I have a 1 year old redwood deck that I sealed (clear) with Thompson's. The deck appears very dirty, even after cleaning it. It repels water poorly. I am planning to use a semi-transparent stain....in the hopes of better performance. In this instance, should I use a stripper or a cleaner (or both?), prior to application of stain. Thanks.
To be sure of removal you should use a stripper and then brighten when done.