How to Clean a Deck
DEAR TIM: I am having a spirited debate with my husband about how to clean a deck. Deck cleaning doesn't seem that hard, but my husband wants to use a pressure washer thinking it will save time. I want to use a green cleaner that is non-toxic and environmentally safe. What is the proper way to clean a deck and keep it looking nice? Lisa T., Burlington, NC
DEAR LISA: Cleaning a backyard deck is not supposed to create marital strife. In this instance, I think you and your husband might be able to reach a compromise that allows each of you to clean the deck in the manner you see fit. I have cleaned countless decks, and there are pros and cons to each of the methods you mention.
Let's talk about pressure washers. These tools are extremely popular that appeal to homeowners. Pressure washers are like shoes - they come in all different sizes and the end of the spray wand can be equipped with different tips that concentrate the high-pressure stream of water. The stream of water that is thrust from the tip of the wand mechanically agitates the surface of whatever it strikes. This is what cleans.
Professional deck cleaners argue with me that this only happens when an inexperienced user is working with the tool, the pressure was too great, the tip used at the end of the wand produced a stream of water that is too harsh and/or the tip is held too closely to the wood surface.
If you decide to use a pressure washer, then you better test it or have the professional prove to you they can use the tool and not damage the wood. If you are really interested in making your deck-cleaning project a green-cleaning activity, you should give serious consideration to the secondary effects gasoline or electric-powered machines have on our environment.
I am a big proponent of non-toxic cleaners. The older I get, I have this sneaking suspicion that certain chemicals we encounter in everyday products are responsible for many health issues. I am not a doctor, but common sense tells me that harsh chemicals are not processed well by our bodies.
Years ago, I discovered that there are different types of bleaches - one of them being oxygen bleach. Many people think bleach is bleach, but the bleach found in most homes is chlorine bleach. The active ingredient in chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Check the label of many bleaches or deck cleaners, and you might see this chemical name.
Oxygen bleach is a powerful cleaner that is just about as green as you can be. It is commonly available as a powder. The chemical makeup of the purest oxygen bleach is simply hydrogen peroxide and soda ash. When you mix this type of oxygen bleach with water to make a deck-cleaning solution, all you create is more water, oxygen and soda ash.
The oxygen bubbles in the solution do most of the work done by the pressure washer. The solution soaks into the dry wood and the oxygen ions deep clean the wood by breaking apart dirt, algae and mildew molecules. The solution is not toxic to you nor any of the plants, bushes or trees around your deck. You can't say that about chlorine bleach.
But the con about using a green cleaner is time and elbow grease. You will have to do some additional mechanical agitation using a scrub brush on a pole to get your deck squeaky clean. However, you will be pleased to discover the wood will not be fuzzy, and there will be hardly any erosion of the soft spring wood.
My advice to you is to use oxygen bleach to clean the deck and have your husband help you with the scrub brush. If he must use his pressure washer, have him insert the 35-degree tip and just use the machine to do the final rinse. But if I was your helper, I would simply use a garden hose with a regular nozzle.
There are many different oxygen-bleach products on the market. You can see them on TV informercials, in warehouse stores, in grocery stores and from online marketers. As you might expect, there is a big difference in quality. The less-expensive oxygen-bleach products often contain less of the active ingredient, and they use an active ingredient that might contain impurities or inorganic chemicals.
The purest oxygen bleach is made from raw materials that are food-grade organic chemicals. You can't get any greener or purer than that.
Years ago, when I first learned about oxygen bleach, I studied it in great detail as it fascinated me. I never liked the harsh characteristics of chlorine bleach. The more my wife and I studied and tested the oxygen bleach, the more we liked it. So much so that we use it to clean anything water-washable around our home. Furthermore, I felt so confident of its appeal, I started my own little company to sell the highest-quality oxygen bleach. Full disclosure and transparency is required in today's world, so you need to know that I am both a believer and a seller of this amazing product.
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from Tim: Years ago while researching a column about cleaning decks, I discovered the wonders of Oxygen Bleach. It is perhaps the 'greenest' cleaner I know of as it uses oxygen ions to break apart stains, dirt and odor molecules. There are no harsh chemicals, and it works on just about anything that is water washable. I decided to create my own special blend using ingredients made in the USA. In fact, the raw materials in the active ingredient are food-grade quality registered with the FDA. I call my product Stain Solver. I urge you to use it to help with cleaning your wood deck. You will be amazed at the results! |
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DAVID GETSY 19 May 2008, 11:03
WE HAVE A LATEX STAIN ON OUR DECK.
MY WIFE WANTS IT OFF WHAT CAN I USE TO DO THE JOB. THANKS
susan 24 May 2008, 14:21
I am interested in all steps of cleaning and stripping a deck. Is it
absolutely necessary to strip the deck when only a stain has been used on
the deck?
Brian 28 May 2008, 06:33
Dear Tim,
I was excited to read your article regarding green cleaning for decks. I am a couple of questions I hope you can answer. First, you said that the oxygen bleach was safe for plants, bushes & trees but is it safe for the fish in my attached ornamental fish pond? Secondly, I stained my deck with a tint three years ago and I have been hoping ever since that the stain would eventually wear away so I can re-stain it a different color. It hasn't worn away much but I would like to re-stain it this month. Will a new tinted stain be absorbed into the woood over top of the existing stain and adhere jsut as if it were the orginal stain? If not, will the green cleaning or pressure washing actually remove the old stain such that a new stain can be applied? Thanks for your help.
Brian 16 Jun 2008, 00:11
Tim,
I had a cedar deck built on y home in October 2007. At the time it was already too cold in Minnesota to stain it so I waited until this spring to do the chore. Enough winter grime had set in so I cleaned it using oxygen bleach and a stiff brush attached to my garden hose. Problem is though that my deck now resembles exactly what you describe as the problem with most pressure washed decks. The wood, which was formerly smooth and beutiful (execpt the high traffic areas that had some dirt) is now ruff and fuzzy. Can you give me any advice on what I may have done wrong and how I might solve this problem? Can I scrub it awy or will that only worsen it? Is my only option sanding?
Bernie Noonan 24 Jun 2008, 13:43
Tim,
Stain solver sounds great. I'd like to use it on my pressure treated deck. It was cleaned and stained a cedar color three years ago. Will I have the same problem as Brian with the cedar deck (the deck being rough and fuzzy)?
Richard 28 Jul 2008, 08:38
You recommend the oxygen bleach for a cedar deck. However, I read that it
will remove the stain. Will I have to restain it after it dries? (Only
the floor and top rails, that are parallel to the ground, need cleaning.)
Robin 15 Sep 2008, 15:05
I recently restained some furniture on my deck. Unfortunately, there was a
hole in my plastic cover and some of the dark colored stain leaked through.
Is there a way I can remove the spots of stain from my deck without sanding
and refinishing the entire deck?
Kurt Richter @ Clearwater Construction 11 Mar 2009, 11:15
Dear Tim,
I have a customer with a house that costs approximately $10 million and was built 2-3 years ago. It has a horizontal wood siding that was left unfinished natural wood and oiled. It has since gotten stained and needs a cleaning. I read about your product StainSolver and intend to purchase it. This will be a hand cleaning job. My question is that the customer wants to have the wood oiled afterwards - what product would you use? Yours truly, Kurt @ Clearwater
diane ellis 21 Apr 2009, 07:06
i have just cleaned my deck and put on wicks decking stain it looked
great!!!!!!! untill i put another coat on it all seperated and dried spotty
it now looks terrible im gutted please help what do you suggest
thanks
dorothy duke 03 May 2009, 16:14
Have you heard of Cretowood that hardens the wood? Would you recommend
using it before cleaning and staining to protect our deck from rot?
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