Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Clean The Deck

Wow! After a month with 8 inches of rain in the first 3 weeks, the Chicagoland area is finally seeing some warmer and hopefully drier weather. We may be spending more time in our backyards this summer with travel probably limited so we should do some cleaning. It’s a great idea to pick a sunny day and get to work.

The deck is the most obvious to start with, as it is undoubtedly filthy after a long winter. The first thing to do is to inspect the deck up and down. Check the ledger and the flashing where the deck meets the house. If there is any sign of rot, soft crumbly wood, contact a licensed contractor to repair. It is a safety hazard. Loose nails and screws you should be able to handle. Remove all the furniture. If it is too heavy, move to one side. Sweep the deck thoroughly, and don’t forget about under the deck also. Lay down tarps, although this is not necessary if below the deck is concrete. 

Oxyclean is your best cleaner for the deck. It is powerful and environmentally friendly. Mix 1 cup in 2 gallons hot water. Work in sections. Spread the Oxyclean solution on a section and let sit for 5 minutes. It will bubble as it is working. Scrub stains with a stiff brush. Rinse thoroughly at least twice. Repeat with the rest of the sections as well as railings and stairs. Let dry before moving furniture as heavy items can gouge wet wood. 

Power washing is an alternative to scrubbing by hand, but be careful! Keep the pressure low, less than 1500 lbs/psi. Keep the nozzle moving and at least 3 feet away from the material. Even at low-pressure, power washing can damage soft or composite wood. Railing cleaning pressure should not exceed 1000 lbs/psi. Spray in overlapping strokes and keep the nozzle moving. Again, rinse thoroughly. Pressure washed decks should dry 2 days before moving furniture as the pressure soaks the wood deeper than hand scrubbing. 

Inspect the entire deck again when dry to tighten any screws or nails that may have worked loose during cleaning. Make a cocktail or grab a beer and enjoy that bright, clean deck.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO