When cleaning or performing routine maintenance on your home, there's one aspect that is often overlooked: your garage door. Your garage door supplies you with protection from the weather and would-be thieves; why not pay it forward by making sure that your garage door is in good working order? Throughout the course of this brief guide, you'll learn about just a few ways you can ensure that your garage door is in good working order for years to come.

Cleaning the Door

The easiest thing that you can do for your garage door is to give it a good, rigorous scrub down. It's also not very time consuming. Simply fill up a five gallon bucket full of water and add a splash of detergent to it. Using an old cloth or rag, soak up some of the solution and simply go to town on the exterior of your garage door. After the scrub down, take your garden hose and rinse off the solution and any excess grime you might have missed on your first go-around. Move to the inside and simply wipe down the interior with a dry cloth or old towel. Using a broom, get rid of any cobwebs or dust in hard-to-reach spots.

Inspecting the Springs

Perhaps the most important aspect of maintaining your garage door is ensuring that it is safe. A monthly safety check is recommended for those who regularly use their garage doors. The thing that you should be most concerned with is the state of your garage door's springs. The springs are located in one of two spots on your garage door: either above the door itself or mounted above the rollers. Check for signs of wear, like rust or other forms of damage on the spring. Springs that are not in good working condition can wind up popping out of place or breaking, which can cause the spring to fly out of its spot, sometimes at a high, dangerous velocity -- or it can cause the garage door to fall.

Lubricating the Door

Lubricating your door will ensure that it opens smoothly and properly. Take the time to apply lubricant to your hinges, springs and bearings with a non-silicone-based lube. Rollers are a bit different. Metal rollers tend to require lubrication throughout their construct, while nylon-based rollers demand that you only have to lubricate the bearings. Lubrication instructions differ from garage door model to garage door model. Specific instructions are generally included with your garage door's manual. Resources like http://www.702garagedoors.com can help you learn more about your garage door.