Outdoor decks are great to have, not only can you use them for entertaining but they’re also a great spot to relax in. Like all exterior structures or parts of your home, they do get dirty eventually. If left without any maintenance, your deck can come old and weathered over time. To ensure that your deck continues to look great, you need to clean it at least once a year and protect it with the right sealer.
If you’d like to make sure that your deck is sparkling clean, be sure to choose a deck cleaner that’s suited to the material of your deck. Not sure where to start? We’re here to help. Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the best deck cleaners that we’ve found. Before that, we’ll provide some tips on cleaning your deck and answer some frequently asked questions.
Top Picks
Best For: All Surfaces – Star Brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner
Whether your deck is made of fiberglass, vinyl, plastic or rubber, this deck cleaner has you covered.
Best For: Wooden Decks – Complete Wood Cleaner & Wood Brightening Kit
This is a great deck cleaner for wooden decks and will help with restoring most wood surfaces.
Best For: Decks with mold and mildew – Wet and Forget Moss
Have mold and mildew on your deck? No worries, this deck cleaner will get rid of it in no time at all.
Best For: Pressure Washers – Simple Green Oxy Solve Deck
If you’ve got a pressure washer in your home, this deck cleaner will do marvelously with lifting away grimes, oils, stains, grease and more.
Best For: Stains – RMR-86 Instant Mold and Mildew Stain Remove Spray
Have stains on your deck? This deck cleaner will get rid of any stubborn mold and mildew stains that you may have.
Why is it important to keep your deck clean?
Nobody wants to relax and unwind on a dirty deck. If you don’t clean your deck regularly, permanent stains can develop and you’ll end up with cracked wood and in some instances, even mildew and mould. As your outdoor deck is exposed to a variety of weather conditions such as sunlight and rain, it’s important that you take care of it properly.
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If you don’t regularly maintain your deck, it can also become dangerous. The wood on your deck could start to rot, and you could end up tripping or falling into a spot of rotted wood.
Tips for Cleaning Your Deck
New to cleaning your deck? Here are some tips to get started.
Regularly wash and clean your deck
It’s important that you clean your deck at least once a year to have proper upkeep of your outdoor space. If you let leaves and dirt sit on your deck for extended periods of time, it could result in discoloration, mould and rotting. To start, you should always sweep any visible debris and dirt away from your deck. Then, go ahead and use a good deck cleaner to scrub your deck’s surface. For more thorough cleans, you can consider using oxygen bleach on your deck.
Different decks need different cleaners
Deck cleaners are great for your deck as they’ll not only remove stains, mold, mildew and grease but they’re also specially formulated for certain materials. Here’s some insight into the different deck cleaners that you can use for your deck type.
Wooden Decks
If you’ve got a dirty wooden deck, go ahead and use an all-purpose wood deck cleaner. You can use this for cedar, tweak or even redwood. You can apply these cleaners with either a sprayer or a decker brush, spread it evenly and rinse it with a garden hose.
Related: These Wood Deck Tiles are Absolutely Stunning On Your Patio
Dull Wooden Decks
Got a dull wooden deck? Why not consider getting a cleaner that has brightening or restorative qualities? These cleaners usually come with oxygenated components that will help with lightening your wood’s surface and get rid of stains.
Decks with Mold
If your deck has mold or mildew, it’s time to get rid of them with a cleaner that contains mildewcide. Unlike other deck cleaners, you shouldn’t rinse these off. Instead, leave the solution on the wood and allow it ample time to soak through and kill the fungi.
Composite Decking
If you’ve got composite decking, you’d want to get a specialized deck cleaner that’s great for composite lumber. To apply composite deck cleaners you can spray it on or even brush it on the deck with a soft deck brush before rinsing it with a garden hose.
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Painted Decks
Have a painted deck? You’d need to go for an all-purpose cleaner that’s gentle and doesn’t have ammonia. The last thing you’d want is to use a harsh cleaner that could damage the painted surface of your deck. With these cleaners, you’re usually able to either spray or squirt it on before mopping lightly to clean away any dirt and grime.
Pre-mix or concentrated deck cleaners
Something that you can consider is whether or not you’d like to go for a pre-mixed or concentrated deck cleaner. Pre-mixed deck cleaners are simple and easy to use. Concentrated deck cleaners on the other hand usually need to be diluted with water before you proceed with the application. They typically cost less but you’d need to follow the directions properly to ensure that you’ve got the right amount.
Best Deck Cleaner
Star Brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner
This deck cleaner is great for all surfaces. Not only can you use it on vinyl, plastic and fiberglass but it’s also suited to rubber, metal and even painted surfaces. As it comes with special chelating agents, you also won’t need to vigorously scrub your deck – the agent will do the heavy lifting for you. Thanks to the protective polymers, it’ll also help to provide a barrier against any future stains, making cleaning a breeze.
If you need to clean non-textured areas, this is also a great deck cleaner to purchase as it won’t remove any wax or polish. It also contains no harsh chemicals, and is a great all-round product to get. Products are impressed with this deck cleaner and mentioned that it works well on non-skid decks. They also mentioned that dirt and grime come right off with no problems at all.
Complete Wood Cleaner & Wood Brightening Kit
Need a deck cleaner that’s great for your wooden deck? This particular deck cleaner will not revitalize all wood types from Pine to Redwood and more, but it’ll also help with restoring most wood surfaces. Once you’re done with the restoration kit, your wooden deck will look as good as new.
What’s great about this deck cleaner is that it’ll also brighten your wood without bleaching. It’ll also help with cleaning dirty and old wood, and gently strip any existing oil-based stains, dirt, grime and dead wood fibres. Customers who have purchased this wooden deck cleaner love it and mentioned that it has exceeded their expectations. They also like how the deck cleaner did a great job at stripping dirt and cleaning away mildew.
Wet and Forget Moss
If your deck has mold and mildew, this is the deck cleaner that you need. There’s also no scrubbing required, so all you’ve got to do is leave this deck cleaner on your deck surface and you’re good to go. You can use it on virtually any outdoor surface and there’s no bleach in this formula. It also works well with the wind and rain to gently remove stains and can keep your deck clean for a year or more.
Customers who have purchased this deck cleaner love this product and mentioned that it also works well on composite decks. They also like how it’s great at treating mould and mildew, and also works well on patios, sidewalks and driveways.
Simple Green Oxy Solve Deck
This deck cleaner is great if you’ve got a pressure washer in your home. Not only will it ensure that your deck is sparkling clean, but it’ll also keep your fences and outdoor structures clean. It will help with getting rid of any grime, dirt, stains from mould and more. Since it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, you don’t have to worry about it damaging your deck.
Customers who have purchased this deck cleaner absolutely love it and mentioned that it works great. They stated that it was effective, easy to use, and they liked how it didn’t come with a strong scent. Application is also simple, just spray it on top of your deck, wait about 10-minutes and rinse it off with a pressure washer.
RMR-86 Instant Mold and Mildew Stain Remove Spray
This particular deck cleaner is great at removing stubborn mold and mildew stains. It’ll also help to get rid of any unwanted odours and keep your home musty-free. Feel free to use this not just on your deck, but also in your toilet area, drywall and more. It’s a fast-acting spray that can target deeply embedded stains with ease. There’s also no scrubbing required, just spray it on and you’ll watch the stains disappear.
Feel free to use this deck cleaner on multiple surfaces from bathroom tiles to concrete floors – wherever mold and mildew grows. Customers love this product and mentioned that it even helped with getting rid of black mold. If you’ve got stubborn stains in your home, this is absolutely the deck cleaner that you should purchase.
FAQ
Below are answers to some frequently asked queries pertaining to deck cleaners.
What is the best homemade deck cleaner?
If you’re thinking of making your own homemade deck cleaner, you can consider the recipe below:
- Mix two cups of bleach with two gallons of water
- Pour in ¼ cup of dish detergent and make sure that everything is properly mixed
- Use a broom or another large brush to cover the entire deck with the solution
- Scrub where there’s any stubborn dirt or grime and proceed to rinse everything off
What should I clean my deck with?
It really depends on the type of deck that you’ve got. Earlier we’ve given some suggestions on the deck cleaner that you should use – depending on the material of your deck. Different types of decks will require different types of cleaners.
How do I clean my deck without a pressure washer?
There are a couple of ways that you can clean your deck without a pressure washer.
- Mix oxygen bleach and detergent and pour it on top of mouldy stains before scrubbing with a broom.
- Applying a general wood deck cleaner on top of a deck and letting it sit there for about 10-minutes or so before rubbing it in with the broom.
- Use a general vinegar spray and work the mixture into the wood with a stiff brush. Once you’re done, you can rinse the area with cold water.
How do I naturally clean my wood deck?
There are a couple of ways that you can naturally clean your wood deck.
- Vinegar and baking soda – mix warm water with white vinegar and baking soda and scrub the deck thoroughly.
- Homemade soapy deck rub – You can use dish soap to scrub your deck. Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with vinegar and warm water.
- Homemade powdered bleach scrub – You’ll use powdered oxygen bleach laundry cleaner for this scrub. Since it’s milder, it’s good for decks that are in pretty good condition.
Make sure that you don’t use pure bleach as it will damage your wooden decking. If you’ve got a pressure washer, it does make things easier. If not, scrubbing is most likely required.
Bottom Line
We hope that you were able to find a deck cleaner that suits your needs. When purchasing a deck cleaner, make sure that it’s easy to use, and suits the deck that you’ve got. If you have a composite deck for example, you should always purchase a composite deck cleaner. By regularly maintaining and cleaning your deck, you’ll have a sparkling clean deck that’s perfect for unwinding and relaxing in.
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