How Dirty Door and Window Tracks Impact Your Energy Bills

While growing up my father had a favorite saying:  “A clean ______ is a happy _______.”  He would use it all the time and fill in the blanks to suit his purposes.  A clean room is a happy room.  A clean bathroom is a happy bathroom.  A clean garage is a happy garage.  As you can imagine, for my brother and I, this got pretty old pretty quickly.

However, now that I’ve also crossed that line into the world of ‘grown up’ I see that my dad had a point.  And it’s not just because I get tired of tripping over wooden trains and random puzzle pieces.  There are some real benefits to keeping up with cleaning tasks, and some of the benefits may just surprise you.

For example, did you know that dirty window and sliding door tracks can increase your energy bills?

How Dirty Door and Window Tracks Impact Your Energy Bills

You heard me right.  When there is a build up of dirt and dust in your sliding window or door tracks, the door or window can’t be shut all the way–even if it appears to be.  This means your home is not as sealed up tight as you thought, and your air conditioned or heated air is slipping out through the cracks.

How to Clean Dirty Door and Window Tracks

If your sliding glass door or window tracks are looking a little gunky, or if you are having trouble sliding the door or window open and closed, that means it is time to break out a little bit of elbow grease.

Doityourself.com suggests first vacuuming out loose particles and debris and then scrubbing with a toothbrush and acetone.  Though you don’t have to pop out the whole door to do this, not doing so means you are only cleaning bits at a time.  Click here for full instructions.

Once your tracks are good as new, make sure to regularly vacuum them in order to keep them that way.

So, as my dad would say, a clean door and window track is a happy door and window track.

Looking for more HVAC advice?  Contact us at FLAME Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical!