A deck is surely a great addition to complete your outdoor living space. It can become a fun area for everyone to gather around. You can simply have some relaxing time or even hold a great outdoor party.
As an outdoor feature, you definitely have to maintain a deck on a regular basis. The harsh weather condition and the debris are the main factors that may damage the deck.
Here, we share with you a simple tutorial on how to clean a deck that you can follow easily.
How to Clean a Deck
Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash
Prepare these supplies:
- Oxygen bleach
- Dish soap
- Warm water
- Deck cleaner, optional
- Broom
- Rake
- Scraper
- Stiff-bristled brush
- Garden hose
- Bucket
Follow these steps:
Prepare the area
Before you start everything, remove all the pieces of furniture, decor item, and appliances. Those bistro sets, potted plants, grills, and other decor items may get in the way while you are thoroughly cleaning the deck.
If you find the bushes and trees around your deck, you might want to trim the first before dealing with the deck.
Clean the debris
Use a rake if your deck is littered with leaves and other big debris. Once they are gone, sweep the area with a sturdy broom. If you notice some loose paint, use a paint scraper to remove it.
Rinse the dirt
Rinse the dirt and grime by using your garden hose. If you have a pressure washer, that would be great, just makes sure that you read the instructions on how to use the washer.
You can firstly pay more attention to the soiled areas by heavily showering them with the distance between the nozzle and the wood surface around a few feet. Once the soils are completely removed, you can take a step back and spray the broader area to clean the remaining loose debris.
Wash it up
Prepare a bucket, and mix a gallon of warm water, a cup of dish soap, and 3/4 cup of natural oxygen bleach thoroughly. You can adjust the amount of bleach and dish soap depending on how dirty your deck is. Apply your DIY cleaning solution throughout your deck with a stiff bristle brush.
As an alternative to the DIY cleaning solution above, you can also use a commercial deck cleaner. Keep in mind to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to keep everything safe. If your deck is surrounded by some greeneries, you might want to check whether the cleaner is safe for the natural environment.
Final rinse everything
Rinse away the soapy residue with your garden hose or pressure washer and let your deck dry. Once it’s dry, you should see your deck look like a new one.
(Read also: How to Clean Scratches from Leather Sofa in 4 Easy Steps)
How often you should clean your deck?
There are some factors that determine how often you should clean your deck which mainly include your location, weather, and the landscaping around. Keeping the surrounding environment of your deck clean is important to avoid the algae, mildew, and mold to accumulate around the deck.
