This post was updated on January 30, 2023
Citralic Brightener Review
Our Woodrich Brand 2lb Citralic Wood Brightener & Neutralizer covers up to 750 square feet of wood. Citralic is a specifically formulated blend of acids and surfactant that was designed to neutralize and brighten wood quickly, without the unwanted bleaching or damage to the wood. This step in a professional wood restoration achieves that like-new look of fresh-cut wood.
Citralic Wood Brightener Scores (1-10)
Wood Brightening/Lightening: 8
– We used the Citralic Wood Brightener on a fence that was cleaned first with its sister product, EFC-38. The Citralic brightener lightened the wood within 5-10 minutes of application.
Cost Per Square Foot: 8
– The Citralic brightener was applied to 700 feet of fencing. One 2 pound container covered this entire area.
Ease of Application: 6
– Citralic is a powder concentrate that mixes with water at 6 oz. per gallon. The powder dissolves easily into the water and the applies well with a garden sprayer. We would have given it a higher square if it was easier to get the powder out of the container. It was slightly “sticky and hardened at the top.
Overall: 7.5
– Citralic is a decent and cost-effective wood brightener.
Product Information:
Where To Buy: Online Only
Product Type: Concentrated Powdered Wood Brightener. Citric/Oxalic Acid Mixture.
Available Sizes: 2 Pound Concentrate. Makes 5 Liquid Gallons
Application Temperature: 40-100 F
Coverage Per Gallon: 200 sq. ft
Application Tools: Pump Sprayer
Manufacturer: Extreme Solutions
Test Fence Stats:
Fence Wood Type: Cedar
Fence Square Footage: 1000
The condition of Fence: The fence was cleaned first with EFC-38 Wood Deck Cleaner
How Much Product Used: 2 Pound Container. Retails for $29.99
*All products tested and results are from our experience. We offer no guarantee of similar results. Take into consideration that results may differ due to different wood types, exposure to UV radiation, and natural weathering.
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As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
Once the citralic is mixed, how long will the solution be viable?
40 year old redwood deck in a high uv environmet (6800 feet elevation) clear NM sunshine, very dry.
never been sealed. Can I sand it with a circular sander like a floor polisher.
What do I preserve it with and still see some of the beauty of redwood.
No need to sand, just clean and brighten for the prep. Stain with TWP stains or Armstrong Clark.
Does anyone make a deck brightener for COMPOSITE DECKING. Mine is looking really dull???????????????????????????
You cannot brighten a composite deck.
I started staining old worn barn siding on my house with a transparent stain. I do not like the color of the stain. I tried a stain stripper and power washed it. The color lightened but far from the worn light tan I started with. Is there anything I can do to removed the color (or most of it) and start over?
Did you brighten after the stripping?
We are about to stain our 1 year old new construction cedar deck that turned gray. It has never been stained before and has had very little traffic. It does not have any dirt or mold or mildew stains. Can we just brighten without cleaning with a wood cleaner?
No you need both the cleaner and the brightener for prep. You need to remove the gray and the brightener will not do that.
I cleaned and scrubbed my old cedar deck.Can I still use a brightener even though it has been days and deck is dry. How would I go about doing that, should I wet deck first and then apply brightener?
Mike, yes you can use the brightener. Wet the deck first, apply, wait 15 minutes and rinse.
Hi – I'm tackling my parents deck. We're sanding it down. Do I still need to use a cleaner, or just a brightener? It's redwood in a very dry climate.
Stefanie, you should clean and brighten after sanding to allow the stain to penetrate better into the wood.
[…] The fence was restored to like new condition. EFC-38 does need to be neutralized with the Citralic Wood Brightener. It is normal to neutralize wood deck cleaners and the final appearance was excellent for an […]