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If you’ve got a sliding door in your home, or even a regular window, you’re probably familiar with the dirt and grime that has a tendency to gunk up the track. Cleaning that track might not be a regular priority, but when it starts slowing down the door (or causing it to stick altogether), it’s time to tackle the job. Luckily, it’s a fairly easy task—here’s what you’ll need to do.
You don’t need special tools or expensive cleaners to get in between the metal tracks of your sliding door. Instead, just use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to lift the dirt and clean the track without any scrubbing. The items you need are:
First, grab your handheld vacuum (or a vacuum with a hose attachment) and vacuum out any loose, visible dirt. Larger vacuum attachments aren't great for this, especially if you have a really small track or one with a bunch of levels and components inside. If that's the case, grab a cardboard tube, the kind you're left with when you run out of toilet paper. You just stick it to the end of your vacuum hose or stick like you would any other attachment, as shown in this Instagram Reel from A Clean Bee. Bend the unattached edge of the roll to make a slit and shove it into the small space. It works really well for pulling dirt out of crevices and, since you can manipulate the cardboard easily, you have control over how precise you can be.
Once you've gotten the large bits of dirt out of the way with the vacuum, you need to take on any crusty, caked-on, or smaller debris deeper in the sliding door track. Take your baking soda and sprinkle a fine layer of powder to thoroughly cover the track. Next, grab your hydrogen peroxide and pour it onto the metal track, over the powder, and let it sit for five to 10 minutes. The baking soda and hydrogen peroxide combination will create a reaction that pushes all dirt, seen and unseen, right to the top.
After the dirt has lifted, you'll see it; the mixture you created will look pretty funky. Take a cleaning cloth or paper towel and wipe down the track, taking care to fold it small enough that you can really stuff it in the grooves. You can use a little water to rinse and remove any leftover residue, if needed. Finish off by using a dry paper towel or rag to dry the track out, since the last thing you want is to create new layers of residue and gunk on what you just cleaned.
