Nobody talks about doors in any normal conversation. Well, unless they’re having a new one put in, or asking their kids not to slam them! And people talk about how to clean office doors even less. But maybe that’s why so many office doors end up looking like a grubby mess – nobody ever talked about them.
Doors are one of the hardest working parts of a building. They’re touched constantly, and given attention rarely, so they tend to get away with being absolutely filthy for a long time before anyone does anything about it. But when a client or visitor finally does pay attention, a grimy, fingerprint-covered door sends a really bad message.
So, if your doors are looking a bit tired, we’ll help you get them looking like new again – with this handy guide on how to clean office doors.
Why do office doors get so mucky?
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer volume of abuse that office doors have to endure.
Every single person in your building touches them. Employees, visitors, delivery drivers, the postie – and they all leave a little piece of themselves behind. Mostly in the form of fingerprints, but also germs, dust, or whatever else they’ve picked up on their hands during the day (like biscuits and crisps!).
Door handles are the most-used part of any door, and should really be cleaned every day.
When you stop to think about how many people have touched the same door handle since it was last wiped down, you can get the ick pretty quickly. A dozen? Fifty? A hundred? Add in the fact that a quarter of Brits don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet, and… Yeah, you get the point!
Sanitising your door handles is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs in your workplace, and in a busy office with high foot traffic, daily wipedowns do make sense. But in practical terms, smaller spaces should really focus on proper hygiene as a baseline, and clean their door handles as often as is reasonable.
It’s not just about germs, though – a dirty door can give your company an overall impression of shabbiness. Doors are really big, people-sized things. They occupy a lot of space, and so does their grubbiness. It’s a big surface to leave unclean, so make sure cleaning office doors is part of your rota or commercial cleaning spec.
The golden rules of cleaning office doors
Cleaning a door isn’t rocket science – but there are a few rules, and the most important one is to pay attention to the material. You wouldn’t clean a wooden floor with a glass cleaner, and the same applies to doors. Using the wrong product can leave streaks on glass, damage metal finishes, or strip the varnish off wood.
Whatever you do, avoid aggressive, abrasive, or chemical-heavy cleaners as a first resort. Start gently – you can always step it up a gear if you need to.
Also, before you attack the door with a wet cloth, take a moment to hoover or dry dust it down. Wet dust cakes on, and it can be really hard to get off when it solidifies. Use a soft brush attachment on your hoover to get into the edges, the panels, and underneath the door. Don’t forget the top of the doorframe!
And before you clean, remove any decorations, signs, or hangers from the door first. Protect the floor underneath from any drips or splashes with a sheet or old towels.
Right – let’s get to the specifics!
How to clean a wooden office door
Wooden doors are the classic, and remain incredibly common in offices. They absorb sound well for better privacy, work well as fire doors (despite being wooden!), and look good to boot. But they’re also the most demanding when it comes to cleaning, because they’re porous and easily damaged – so take care.
For day-to-day maintenance, a simple dry dusting once a week will keep them looking good. Pay special attention to the top of the door and the sides, as these are the areas where dust and cobwebs like to congregate. If you can’t reach the top, a hoover with a long hose attachment does a good job.
When it comes to tackling fingerprints and smudges (which tend to gather around the handle and where people push), a solution of warm water and a few drops of washing up liquid works perfectly. Oil soap is even better – it’s specifically designed for wooden surfaces and can be found at most DIY or trade shops.
To do the clean, dip a soft, clean microfiber cloth into the solution, wring it out so it’s just damp (never sopping wet), and gently wipe the door following the grain of the wood. Working with the grain helps get the soap into all the small spaces on the door’s surface.
After you’ve wiped it down, immediately dry the door with a clean, dry cloth, again following the grain. Wood does not like to stay wet, and excess moisture can damage the finish over time, so don’t think air drying will do!
For stubborn finger marks that won’t budge with soapy water, try using baking soda mixed with a little water. Apply it to the stain, leave it for a few minutes, and then wipe gently with a soft cloth. Rinse and dry thoroughly. If your wooden door is matte finished, be extra careful. Avoid abrasive sponges and harsh detergents. They can ruin the delicate matte finish.
How to clean glass office doors
Glass doors are fantastic for creating an open, airy feel and letting natural light flood through your office. They’re also total fingerprint magnets! A single day can leave them looking like you’ve had a toddler in, doing some finger painting.
The trick to a perfect, streak-free glass office door is all in the technique. This is the pro tip that makes a difference: never spray the cleaner directly onto the glass.
Why? Because over-spray will drip down onto the door frame, the floor, and into the hinges. Instead, spray your cleaner onto a clean, dry microfiber cloth, and then wipe the glass. Use circular motions to lift the grime, then finish with a straight top-to-bottom or side-to-side motion to eliminate any remaining streaks. A final buff with a completely dry, separate microfiber cloth will give you that glorious, transparent finish. Just try not to walk into it afterwards!
For large glass doors or full-glass office fronts, the principles are the same, but the scale is bigger. Think like a window cleaner – a squeegee can be a big help, and if you’re really struggling with stubborn water spots, a solution of half white vinegar and half water applied with a cloth can work wonders.
Handles, hinges, and kick plates
As we’ve already mentioned, door handles should ideally be sanitised daily in high footfall areas. A quick wipe with a cloth sprayed with an all-purpose cleaner will do the job. Once dry, the metalwork can be brought to a polished sheen with a tiny squirt of WD-40 on a clean rag.
Hinges are fiddly little things, and a rag can struggle to get into all their nooks and crannies. An old toothbrush dipped in soapy water is the perfect tool for this job – just be sure to dry the hinges thoroughly afterwards with a clean, dry rag. And if they’ve started to squeak, a tiny squirt of WD-40 will silence them instantly.
And kickplates? Well, they get kicked. So there’s a high chance that they’ll have shoe scuffs and dents in them. While we can’t do much about the dents, shoe scuffs can be dealt with by mixing up washing-up liquid with baking soda to form a thick paste, and gently rubbing it into the surface with a sponge scourer. Be careful you don’t overpolish, especially if the metal is anodised or finished.
How often should you really be doing all this?
The frequency of cleaning depends on your office and the material of your doors. Aim to sanitise all high-touch door handles and push plates every day for hygiene, dust and wipe down once a week, and deep clean every month.
Frequently check any scuff marks or stains that have survived your regular cleaning, and consider a professional deep clean for very large or intricate doors, or if your team simply doesn’t have the time.
Your office doors work hard, and greet every single person who walks in and out.
So, show them a little gratitude – and you can rest easy knowing that the first thing people touch isn’t the last thing you’d want them to remember!
Make Your Doors Welcoming – with Regular Office Cleaning
Hire professional office cleaners in Cardiff, from The Abbey Cleaning Service. We’ll give your office doors a new lease of life – as well as everything else. Call 029 2067 9323 today for a clean that’ll keep your office looking better for longer.
