Cleaning Decking
In this guide, we will talk you through how to clean decking, and keep it looking in good condition throughout the seasons.
With the right products, you can completely transform the appearance of your decking and expand its functional life.
To clean your decking, we always recommend using a specialist decking cleaner to ensure minimal damage to the timber.
Our dual action, advanced formula Decking Cleaner provides highly effective results for cleaning and restoring weathered timber decking, sheds, and fences.
How to Clean Decking
Using a hosepipe, slightly dampen the wood to be treated.
Pour the product into a watering can and pour over the timber.
Scrub with a stiff bristled brush and leave for 20 minutes for the cleaner to take effect.
A stiff bristled brush will help loosen and remove dirt, staining and grime.
Alternatively, you can also pour the product into a bucket and apply to the wood using the same style of brush.
To finish cleaning, wash off all the dirt and residue from the Decking Cleaner with a hosepipe.
If using a pressure washer, please be careful as they can often be too powerful and cause the wood to splinter.
Removing Green Stains from Decking
If you have green staining on your decking, the Decking Cleaner has been designed to remove, kill and prevent the growth of green algae, lichen, mould and moss.
It will remove the staining altogether with no scrubbing required.
Simply pour or spray the cleaning solution onto the affected areas, making sure to saturate the wood, and leave it for 2 – 3 days.
Over this time, the Decking Cleaner will kill the algae, and the green staining will start to fade and turn to dust, ready to be swept off with a brush.
Types of Decking It Works On
Decking Cleaner is suitable for all types of exterior wooden decking, fences and sheds.
It works great on:
- Hardwood and softwood decking
- Oak decking
- Siberian Larch decking
- Thermwood decking
- Iroko, Balau and other tropical wood decking
- Cedar decking
- Teak decking
How to Protect Decking after Cleaning
After cleaning, we recommend protecting your decking timber with a Clear Decking Oil.
A decking oil will penetrate the decking timbers, helping to nourish the wood.
It will provide excellent water repellence, to help prevent cracking, warping, splitting and swelling, prolonging the life of your decking.
Containing UV filters, Decking Oil will also help protect against sun damage and colour fading.
If the colour of the wood is already starting to fade, an oil will bring out the natural colour and beauty of the wood.
It will dry to a hard, durable, highly attractive, satin finish which will never crack, peel or flake.
How to Prevent Mould
To prevent the growth of green algae, lichen, mould and moss you should follow the below steps:
1. Always sweep up any leaves from the deck. They can trap moisture, creating conditions for green growth, especially on shaded decks.
2. Put plant pots in a tray so the soil and water doesn’t fall out onto the deck.
3. Clean the deck twice a year or as soon as you begin to see any new growth.
4. Treat with a Decking Oil to help stop moisture soaking into the timbers.
Decking positioned in shaded area will likely suffer these issues more than one positioned in direct sunlight.
How to Maintain Decking
The combination of using a Decking Cleaner, followed by a Decking Oil will not only prolong the life of the decking timbers but make for easy cleaning and maintenance in the future.
Decking should be maintained from the moment it is installed to help keep it in pristine condition.
We recommend cleaning and oiling the decking once a year or if the decking is looking particularly dirty, dry or faded.
Learn how to clean decking
If you would like to find out more about protecting and maintaining your decking after cleaning it, read our blog post – Best decking oil for quality decking.
