Can Bleach Be Used On Composite Deck

Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Composite Deck

Left that way, they can become old and weathered before their time. To keep your deck looking great, clean it annually—ideally, in spring or early summer—then follow up with a sealer to protect it. Be the first to know what's next at Clorox from offers to tips to products. Apply bleach solution using a brush or broom on horizontal surfaces, and a sponge or mop on vertical surfaces. We put together all the essentials for your decking care and maintenance.

Taking Care Of Composite Decking Home Guides Sf Gate

Next you can begin to scrub the deck with the grain using your stiff bristle brush to remove dirt, mildew, mold, stains etc. First, spritz the deck with water to soften the dried cellulose fibers. This 'pre-rinse' will also allow for the cleaning solution to be more easily dispersed throughout the deck.

I’ve studied this very closely with a magnifying glass and believe it to be a manufacturing characteristic. It appears that the dark spots are areas where there is a higher concentration of the recycled colored plastic.

How To Power Wash Composite Decking

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Your deck should have, at minimum, 6 inches (15.24 cm) between the wooden planks and the ground beneath for ventilation. This allows the water to drain off the deck and into the soil without the wooden planks being forced to sit in the soggy ground. There should never be standing water underneath your deck. If the oil based stain has set and mild dish soap isn’t removing it, try an oil stain remover product like OSR or Pour-N-Restore. You can buy these products at home improvement stores.

• Others may recommend doing the same, albeit with a purpose-designed composite deck cleaning agent.
• Care & Cleaning Guide Trex We recommend a basic cleaning with a composite deck cleaner or combination of Use of products containing bleach or acid will lighten the surface of Trex.
• Like other wood deck varieties, composite decking is quite porous.
• You'll get common surface dirt no matter what sort of decking you choose to install.
• In some cases, additional scrubbing with a deck brush may be required to remove stubborn stains.

Natural wood decks have the potential to look great if they’re well-maintained. In some cases, your natural wood deck may also splinter, requiring sanding or replacing loose boards from time to time. Pollen, leaves, dirt and other debris often get lodged in between the wooden planks. It’s easy to overlook this debris since it can’t be seen by glancing over the surface.

A plastic shovel may be used to remove snow from the deck. Use calcium chloride or rock salt to melt the snow and ice from the deck surface. The affected area should be sprayed off with a hose to remove surface debris. Use warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush to remove dirt and debris from the embossing pattern. Using a metal shovel or a shovel lined with metal will scratch your decking. Composite decking can easily handle winter weather such as snow.

Infographic On Cleaning Composite Decking

Make sure that all of the bleach solution is rinsed away before letting your deck air dry. Letting the suds sit on the deck will allow the oxygen bleach to absorb the dirt and algae on your deck. It's important that you don't let the solution thoroughly dry on the deck, or it can leave a film on the surface. Mix warm water and powdered oxygen bleach into a bucket. Pour 2 gallons (3.78 l) of warm water in a 5-gallon (18.92 l) bucket. Add 2 cups of powdered oxygen bleach and mix the solution together using the sponge or brush that you'll be using to scrub down your deck. Continue to mix the solution until the components are well incorporated.

Trex decking and railing products should be disposed with normal construction debris or household waste. » Refer to for a care and cleaning guide for Trex Early-Generation Composite and PVC decking.