If this is the year you’re going to restore and refinish your deck, then the first step you’re going to need to take is cleaning it. As many people are becoming more environmentally conscious with their shopping habits, you may wish to avoid some of the more common chemical-based deck cleaners. If this is something you’re interested in doing, then it’s important for you to become familiar with some products that will allow you to effectively clean your deck without having a negative effect on the environment. Consider, for example, the effects that traditional cleaners like sodium hypochlorite and TSP can have, releasing phosphates into natural waterways.
With this in mind, here’s a quick overview of some eco-friendly deck cleaning products in Seattle, WA that you can use on wood and composite decking:
- Baking soda: Mix a gallon of water and a cup of baking soda, stirring up the solution until the baking soda is completely dissolved. You can then use a scrub brush or broom brush to thoroughly scrub the deck with the mixture before you rinse it clean with water. This is a very effective eco-friendly deck treatment, as well as one that will barely cost you anything at all—chances are you already have baking soda in your home, and even if not, the cost is negligible.
- Vinegar: Another extremely inexpensive and environmentally friendly cleaning option, white vinegar has degreasing power and anti-mold and mildew properties. Mix up one part water with one part vinegar and spray it on to your deck with a pump sprayer or hand sprayer, much as you would with a chemical-based deck cleaner. You can purchase a pump sprayer in the home and garden section of any hardware store. You can also add a teaspoon of mild dish soap along with two gallons of the solution to add some additional cleaning power.
- Oxygen bleach: Oxyclean® is one company that creates an oxygen bleach cleaner, and these types of products are not just environmentally friendly—they are also highly versatile. Yes, you can use Oxyclean® on your deck. Simply mix up a cup of the cleaner with a gallon of water, then begin applying it to your deck, and scrub with your scrub brush. The cleaner works on a variety of stains and debris and will not bleach the wood. You can do the same with hydrogen peroxide—it will bubble up as it eats away the dirt and grime, and then you can easily wash it away.
- Pressure washer: Pressure washers usually serve as a complement to deck cleaners. They are an efficient way of removing peeling finishes before you sand the deck or really attack the deck with cleaning products. Just make sure you hold the pressure washer nozzle at a reasonable distance and angle from the wood so as not to gouge it. While pressure washers do typically run on gasoline, the actual material that gets put on your deck is only water, making it environmentally friendly in that sense.
For more information and tips about the most eco-friendly deck cleaning products in Seattle, WA that you can use when cleaning a wood or composite deck, we encourage you to contact the team at Stewart Lumber & Hardware Co. today.