How to Clean a Cedar Wood Deck

How do I clean my deck? This question is asked by many each summer. The hard scrubbing and painful back aches of cleaning a deck can become less of a burden. I spent years with different types of deck tools or new highly marketed tools to make your deck cleaning easy. I hate to say it; no matter how many tools you have it still takes time and effort to clean your deck. Let's take a look at how to clean a cedar wood deck.

One thing that I learned very quickly was to make sure you have a good power washer. A good power washer is a essential tool to have when cleaning a cedar wood deck. I must say right away that care must be taken when using power washers to clean cedar wood decks. A power washer with the wrong tip type of placed to close to the decking can split the wood apart or cause it to crack and splinter. You do not want any of these things to happen. The whole point of cleaning your cedar wood deck is to clean it to make it look nice, not make it look like junk. You must take extra care if you use one of the high powered gas power washers. These power washers can do more damage then good. I not saying they won't do a great job, you just need to know how to use the power washer and take care.

There are many tips that come with power washers. The best tip to use is one that has a small ball bearing in the end of it. This type creates a circular motion of the water which then removes dirt and grime. The regular tips which creates a fan types pattern is alright also, but does not remove the dirt and grime as well. You must also be careful as to not cause streaking with this on you deck. Here is another example of what you do not want, many people get to close with the power washer and create streaks on their decks. It takes time and a even movement across each deck board to clean it. The power washer is the main tool you need to clean a deck. I have seen some chemical cleaners that say you can just use a hose, I have not found one that cleans your deck well with only a hose.

Now, you need to find a chemical cleaner to help brighten your deck as it cleans. When you use the chemical cleaner and the power washer will make the deck cleaning process much easier for you. Again, as I stated above, a chemical cleaner and a hose will not be as affective as a chemical cleaner and a power washer. A couple of hand brushes for tough spots will also be great to have. Taking your time is the most important aspect of cleaning your cedar wood deck.

Remember, safety first first.