# Deck cleaner that won't harm plants, flowers



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

idk, read the lables. i used the powder stuff = bang for buck. but i didn't have to worry about plants. 

i sprayed the cleaner on, then let it set. then power washed.

if you are really worried, just power wash with water. it will still work. either way,just be carefull, the PW'r can do a # on the wood.


----------



## Jim McC (May 22, 2013)

Thanks. I thought I'd get more responses.


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I've been in the painting biz for over 30 years and have only used a deck cleaner ONCE. I wasn't impressed with how it worked so I rely solely on my pressure washer to do the cleaning. Dialed in at no more than 2800 psi and normally you won't do any damage to the wood. If you do get a little "fuzz", just use an orbital sander after the deck dries to smooth it out. To be honest, horizontal surfaces like decks, especially if they are pressure treated wood, give you, at best 2, maybe 3 years before you're back at it again. I say that because I wouldn't get too amped up about getting it perfectly clean. Just my two cents'.

Also, here's a GREAT website for decks:
www.deckstainhelp.com

In particular, here's the link to deck cleaners:
http://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/wood-deck-cleaning/


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Depends what's wrong with the deck. If the problem is weathering where bare wood has turned gray, there's no way to restore it (other than serious sanding) without home center deck cleaner or brightener, which is a bleach. You would slop it on with a big brush or mop, let it sit and then pressure wash. You could gently rinse off the bleach with a hose before pressure washing.

If it doesn't need bleaching, then some liquid dishwash detergent in the pressure washer thing should be enough to blow off loose paint/stain and the odd grease spot. If it's a gasoline pressure washer, be careful with how close you get. If it's electric you will be pretty safe.


----------



## Jim McC (May 22, 2013)

Thanks guys, I'm going to try Oxyclean and an electric power washer.

Do you think Oxyclean is considered a wood brightener also?


----------



## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

Spray down your plants with a hose and put a tarp down over your plants while you are hosing off the cleaner. Don't leave the tarp on there too long or it will kill your plants. After you are done rinsing away the cleaner, remove the tarp and hose off the plants again. That's the method I've used when using a bleach concentrate on my deck.


----------



## Jim McC (May 22, 2013)

Thanks hyunelan2. 

Does anyone know if Oxyclean works as a wood brightener too? Or can I go right to a toner or stain after using Oxyclean?


----------



## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

If you Google Oxiclean, it seems to be made out of sodium carbonate, sodium percarbonate and hydrogen peroxide --- same/similar stuff as some of the other commercial deck cleaners. The deck cleaners direct you to use a brightener (typically oxalic acid) after cleaning --- it brings back the PH of the wood. 

Thing is, with the commercial deck cleaners, you don't have to guess at the proper concentrations.


----------



## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Yep. +1 to what hyunelan2 said. Pre-wet all the plants and give them a good rinse after. If you can have a helper spray the plants with the hose while you rinse the deck with the powerwasher, that would be ideal. Plants are not really as sensitive as you might imagine. If you have a bunch of delicate flowers imported from the mountains of Uzbekistant, it might be a different story. But if you just have some yew bushes and a rhododendron, you'll be fine. In bright sun, putting plastic over the plants can create a little greenhouse effect and sometimes do more harm than good. You can just clamp a heavy canvas tarp on the railing and hang it down the outside to catch the bulk of the overspray. 

The purpose of the brightener is to reverse the darkening effect of alkaline cleaners like bleach and lye. If you use oxiclean, the wood should not darken. So no need for the brightener. But I haven't tried it. 

OxiClean has fillers in it to make it cheaper. Nobody walking the aisles of walmart is going to spend 30 bucks for a 2 pound jar of stuff for the laundry. Stain Solver is oxygenated bleach without the fillers. Awesome stuff. It's OxiClean on steroids. A long time ago, I tried Stain Solver once on a deck and I was not impressed. So OxiClean would probably do even less. I dunno. Mayber user error on my part. Now that I know a little more, I should give oxygenated bleach another shot.


----------



## Jim McC (May 22, 2013)

Thanks guys. I finished power washing the deck with Oxyclean and it looks so much better. I let it go way too long before cleaning it. 

Now I have to decide what finish to put on it. A wood toner or semi-transparent stain.


----------

