Looking After Aluminium Windows and Doors

12 August 2026

The short answer: aluminium needs very little. Wash the frames a few times a year, keep the tracks and drainage holes clear, and lubricate the moving parts. That is genuinely the whole routine, and it takes about twenty minutes per door.

What wears on any window or door is not the frame. It is the moving parts: rollers, hinges, gaskets and locks. Almost everything below is about looking after those, because that is what determines whether a door still runs sweetly in fifteen years.

How do I clean aluminium frames?

Warm water, a little mild washing-up liquid, a soft cloth, then rinse and dry. Two or three times a year is plenty for most properties, more if you are on a busy road or near the coast.

What to avoid matters more than what to use:

No abrasive creams, scouring pads or wire wool. Powder coating is a surface finish and scratches are permanent.
No solvents such as white spirit, acetone or cellulose thinners.
No pressure washers on frames or seals. They drive water past gaskets and into places drainage was not designed for.

If something stubborn will not shift with soapy water, ask us before reaching for anything stronger.

What is the single most important job?

Keeping the bottom track and the drainage holes clear. This is the one that actually prevents faults.

Sliding and bi-fold doors run on a track at floor level, which is exactly where grit, leaves and pet hair collect. Grit in a track is an abrasive under load every time the door moves, and it is the most common cause of a door becoming stiff or noisy. Vacuum the track out, then wipe it. Little and often beats an annual deep clean.

The drainage slots along the bottom of the frame let out water that gets past the outer seal, which is normal and by design. Blocked slots mean water sits in the frame instead of leaving it. Check they are clear when you clean the track.

Do the moving parts need lubricating?

Yes, and it is the job most often skipped. Hinges, rollers and locking mechanisms should be lubricated periodically. Use the lubricant the manufacturer specifies for your system, applied sparingly to the moving parts rather than sprayed over everything, because excess lubricant collects dust and makes the problem worse.

The gaskets, the rubber seals around the glass and frame, want to stay supple. Keeping them clean is usually enough. If a seal is perished, cracked or has come out of its channel, that is a repair rather than a maintenance job.

How often should I do all this?

Job	How often
Wash frames and glass	Two or three times a year
Clear tracks and drainage slots	Every few months, more in autumn
Lubricate hinges, rollers and locks	Once or twice a year
Check seals and operation	Once a year

Autumn is the one to be deliberate about, because leaves are what block drainage.

Does living near the coast change anything?

Yes. Salt-laden air is more aggressive on any external finish, so if you are in Eastbourne, Seaford, Newhaven or anywhere with genuine sea exposure, wash the frames more often. Rinsing salt off is doing most of the work. It is worth mentioning your exposure when you order, because finish options can be specified with that in mind.

What are the warning signs worth acting on?

The door is getting harder to operate. Usually a track needing cleaning, sometimes an adjustment. Easy now, expensive if ignored until something wears.
A draught that was not there before. Usually a gasket or an adjustment, occasionally a dropped panel.
Water sitting inside the bottom frame. Blocked drainage slots.
Misting between the panes of glass. The sealed unit has failed. The unit is replaced; the frame and door are fine.
A lock needing force. Stop forcing it. Locking mechanisms usually give warning before they fail, and a mechanism replaced early is a much smaller job than one that has seized shut.

Common questions

Do aluminium windows need painting?

No. The colour is a powder-coated finish bonded to the metal, not a paint layer that needs refreshing. Aluminium does not rot, warp or rust in the way timber or steel can.

Can I use a pressure washer on the frames?

Better not to. It can force water past seals and damage gaskets. Warm soapy water and a soft cloth does the job without the risk.

What causes misting between the panes?

The seal around the double-glazed unit has failed and let moisture in. It cannot be cleaned, because the moisture is inside a sealed unit. The glass unit is replaced while the frame and hardware stay.

Does maintenance affect my guarantee?

Guarantee terms vary by system and by component, and some require reasonable maintenance. The terms that apply to your installation are set out on your paperwork, so check there rather than assuming, and ask us if anything is unclear.

If something is not working properly

Most stiffness and draught problems are adjustments rather than failures, and they are much cheaper caught early. If a door is not operating as it did, get in touch or call 01293 226523.