What to Know About Cleaning Your Wrought Iron Doors
With the weather warming up outside, you may be thinking about getting outside and sprucing up your home. Planting a few flowers and improving your home’s curb appeal probably sit...
With the weather warming up outside, you may be thinking about getting outside and sprucing up your home. Planting a few flowers and improving your home’s curb appeal probably sit at the top of your to-do list on Saturdays.
If you have a wrought iron front door, there’s no question it offers a lot of curb appeal on its own. While this is true, it’s still necessary to clean and maintain it, so it continues to benefit your home.
Even though wrought iron doors are crafted using the highest quality materials and can withstand the most extreme weather, they can still experience wear. One of the biggest issues is rust. While this is true, your iron doors can continue to protect your home, add to the curb appeal, and look great with proper cleaning.
Some tips to help you with the cleaning process can be found here.
Create a Custom Soap Mixture
It’s recommended that you use plant-based soap on wrought iron doors. That’s because of their alkalinity.
To create the soap you need, mix a teaspoon of Castile soap with water, and stir the mixture until you see suds start to form.
Cleaning Your Door
Once you have created your soap mixture, wipe down the wrought iron door using it. To achieve the best results, start at the top and work to the bottom of the door.
Some additional tips for using this soap mixture to clean your wrought iron door include:
- Rinse off the soapy mixture by spraying your door using a garden hose.
- Be sure to dry your door with a lint-free, clean cloth.
For homes near the coast or in an area that experiences high humidity, the iron doors will probably develop rust at some point on the frame. You need to clean this off if you want to maintain its pristine appearance and durability.
How to Remove Rust from Your Wrought Iron Door
The first step in this process is to scrape the rust off your door using a wire brush. You can use a drill with this type of attachment or sandpaper to remove the rust and the paint that has started to flake off. You don’t have to remove all the paint, just make sure all the rust is gone.
Once the rust is removed, clean your door using the steps outlined above. Once dry, use a rust-inhibiting primer over the entire door. Be sure you cover it on all sides. After the primer dries, you can apply the right color to the metal.
