Your home probably has aluminum screen doors on the exits. Most screen doors are made with this durable, yet lightweight material. Why? Because it's rust resistant, it's fairly strong, and it's easy to clean under normal conditions.
Wood used to be the material of choice in making screen doors. But, wood can warp, rot, and
it is difficult to clean since getting it wet isn't good for it.
If your aluminum screen doors aren't soiled, they just have an accumulation of dust, and maybe cobwebs, on the screens, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner to clean them. Place the brush attachment onto the accessory hose, turn the vacuum on, and gently sweep the screens until they are clean.
On the other hand, if your aluminum screen doors are lightly soiled, you can simply clean them with a mild detergent, a soft rag, and a brush that has very soft bristles. Mix up a solution of tap water and the detergent in a bucket. Then, dip the brush into the bucket and gently scrub the screen part of the door from top to bottom. Once you have finished cleaning the screen, rinse it thoroughly with water from a garden hose.
The next step is to dip the soft rag in the bucket and wring it out. Wipe the rag over the frame of the door to remove dirt and dust. Finally, rinse the door frame by using water from a garden hose. Allow the screen and the door to air dry.
But if your aluminum screen door frames are soiled with grease, tree sap, or another hard to clean contaminant, you'll have to use a different approach. Try using a strong solution of household ammonia, about a cup full, added to a bucket full of warm tap water. Instead of a soft rag, try using a sponge with a scrubber side.
You can use this same ammonia cleaning solution on the door screens, but use the brush with the soft bristles instead. The bristles do a better job of cleaning the tiny holes in the screen better than a rag does.
If your aluminum screen doors are stained, you can also use a strong solution of household bleach, about a cup or so, and a bucket of hot warm to clean them with.
When you wash your screen doors, don't forget to clean both the inside and the outside. Be sure that you wipe across the top, as well as along the sides, to remove built up dirt. And, don't forget to clean the handle on the inside and outside as well. Not only does the handle get a build up of dirt from the elements, but it also tends to get dirt, grease, germs, and other contaminants on it from human hands touching it.
Whatever you do, never, ever use a metal scratcher on the frames of your screen doors. Don't use a soap pad either because they will scratch the paint and / or metal.
Once your screen doors are clean, you can use a metal polish on them. The metal polish will not only make them look shiny and new, but it will also help protect the aluminum from additional dirt and stains.
