Guide To Cleaning And Restoring Moisture To Your Deck Using Household Ingredients
If your home has an old wooden deck, you may decide it is time to clean it up and restore some of the wood's lustre. If so, use the following guide to cleaning and restoring your deck using household ingredients.
What You Will Need
Before you begin, you will need to gather together the supplies and ingredients listed below.
- Garden hose with a spray bottle attachment
- One-gallon bucket
- Four cups of white distilled vinegar
- One cup of baking soda
- Old straw or push broom
- Two cups of orange oil
The vinegar and baking soda used in the cleaning solution cuts through dirt and helps kill mold or mildew on the surface of your deck. The orange oil is used after cleaning the wood, serving as a natural source of oil that readily soaks into the wood to bring back its sheen.
Directions
Once you have everything you need, follow the directions for cleaning and restoring your deck.
- Wet your deck with the garden hose with its nozzle set on a high stream. This will knock off any loose dirt and debris, as well as the top layers of any mold or mildew.
- In the gallon bucket, mix together the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the foam reaction to subside, then mix thoroughly.
- Fill the spray bottle attachment halfway with the cleaning solution, screw the bottle onto the hose, and turn on the water.
- Thoroughly cover the deck with the cleaner, leaving it on for about 15 to 20 minutes to give the solution time to work.
- Use the broom to work the cleaner into the wood, using circular motions to scrub away any caked on dirt and to push the solution into the roots of any fungal growth.
- Let the cleaning solution sit for an additional 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
- Allow the deck to air dry completely.
- Pour the orange oil into the spray bottle attachment, then spray a liberal amount onto the surface of the deck. If your deck is large, you may need to add another cup if it runs out.
- Let the water evaporate, leaving the oil residue to soak into the wood.
Using the above cleaning process once a month can keep your deck clean and restore moisture to the wood. However, if your deck is very dry or needs repairs, you may want to contact a company that offers deck cleaning and restoration services.