How to clean window tracks, grilles and sliding doors

To clean window tracks and sliding door rails, vacuum out the loose dust and grit first, then pour in a little warm soapy water to loosen what is stuck. Scrub along the track and into the corners with a detail brush or old toothbrush, wipe it out with a cloth, and dry it completely. Clean the grilles and the glass after the tracks, so drips from the tracks do not land on clean glass.

In Singapore homes, tracks fill up fast. Dust blows in from open windows, rain carries grime into the bottom rail, and the humidity keeps it all damp. This guide covers tracks, grilles and sliding doors step by step, along with how to stay safe on a high floor. Tracks, grilles and inside glass are also covered on a regular home cleaning visit, always from inside the home.

Safety first on a high floor

Window cleaning in high-rise homes is where accidents happen, so set the rules before you start.

• Clean only from inside the home. Do the inside of the glass, the grilles, the sills and the tracks you can reach while standing on the floor.
• Never lean out of a window, sit on a ledge or climb onto a sill.
• Keep children and pets away from open windows while you work.
• Use a stable step stool for the top of a tall window, never a chair.
• Close the window when you finish.

The outside of high-rise windows is work at height and is not a job for a home cleaner or a resident. Our guide to window cleaning safety in HDB flats and condos explains the rules and what to do instead.

How to clean window and sliding door tracks

What you need

• A vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool
• A detail brush, or an old toothbrush
• Warm water with a little dishwashing liquid, in a spray bottle or small jug
• Microfibre cloths, one damp and one dry
• A flat tool, such as a butter knife or a plastic scraper, to push a cloth into tight corners
• A window squeegee for the glass

The steps

1. Open the window or door fully so the whole track is exposed.
2. Vacuum the loose dirt. Use the crevice tool along the length of the track and into each corner. Do this dry; water turns dust into mud.
3. Loosen the grime. Spray or pour a little warm soapy water into the track and leave it for five minutes.
4. Scrub. Work along the track with the detail brush, paying attention to the corners and the drainage holes, where dirt packs in.
5. Wipe it out. Wrap a damp cloth around the flat tool and run it along the track to lift the loosened grime. Rinse the cloth and repeat until it comes away clean.
6. Clear the drainage holes. Many window frames have small weep holes that let rainwater drain out. Push a cotton bud or pipe cleaner through them gently so they do not block.
7. Dry completely. Run a dry cloth along the track. Damp left in the corners grows mould.
8. Slide the window or door back and forth a few times to check it runs smoothly.

Grilles and glass

Window grilles

Grilles on HDB and older condo windows catch dust on every bar.

• Dust first with a dry microfibre cloth or a soft brush, working from the top down.
• Wipe with a damp cloth, wrapping it around each bar so you clean all sides at once.
• For sticky grime, add a little dishwashing liquid to the water, then go over the bars again with a clean damp cloth.
• Dry them, especially painted metal, to stop rust spots.

The glass, from inside

Clean the glass last, after the tracks and grilles.

1. Wipe away dust with a dry cloth.
2. Spray or wipe with warm soapy water or a glass cleaner.
3. Squeegee from top to bottom, wiping the blade after each stroke.
4. Dry the edges and the frame with a dry cloth.
5. Buff any streaks with a dry microfibre cloth.

Clean glass out of direct sunlight if you can. Sun dries the cleaner before you can wipe it off and leaves streaks.

How often to clean them

Homes facing a main road or a construction site collect dust faster. After a spell of haze, wipe the sills and tracks before you open the windows wide again; our guide to protecting your home from haze covers this.

When to bring in help

Tracks and grilles are slow, fiddly work, and they are usually the first thing skipped in a busy week. A regular home cleaning visit includes the grilles, sills, tracks and inside glass that can be reached safely from inside. They never get bad enough to need an afternoon.

How it works with HomeMaster

Windows appear in several areas of the written 75-point standard our cleaners work to:

• Living room: window grilles and sills free of dust and stains
• Bedrooms: sliding door and window glass, rails, and curtains or blinds
• Balcony: glass streak-free under direct light, rails and tracks free of dust and debris

You can see every point on our home cleaning checklist.

Your cleaner brings a window squeegee and a detail brush set for grout and window tracks. Our cleaners work from inside the home and from floor level, never outside a high-rise window. If tracks have not been cleaned in a long time, tell Helen, our AI assistant on WhatsApp, when you book so there is time for them.