This post was updated on June 19, 2024
Hello, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior deck cleaning. My wood deck cleaning help tips are based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing. See here for more info about me.
Pro Deck Cleaning Tips for 2024
Thanks for stopping by Deckstainhelp.com! Below, I will discuss Deck Cleaning and offer some advice and tips I have been using for the past 30 years. Feel free to leave me a comment below with any pictures you may have.
Wood restoration can be among the most misunderstood and challenging projects for do-it-yourself homeowners. One thing to remember is that a new deck sealer will fail prematurely because the wood was not appropriately cleaned beforehand.
Scott’s 6 Deck Cleaning Tips Summarized
Follow these easy 6 steps in your deck cleaning to achieve maximum results for your wood prep.
- Why prep the deck?
- Deck cleaning materials needed.
- Choose your deck cleaner.
- Pressure wash at a low-pressure.
- Brighten the wood after cleaning.
- Ask me for deck cleaning help!
1. Always Clean Before Staining
When wood becomes weathered, it needs to be cleaned before sealing. Cleaning a wooden deck can be difficult for a homeowner who is uneducated about the process. Deck cleaners will save you time and make the process easier with less potential damage to the wood.
The primary purpose of deck cleaners is to remove contaminants such as dirt, oxidation (graying), mold, algae, and, in some cases, deteriorated stains that have failed. However, deck cleaners are not designed to remove old stains; you would need a deck stain stripper for this.
2. Materials Needed for Deck Cleaning
What products do you need for your wood deck cleaning? Gather your materials before you start so you do not have to make unneeded trips back to your local hardware store.
- 5-Gallon mixing bucket.
- Pump Sprayer for applying deck cleaner.
- Deck scrub brush to help agitate the cleaner
- Pressure Washer – Rated no higher than 3000 PSI
- Gloves, goggles, and masks.
- A Quality Deck Cleaner!
3. Review Deck Cleaners
Many deck cleaning solutions are on the market for 2024, but which deck wash will work well without damaging your wood? Over the last 30 years, I have done extensive research to find the best deck cleaners and compared the pros and cons of each type of cleaning product. Below is a quick summary of the top 4 Deck Cleaners and links to read.
My #1 Best Deck Cleaner | My #2 Best Deck Cleaner | My #3 Best Deck Cleaner | My Honorable Mention |
 |  |  |  |
From: $64.99 *Ships Free | From: $64.99 *Ships Free | From: $35.99 *Brightener Additional | From: $49.99 *Ships Free |
4. Deck Clean at a Low-Pressure Wash
Using a pressure washer can be an effective method. However, you must also use the proper cleaners to remove the dirt and grime in the wood. Most people make the mistake of using too much water pressure when using a pressure washer. Wood is pretty soft and can be damaged easily from excessive water pressure.
Turning the pressure down on the washing unit or switching to a spray nozzle with a larger orifice will provide a lower pressure suitable for cleaning. If you use a quality wood cleaner, lower pressure will still give you a deep clean. Wood cleaners break up dirt and debris, allowing less pressure to be adequate for cleaning the wood without risking damage.
5. Always Use a Brightener after Cleaning
Wood deck brighteners, also called deck neutralizers, are acid-based products that neutralize deck cleaners and help lower the pH level, making the wood neutral. This opens the wood pores and brightens the wood, bringing out the grain’s natural beauty. After cleaning, a simple application of deck brightener is all needed to complete the proper prep work for an outstanding stain finish that will last.
Most quality wood sealers are more effective and last longer when applied to a more acidic surface. It is highly recommended that you do not skip the brightening process after washing.
Staining the Deck Tips
After the wood has been cleaned and rinsed thoroughly, it must dry for a few days. You can check the wood with a moisture meter, but it isn’t necessary. You don’t want to apply a wood sealer to the deck until the moisture level is below 10%. If you don’t have a moisture meter, waiting a few days is usually adequate before sealing.
My Best Deck Cleaners Video
6. Questions on Deck Cleaning?
Are you still unsure how to prep your deck and what products to use? Please ask below if you still have questions. I am glad to assist you.
Two years ago I used TWP 100 stain on my cedar deck. It still looks decent (some fading here and there). I plan on reapplying TWP stain in spring 2023. Is there anything I should do this year to clean/maintain the deck/stain?
No, just leave as is until time to redo.
My current stain is peeling so fast you can almost see it happen.
1. State: Wisconsin
2. Full sun in the afternoon
3.cedar decking
4. no mold or mildew
5. stain peeling
6. Behr clear deck stain
Post a picture to help with how to remove. Once fully removed, use the TWP 100 Series or Armstrong Clark.
I recently stripped the stain off my porch with citrus strip , it only worked partially so I sanded the whole porch , it calls for a paint stripper wash followed by mineral spirits. Is there a safer way to do this I’m very scared of how flammable these are . I live in town and people smoke near my house .
Don’t do that. Clean and brighten for final prep instead: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-cleaner-system-review/
My deck is pressure treated wood that had a solid deck stain on it. It has been powerwashed and will be sanded with a drum sander due to damage. I have ordered the Flood Pro Series solid deck stain. Flood told me after sanding the deck, I should also use a deck cleaner, but I do not have time (guy is coming to sand this weekend) to wait for their cleaner to arrive.
Which deck cleaner would you suggest for this scenario?
Is a brightener also necessary if the deck is going to get a solid stain?
thank you!!
Location is Chicago
We have a 20 year old deck. We power washed it 2 years ago and applied sealer. 2 years later, it looks gray and old again and some mold on the wood that doesn't get direct sun near the house. Here is my question…We are thinking of sanding the deck. If we do this, in what order should we prep the deck:
step 1 : sand
Step 2: deck cleaners and brightener
step 3: let dry for 48 hours and seal it within 14 days of cleaning it.
Is this the proper order? Also, if it rains day or two before the 14 days mark, will this ruin the wood or will we have to start all over? thanks.
-Deck cleaner and pressure wash.
-Lightly sand to remove any splinters
-Apply a wood brightener and rinse deck well
Rain does not harm a prepped deck. Just make sure wood is dry and free of any debris before staining.
Nice post.
I have just finished using Restoradeck kit twice on my 5 month old large cedar deck. I bought the kit and AC stain from you. My deck now has areas of white possible chemical stains especially around knots.. I followed the instructions to the letter used lots of water to rinse. Deck looks great when wet but really light when dry. I sure don't want to sand and redo at this point because I'm running out of time to stain. What do you suggest?
Best regards
Sounds like you had a lot of exposed wood cells that had oxidized from the UV. This can happen when cleaning and is not related to the Rad product as the wood cells have to come off prior to sanding. See this for more info on this and how to fix: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring…
I have a trex deck with a wood-framed cable railing. The railing frame has begun to turn gray and acquire algae. I don't mind the gray, but I assume I need to clean and brighten the frame, then stain it in order to protect it from the weather. Because the wire railing is fragile, I don't want to use a pressure washer on the frame. Would you recommend using a simple brush to apply a product like Restore-A-Deck, and a hose to wash it off, or is a pressure washer necessary? Also, are you aware of any damage to trex if the product comes into contact with it?
Thank you in advance!
The cleaners should not harm the trex but you will need to spray on with a pump sprayer then light pressure wash or heavy scrub/rinse after the cleaner is applied.
How long after. Staining with a solid color stain can I put a sealer on it?
You cannot apply a sealer on top of a solid color stain.
We recently finished cleaning, sanding, and applying Thompson water seal to our 12 yr. old deck. It turned out great. This week we had a new patio and natural stone steps installed. Every thing is now covered in a thick layer of stone and paver dust. We have swept and hosed it off several times but soon as it dries, the film of dust reappears. Do you have any suggestions?
Try a deck cleaner to loosen up the sand dust so you can wash it off.
I live in Vernon British Columbia Canada. It's in the interior of BC. We get hot summers and cold winters. I have a new 10 month old deck, that has blue clay footprints on it. When this clay is dry it's like cement dust, when it's wet it's like a greasy clay. The deck is a hard wood deck, the wood is called Kaya. I was told to useTSP and water with a brush, then carefully pressure wash it. It did manage to get most of the dirt out, however the areas that had the most footprints still have the clay in the grain. I just managed to spread it around so you don't see the foot prints but the board still has the clay in it.
Do you have any suggestions for me?
Thanks
John, never heard of clay footprints. Have you tried a general degreaser cleaning solution. That may help. We have used concrete cleaner degreasers on wood for other things but with success.
What is the best method for cleaning railings/balusters/posts? Using the pump sprayer for the vertical balusters/posts is especially frustrating. Any other ideas?
Matt, pump spray on the cleaner then lightly pressure wash off.
Hi. We cleaned our treated wood deck with Restora Deck but it did not get out cherry stains that occurred before we could stain the deck for the first time. We did not put on the brightener thinking that we should try something else to get the stains out. Any ideas what to try? Oxalic acid wood bleach? Stain stripper? Should I try the brightener next?
Hi. We cleaned our treated wood deck with Restora Deck but it did not get out cherry stains that occurred before we could stain the deck for the first time. We did not put on the brightener thinking that we should try something else to get the stains out. Any ideas what to try? Oxalic acid wood bleach? Stain stripper? Should I try the brightener next?
Thanks.
BarbannT, I am not sure what will get out the cherry stains. The brightener contains some oxalic so you could try that. Stripper would not get it out.
I have cleaned my deck in Northern Virginia and frequent rain showers and our vacation have prevented me from staining it for nearly four weeks. Should I clean it again before staining, once I see a five day forecast that looks favorable for cleaning, drying, staining and stain drying (about five days of dry weather)?
Chris, I would do at least a light rinsing to get rid of any dirt and grim.
I keep reading conflicting information about the use of bleach as a cleaner to prep a deck. A guy I know who has being doing this type of work for about 10 years mixes 4 parts clorine bleach with 1 part Spic and Span to clean the wood before staining. He tells me he has never had a problerm with the stain peeling etc. What are your thoughts on this?
Larry, I am not a fan of bleach as it has been proven to breakdown the wood\’s lignin. I am sure an experienced contractor would minimize this with water and such so it may not have any damaging effect. In general though it never will clean as well as a good quality deck cleaner.