Cleaning the garage and its door is very easy

It’s normal for garages to accumulate dirt over time, especially if they are also used as a workshop. The garage door also becomes a magnet for dust and dirt, as it is often not protected properly from the weather. Using these tips, however, you will easily be able to get rid of the dirt in the garage and workshop, whether you use a multi-purpose vacuum cleaner, a high-pressure cleaner or a steam cleaner.

How often should the garage door be cleaned?

The garage door should be cleaned at least once a year. If you live in an area where the weather changes frequently then it makes sense to clean the garage door every two to three months. The frequency of cleaning depends entirely on how protected the garage is and how extreme the climate is where you live. After very cold and harsh winters, floods, hail or strong winds, a lot of dirt will settle on the garage door, so it should be cleaned more often. This is not just for aesthetic reasons, but it’s also important for its functionality as it may stop working if parts of it become clogged, for example, due to pollen and dust, or stubborn dirt that settles permanently on the surface.

How to proceed with cleaning the garage door?

The garage door can be cleaned by hand in the classic way with the help of a little warm water and washing-up liquid. However, this can take quite a bit of time and energy. To make a heavily soiled garage door look like new again, we recommend cleaning it with a pressure washer. This appliance removes even the most stubborn dirt thanks to the adjustable water pressure. There is a choice of three pressure levels on the gun itself, which can be selected depending on what you want to use the device for. For more sensitive surfaces, there’s a “SOFT” pressure level, which can be set on the gun without having to set the device down on the floor. For robust material, a higher pressure level can be selected.

Cleaning the garage door: Bear the type of material in mind

When cleaning the garage door, you should pay attention to the material:

For painted metal doors, it makes sense to use a special paint cleaner first to smooth the surface and remove any fine scratches. Afterwards, a polish can be used to add shine.
After cleaning a wooden garage door, you could treat it with wax or a varnish to enhance the effect.
After cleaning a plastic garage door, the surface can be protected from weathering and environmental influences with special plastic cleaners.

How to clean garage windows

Many garages have small windows that should not be overlooked when giving the garage a thorough clean. Garage doors often have glazing made of plastic, which often gets damaged by the weather. To clean this glazing thoroughly, a pressure washer can be used. Make sure to set the pressure level to “SOFT” so that not too much pressure is exerted on the windows during cleaning.

An alternative way to clean glass panes is to use a steam cleaner, which doesn’t use any chemicals and ensures your windows get clean using only water. The appliance first steams the window evenly, and then the hand nozzle and a microfibre cloth can be rubbed on the window to loosen the dirt. Afterwards, the steam water should be removed with a squeegee or a dry microfibre cloth. Plastic glass panes, on the other hand, should not be cleaned with the steam cleaner, because the steam’s temperature can reach more than 100 °C and could damage the plastic.

A cordless window cleaner is also a good option when it comes to cleaning the garage. It ensures that windows are streak-free and clean. To do this, simply mix water with window cleaner concentrate, apply it to the window with a spray bottle, loosen the dirt with the help of a microfibre cloth, and vacuum up the moisture using the device.

Cleaning garage windows with a Kärcher window cleaner

A woman cleans her garage driveway with a Kärcher sweeper

Cleaning the garage driveway

The driveway in front of the garage is often a place where stubborn dirt likes to accumulate. To free it from loose dirt such as leaves, soil and dust, a sweeper is ideal. There is no need to bend down at all thanks to the height-adjustable, ergonomic push bar and it doesn’t take much effort to thoroughly clean the area. It’s worth knowing that even grit left behind after the winter can be removed with the sweeper. If the garage driveway is very dirty, the pressure washer can be used again:

Before the pressure washer is used, any loose dirt on the ground should be removed with a sweeper.
If the driveway is very dirty, a stone cleaning solution is perfect for dissolving stubborn dirt beforehand.
Subsequently, the pressure washer used in combination with the power scrubber surface cleaner or the T-Racer surface cleaner makes light work of cleaning the driveway.

Cleaning the garage interior and workshop made easy

A lot of people don’t have a separate workshop so they often use the garage for their DIY projects. This can cause the garage to get dusty and dirty especially when some appliances and tools aren’t used often so dirt accumulates on them. Therefore, the first step is to work out how you’re going to organise the garage or workshop. Shelving and organisation systems make cleaning the workshop a lot easier. Before starting to clean the garage or workshop, it is advisable to clean out everything that is no longer needed. Neighbours, friends or relatives may be able to make use of you unused flowerpots or toolboxes. Once the room is thoroughly tidied up, the cleaning can begin.

Cleaning the garage and workshop - how to proceed

Most garages and workshops have concrete floors because they are quite robust and easy to clean. To clean a concrete garage floor, it is recommended to first give it a once over with a sweeper. This prevents loose debris such as dust or leaves from being carried into the house. Alternatively, a wet and dry vacuum cleaner can be used, as it can pick up both dry and wet dirt. When cleaning the workshop, it is worth looking at the premium products on offer. These are more robust and are therefore able to deal with pointed or hard materials such as screws or nails. The vacuum is the right choice especially for workshops, where small metal objects often end up on the floor. This makes it ideal for cleaning the workshop floor. All wet and dry vacuums are also equipped with a wide and flexible suction hose, which guarantees you can vacuum without worrying about the hose clogging up. If the garage is very dirty, a pressure washer is ideal for cleaning a concrete garage floor. If the garage is cleaned wet, however, it is essential to ensure beforehand that the dirty water can easily drain away. Another option is to attach the power scrubber to the pressure washer to clean the garage floor. The integrated dirt blade on the scrubber allows the water to be easily pushed out of the garage. Alternatively, the wet and dry vacuum cleaner can be used to get rid of the residual water.

A man vacuums the garage floor with a Kärcher vacuum cleaner

A woman cleans the garage floor with a Kärcher power scrubber

Watch out, oil stains!

Wherever engine oil is, there’s a chance that oil leaks can happen and end up causing a puddle on the floor. It’s very important that oil puddles in the garage are soaked up with a binding agent and then disposed of properly and in an environmentally friendly manner. The stain that’s left behind can then be treated with a mixture of bile soap and hot water. First pour the hot water and bile soap mixture onto the oil stain and wait a while for the solution to react, then scrub the stain thoroughly with hot water.