Short answer: Use a spray lubricant made for garage doors, usually silicone or white lithium. Apply a light coat to the hinges, the bearings on steel rollers, the spring coils and the lock. Skip the tracks, skip heavy grease, and do not rely on a general-purpose cleaner spray as a lubricant. Wipe off any drips. If the door still grinds, jerks or bangs after that, it needs a professional, not more lubricant.
A squeaky garage door is often just a dry one. Lubricating the moving parts is one of the few garage door jobs most homeowners can do safely, as long as you use the right product, put it in the right places, and keep your hands off anything under tension.
Look for a spray lubricant labeled for garage doors. Most are silicone-based or white lithium-based. Both go on thin, get into hinges and bearings, and do not turn into a sticky mess the way heavy grease can. A spray with a thin straw makes it easier to hit small pivot points without soaking everything around them.
Squeaky hinges, rollers that sound dry, a spring that creaks as the door moves, or a door that is simply louder than it used to be. If the noise is a squeak or a squeal, lubrication is a good first step. If it is a grind, a pop or a bang, read the last section before you do anything else.
Plug the opener back in and run the door up and down a few times to work the lubricant in. Then wipe off any drips so they do not catch dirt or land on your car.
Many homeowners lubricate once or twice a year, and more often in dusty or damp garages. If your door is getting louder between times, that is a sign to look closer. A yearly tune-up includes lubricating all moving parts, so if you have one on the calendar, you may only need a touch-up in between. See what a tune-up checks.
Lubricant quiets squeaks. It does not fix worn or broken parts. If you still hear grinding, popping or banging, or the door moves unevenly, something else is going on. Grinding often points to worn rollers. Popping or a loud bang can mean a spring problem. Our guide to garage door noises walks through each sound.
Safety note: springs and cables hold a lot of tension. Spraying them is fine. Adjusting, tightening or removing anything connected to them is a job for a professional.
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A spray lubricant labeled for garage doors, usually silicone or white lithium. It goes on thin and does not collect dirt the way heavy grease does.
No. Rollers should roll, not slide. Lubricant on the tracks collects grime. Keep the tracks clean and lubricate the hinges and roller bearings instead.
It can help loosen old buildup, but many of those sprays are made to clean, not to lubricate for long. Follow up with a lubricant made for garage doors.
Many homeowners do it once or twice a year, more often in dusty or damp garages. A yearly tune-up includes lubrication of all moving parts.