- Bowl
- Clean Cloth
- Water
- Gloves
- Towel
Method
- Wear protective gloves before you get started.
- Take 1 cup of vinegar.
- Add it to 1 gallon of water.
- Stir the mixture.
- With the help of a soft cloth, apply this mixture to the door, including the fixtures and glass panels.
- If there are any stubborn stains, scrub them using a soft-bristled brush.
- Spray the fiberglass with clean water.
- Dry the door thoroughly using a towel.
For spot treatment of the stains, you can follow the given steps:
- Take some vinegar into a small bowl.
- Dip a clean cloth in the vinegar.
- Scrub gently on the affected area until the stain clears up.
- Use vinegar sparingly. Once the stain lifts off, remove excessive vinegar using clean water.
Use Baking Soda
Supplies Required
- Spray Bottle
- Dishwashing Soap
- Baking Soda
- Towel
Method
- Take 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle.
- Add two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap to it. The soap will clean the dust and debris on the door, leaving behind a streak-free, spot-free shine.
- To this mixture, add ¼ cup of baking soda. Baking soda will act as an extra cleaning element and remove stubborn stains. Moreover, it acts as a deodorizer as well.
- Shake this mixture and spray it directly on the fiberglass doors.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Wipe the doors clean with a towel.
Use Furniture Polish
Supplies Required
- Furniture Polish
- Towel
Method
- If the doors are painted, apply a layer of furniture polish to the door.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Wipe the fiberglass door with a soft towel.
- If the stain persists, spray another layer of furniture again and let it penetrate the stain.
- Scrub the stain with the towel until it fades off.
Use Acetone
Acetone is highly effective in getting rid of stains from fiberglass doors. Nonetheless, you have to be very careful while using it because you can end up doing more harm than good if you use it improperly.
Supplies Required
- Acetone
- Clean Cloth
- Water
Method
- Take a clean cloth and apply a few drops of acetone on it.
- Scrub the affected area gently with this cloth and check if the stain starts to disappear. If the stain is still there after several strokes, you can increase the amount of acetone.
- Stop as soon as the stain begins to fade. Scrubbing excessively can cause damage to your door.
- Dip another cloth in clean water.
- Use this to remove the excess acetone and remove the stain residue as well.
Alternative Method – Use Commercial Cleaner
Before you use a commercial cleaner for removing stains from your fiberglass doors, you have to check if the cleaner is safe to use for fiberglass.
Supplies Required
- Cleaning Cloth/Rag
- Chemical Cleaner
- Water
Method
- Check the manufacturer’s recommendations. Better yet, test a small area on the door first to see whether it is safe or not.
- Take a clean cloth and add a few drops of commercial cleaner to it.
- Rub the stain with cleaner until the stain starts to come off.
- Use clean water to remove the chemical cleaner.
Maintaining Your Fiberglass Door
The best treatment is prevention – and this is also true in the case of fiberglass doors. To keep your doors spotless, you have to clean them regularly.
- For cleaning doors daily, use water and plain soap. There is no need to with expensive cleaners since the results are the same.
- For regular cleaning, mix water and some soap in a bowl.
- Dip a sponge in this mixture.
- Scrub the door with the sponge gently.
- Rinse with clean water.
If your fiberglass doors sit in direct sunlight, you should apply a thin layer of marine wax yearly to the exterior surface of the door to keep the fiberglass finish from fading away over time. You can get marine wax from the local home improvement store.
FAQs for How to Clean Fiberglass Door
What kind of finish is good for fiberglass doors?
To keep the fiberglass doors safe, you can use an acrylic topcoat finish or polyurethane finish.
Should I Use Chemical Cleaners?
We don’t recommend using harsh chemical cleaners for fiberglass doors as it will damage the surface. However, you can use mild, gentle cleaners that will not harm your beautiful doors.