Tricks for cleaning sliding glass doors, when you have small children. As amazingly beautiful a sliding glass door can be, if there are fingerprints covering it, then an eye sore it can become.

So how can you prevent, minimize, or protect your sliding glass door from being a negative feature in your homes décor? Check out some of these ideas and see if they help. 

Start by choosing a protective, and accenting covering for your sliding glass doors. This will not only act as a bit of a deterrent for the fingerprints, but it will also create a bit of ambiance to the room.

The two things you will want to consider when you are looking at these different types of window coverings are how much traffic that the door will receive and how much light do you want to have come through that sliding glass door area. The covering you choose can also be something that is a focal point in a room or it can be something that takes from the overall area. So you will want to choose a cover that will accent the overall ambiance of the room.

Here are some ideas for coverings that will protect and keep the windows clean.

Vertical blinds or a soft Japanese screen works well.You can also use a type of curtain to cover the area.Swag is a light way to keep light coming in through the window.You can use standard shades also.

Other than covering the sliding glass doors to keep them clean, you will also want to use a few different cleaning options to remove the dirt, grime and fingerprints. Here are a couple ideas.

Cleaning supplies you will probably need.

A small scrub brush, one about the size of your kitchen scrubber should work.A good ammonia or alcohol based window cleanerA squeegeeA soft, absorbent white ragsA non-abrasive multi-purpose cleanerA spongeA small broomA waterproof sliding track lubricantA vacuum with nozzle for small areasStart always at the top of the sliding glass door. The top of the door frame is going to be the best place to wipe the dirt first. This way if there is dust, dirt, cobwebs etc, they will fall down on a door that is already still dirty.

Then wipe around the remaining part of the doorframe.

Now you can use your brush and non-abrasive cleaner to clean the areas around the trim that are going to need more than the soft clothe and window cleaner.

Next spray the window cleaner from the top of the sliding glass door, down to the bottom. Then wipe in the same way, from the top to the bottom of the glass door. If there are tough spots that do not want to come off, you can use the sponge or even if needed a small razor blade.

Then you can use the squeegee to remove all of the access liquid. Moving from the top of the door to the bottom.

Now you can wipe the remaining window cleaner from the bottom of the door. Then use the cloth to wipe the track that thesliding door sits in. If there is a great deal of dirt along the track, use the small broom and the vacuum to remove the dirt.

Finally use the waterproof sliding door sealant to make sure the sliding glass door moves freely. This way when little hands want to open the door, they will be less likely to have to use both hands on the glass to move the door. The handle should be able to be the leverage needed to open the door.

Now of course the sliding glass doors will get fingerprints again. However, these are some ways to prevent them, and the ways to keep them clean.