Deck Cleaning Questions and Answers - Deck Stain Help Forum

Clean and Restain with Restore a Deck 4 years later

tmgomes — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:39:32 +0000

Hello I stained this fence almost 4 years ago and it still looks pretty good aside from the green mold. I called the sealer store and asked what to wash with before re staining. They said to use just dawn dish soap and water but that’s not happening on this 500ft fence. I need something I can apply with my pressure washer downstream or with a pump sprayer. My reservation on the dawn is it probably won’t kill mold on contact like bleach would. Sealer store rep said not to use any bleach product. I was curious if maybe tsp would be a solution. All and all I’d like to be able to apply whatever effectively and have it kill organics.

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Blotchiness after pressure washing

pd512 — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 16:11:02 +0000

Hi,

We have a deck that is 7 years old. Yesterday for the first time ever, I decided to clean it with a pressure washer. Next I plan to seal it before the winter. I live in Canada and our winters are long and we get a lot of snow.

I read other posts on this forum and although it's a bit hard to tell from the other users' photos, if I had to diagnose it I think I pressure-washed too harshly. First-timer here. I think I went too close and didn't feather out.

Part of the deck has become blotchy, i.e. there's the original greyish areas, and now some areas that are yellow.

I've uploaded the photos to my Google Photos account (I keep getting an error when I try to attach photos to this forum post). Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zfns7sJv41Abjpw29

Do I now need to sand it? It's not a large area...only 8' x 5' so I could do it with a handheld sander.

What if I don't sand it and just go ahead and seal it? Will the colours level out on their own over time with oxidation?

Thank you for creating this great website and community, which is such a valuable resource.

Deck cleaning chemicals effect on black painted aluminum balusters

mizhviz — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 22:38:02 +0000

Will deck cleaning products like sodium percarbonate or oxolic acid damage our black aluminum balusters?

Can Defy Wood Brightener in liquid concentrate be used if it was left in below freezing temps and may have froze?

jlaw0462 — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:10:31 +0000

I have an unopened gallon of Defy Wood Brightener in liquid concentrate that may have previously froze. How do I tell if it is still usable?

Cleaning and Brightening

poff123 — Thu, 02 May 2024 14:54:24 +0000

We used TWP several years ago and want to re-stain using the same stain and color. The website says to just clean and brighten. When I clean, will this remove the prior stain? If not, is that ok or do I need to do something else?

What do you suggest for best deck cleaners in 2024?

sp decks — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:01:00 +0000

Hi Scott,

We have been using Behr Deck Cleaner and Strippers. What would you suggest for better performance and less expensive options? We are mostly pressure washing but we do like to use proper prep products so the wood does not get damaged.

Berry stains

franz — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:18:36 +0000

Hello we live in IL and are in middle of waiting for new wood piece to weather. Feel it’s time to move forward now and deck needed further stripping of old behr product so we did that yesterday with behr stripper. Followed by RAD brightener. But have berry stains that did not lift out of wood. What should we do? Have Armstrong stain ready to go. Thank you

Killing and Preventing Fungus Wood Rot

davelou — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:02:50 +0000

Please read and advise on killing and preventing future fungus and wood rot on the underside of my deck. For a couple of years, my 8 year old deck has been showing signs of white fungus and wood rot in a couple of areas on the underside that are in the dampest locations. The deck is 8 feet above a patio, so there's lots of air circulation - but it's super humid here in Tennessee and summers are hot. The deck is partially shaded and fully PT and the decking is PT 5/4. I have cleaned and stained the decking and tops of railings every two years - and it looks fine on the top side. I began to notice a few decking boards looking dark and feeling soft, and of course there was much more fungus eating away at places where two pieces of wood are in contact with each other on the underside. I have replaced a few of the 5/4 sections that were getting soft. Some sections of the joists and stringer are also being affected and I need to kill and prevent this from getting worse. What is the best thing to spray on the unstained structure and decking in areas where the fungus keeps growing? I'vet spritzed some vinegar on the spots where it's growing but figure there's a better solution. Thanks for the advice !!

Brightener after rain

sunnydd — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:30:55 +0000

Hi!

I cleaned my deck (pressure-treated pine) yesterday and used Defy deck cleaner. It began storming and I was unable to apply the Defy brightener. The forecast now calls for rain/storms for the next several days. Should I use the brightener today, while it's not raining, or do it before I stain (hopefully) next week? Also, do I need to clean it again if it's longer than a week before I can stain it?

Pressure wash or not?

michelle — Tue, 16 May 2023 12:47:38 +0000

Do I have to use a pressure washer to wash off prepping products or can I use a garden hose with a power washer attachment instead?