Cleaning a Wood Deck

Your deck is a great place for friends and family to gather in your home. However, the elements and general use means you will need to clean on occasion. This is a guide about cleaning a wood deck.

Solutions: Cleaning a Wood Deck

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Cleaning a Wood Deck

I use about 1/4 cup of dishwasher soap in a bucket of water as deck wash. I scrub with a push broom, then rinse really well. The deck comes out very clean without the cost of deck wash.

By Kathleen from Reno, NV

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I have been a waterman for 60 years and didn't like to pay for expensive cleaning solutions for teak decks. The solution is to just wet down the deck with a hose and use household ammonia. Let stand a few minutes, don't let it dry out and wash off. Use a soft brush so as not to remove the soft grain. Good luck.

Source: a fellow waterman

By Bill from Hobe Sound, FL

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Questions

Here are questions related to Cleaning a Wood Deck.

Cleaning Mildew and Paint Stains on Deck

We are cleaning mildew and paint stains off a deck that has aluminum under the deck ceiling system to keep the patio below dry from rain. What kind of recipe or product will do this without damaging the aluminum under deck?

By ken

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Cleaning Wooden Deck Cracks

How do you clean the cracks in your wooden deck? The boards on my deck are a little too close together and SO MUCH gunk gets stuck between them. I tried using a screw drivers to scrap it all out and I also used the high power nozzle on the end of the hose to shoot it out with water, but neither technique works all that well. Any ideas?

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Most Recent Answer

By Superna (Guest Post)05/24/2008

I haven't tried this myself yet, but have heard it works pretty well: screw a cuphook onto the tip of a wooden broom handle, use the hook to scrape the junk out from between the boards, then just sweep it up.

Cleaning Mildew and Paint Stains on Deck

View of upper deck and patio below. We are cleaning mildew and paint stains off a deck that has aluminum under the deck ceiling system to keep the patio below dry from rain. What kind of recipe or product will do this without damaging the aluminum under deck?

By ken

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Cleaning a Wood Deck

Was just wondering if anyone knew any thrifty way to clean a wood deck? Hopefully I can get rid of some of that grey color and brighten it up. Thanks in advance.

Suzanne

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

Use bleach to clean the deck and using a sprayer to put it on makes it easier. Let it sit for a bit and then wash off. It will be like new. (04/30/2005)

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

Now this is just a thought, an online friend said she did this and it worked, so I'm just taking her word for it. She bought a small can of stain (comes in various colors) at the hardware store, she let it soak in after she applied it with a sponge mop. Then she put two coats of varnish on it, again with a sponge mop and she said it's easier to maintain now. (05/02/2005)

By MrsMoted2

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

My son-in-law used a power sprayer, a very forceful one and the deck looked new. I have no idea what they cost, but you could probably rent one for a day at an equipment rental place. (05/02/2005)

By Beverly in TN

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

First you need to wash it with wood soap and then stain it to protect the wood. (05/03/2005)

By Suzie

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

The Olympic brand deck cleaner does have bleach in it, but I am unsure of the ratio. Do not put straight bleach on your deck unless you want a white deck. (06/21/2005)

By Vball

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

Rent a powerwasher, but don't over do it were the wood might be splintering. (08/23/2006)

Cleaning a Wood Deck

Can you use Dawn to wash off your deck? My deck smells like cats. Is it safe to use outdoors? Will it harm plants?

By Anarene from Topeka, KS

RE: Cleaning a Wood Deck

Dawn is just dish soap with some ammonia in it. That is why is does a better job of cleaning than other dish soaps. It is safe to use outdoors and shouldn't harm plants if you are using it in water, which I assume you are doing. I am not sure if it will get rid of cat urine smell if it is soaked into wood.

I use Mr. Clean citrus to wash off any areas on my house which might have been sprayed by stay tom cats. I sometimes use it full strength as the smell of it discourages the cats. My house is stucco and brick, so absorption is not a problem. (04/23/2010)

By louel53