How to Clean Side Door Molding

Clean side door molding on a regular basis to keep a neat appearance.

Cleaning the molding on your side door becomes necessary from time to time. People walk in and out the side door, invariably touching the molding, leaving handprints, dirty splotches and sticky spots on the wood. If it's not cleaned on a regular basis, the molding can begin to look very grimy and unappealing. For the best results, it is a good idea for you clean the side door molding on a biweekly basis after the initial cleaning.

Things You'll Need

• Deglosser
• Sponge
• Lemon oil
• Small brush
• Soft cloth
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Ammonia

Instructions

1. Scrub the side door molding with deglosser applied to a damp sponge. This removes grime and sticky substances left by straying hands. Deglosser can work as a liquid sandpaper alternative. It removes the dirt and grime from the molding, but it also dulls any shine characteristics of the underlying paint. Use this only if you are battling heavily soiled molding.

2. Apply a coat of lemon oil with a small brush to the side door trim. This helps to dissolve the coating that is on the molding. Wipe the lemon oil off of the molding with a soft cloth to remove the oil and dirty residue. Lemon oil also removes unsightly scuff marks left by shoes on molding.

3. Add ¼ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of ammonia to 1 gallon of warm water. Dampen a sponge with the mixture and wipe the side door molding with it. This is a good maintenance cleaning solution. Clean the side door trim on a weekly or biweekly basis to maintain its shine and cleanliness.

References

• Boston Apartments: Cleaning Tips
• Home Tips: Cleaning Interior Woodwork and Trim
• House Painting Info: How to Paint Interior Trim