There’s nothing like enjoying a sunny day by relaxing on your deck. But if you haven’t spent much time on it lately, you might be surprised to see your outdoor hangout spot looking grimier than usual. The good news is you can clean your decking with bleach as part of your regular deck maintenance routine. Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to take your deck from drab to fab in an hour or two.
Prepping to Clean Deck With Bleach
We know you’re ready to jump right into this project, but we need to discuss some key points before you get started.
Don’t Use Chlorine Bleach
Never mix chlorine bleach with the cleaning products listed above, as it can create harmful gases. Double check that you’re using oxygen bleach—not chlorine bleach—before mixing it with dish soap. Also, using chlorine bleach by itself isn’t an effective cleaning product for decks. Chlorine bleach is a miracle worker for clothes, countertops, tubs, and sinks, but you won’t get the same cleaning results on your deck boards.
Chlorine bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which can whiten your deck boards and destroy the lignins, which are cells that hold the wood fiber together. But oxygen bleach has many of the same benefits as chlorine bleach without the drawbacks. Oxygen bleach contains hydrogen peroxide, allowing it to kill off fungi and bacteria instead of, well, just about everything (like its chlorine counterpart).
Bleach Alternatives
Several cleaning products are helpful as an alternative to cleaning with oxygen bleach. Look for biodegradable multi-purpose cleaners in concentrated or spray-bottle form. Or choose from powder or liquid deck-specific cleaners at your local hardware store or home center.
Remove Deck Furniture
Photo: ANDREW NORRIS/ Adobe Stock
Start with a clean slate by removing everything off your deck, from your furniture to your plants. While it might be tempting to leave your patio table on your deck and work around it, you can clean your deck boards much better if you take everything off.
Check Your Deck For Damage
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Now is a great time to look over your deck and see if you have any loose, rotten, or splintered boards or raised nails, and make any necessary repairs. If you’re handy, you can make minor repairs to your deck yourself, such as replacing a loose board or wiggly step. In general, it’s wise to inspect your deck once a year in between regular cleanings.
Sweep Your Deck
Photo: Susanne/ Adobe Stock
Use a broom to sweep your deck to remove dirt, debris, and leaves. Once you’ve finished sweeping it, spray it with a garden hose to loosen dirt and make it easier for the solution to spread.
Protect Yourself and Your Plants
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Since oxygen bleach is still bleach, you’d want to wear gloves, goggles, and boots to protect your skin and eyes. Also, this solution can affect your plants, too. You should water any plants near your deck then cover them with a tarp to protect them.
Create the Solution
Photo: Pepijn/ Adobe Stock
Now that you and your deck are set and ready to go, in a well-ventilated area, put 2 gallons of warm water in a bucket and add 2 cups of oxygen bleach. Then, stir until it’s dissolved with your paint stick. Then add ¼ cup of ammonia-free liquid dish soap and stir again. If you have mildew stains you want to remove, you can also add 1 cup of borax to your bleach deck cleaning solution—but it’s optional.
Apply Solution to Deck Boards
Photo: Tamara/ Adobe Stock
Pour your mixture onto your deck and scrub it with your brush until it lathers. Use some extra elbow grease in areas where you notice stubborn dirt, stains, and mildew. Once you’ve covered your entire deck with the solution, let it sit for five minutes so it can work its magic.
Pay extra attention to stubborn areas that require a little extra effort grease to get clean. Add more solution if necessary and vigorously scrub areas of mold, mildew, grease, or other build-ups. Continue scrubbing until the offending spot is clean. Rinse with water to check that the staining is gone.
Rinse Your Deck
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Use your garden hose to rinse the bleach deck cleaning solution off your deck, then let it dry. You can use a garden hose with a high-pressure nozzle (not a pressure washer). Be sure to give it a few passes with the hose to ensure you remove all of the cleaning solution.
After letting it dry for at least 48 hours, you can finish the job by resealing, staining, or painting your deck. It’s ideal to stain or seal your deck every two to three years. But if your deck isn’t due for a treatment, it’s fine to just let your cleaning job dry, put your decor back in place, and enjoy your fresh deck.
DIY Deck Cleaning vs. Hiring a Pro
While cleaning your deck with the described oxygen bleach solution is a relatively simple DIY project, it’s not for everyone. If you’d prefer to leave deck maintenance to the pros, consider hiring a local deck cleaning service to tackle this task for you. They’ll ensure to use the best cleaning materials available for your deck material and leave it refreshed and squeaky clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oxygen bleach uses hydrogen peroxide as a base and won’t harm wood when using it as a cleaner. On the other hand, chlorine bleach breaks down wood at the cellular level and causes irreversible harm. Although you may not see immediate damage to wood after exposing it to chlorine bleach, its strength and integrity are now compromised.
Bleach and acid or ammonia-based cleaners can permanently damage composite decking materials. Immediate damage will appear as fading or discoloration. Over time chipping and cracking may occur due to the material becoming brittle.
Most commercially available oxygenated deck cleaners include hydrogen peroxide as their primary ingredient—the very same ingredient in oxygen bleach. Although deck cleaners may add other ingredients for removing specific stains, oxygen bleach works just as well for general deck cleaning. That said, some deck cleaners still contain chlorine bleach which can damage your deck’s wood.
Deane has spent 30+ years in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance, and home repair, and now contributes DIY and educational articles for publications like Forbes Home and U.S. News. Throughout his career, he has strived to help homeowners find the potential hidden within the walls of every home and empower them to take control of their household repair and remodeling endeavors.
Deane has spent 30+ years in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance, and home repair, and now contributes DIY and educational articles for publications like Forbes Home and U.S. News. Throughout his career, he has strived to help homeowners find the potential hidden within the walls of every home and empower them to take control of their household repair and remodeling endeavors.
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