How to clean your wooden deck naturally?

1. Cleaning a wooden deck with black soap

How about starting reading with a natural product? Well, a natural and effective way to clean a wooden deck is to use black soap.

Here is how to clean the terrace with this product:

1. Start by sweeping and rinsing the entire surface of the terrace with water to remove all the dirt.
2. Then mix 4 tablespoons of liquid black soap in 10 liters of lukewarm water.
3. Using a brush, rub in the direction of the grooves of the wood and rinse thoroughly with water to finish.

If you notice stains that are still visible and embedded in the wood, you can gently rub the stain with a mixture of black soap and baking soda.

Black soap is ideal for cleaning and maintaining your wooden deck:

In addition to being useful for cleaning the natural wood and composite wood terrace, you will be able to use the black soap to clean the raw concrete floors as well as the tiles.

2. Clean your wooden deck with white vinegar

A natural product that we all have at home and that can be used to clean and even sober up your wooden deck is white vinegar.

So if you notice the presence of lime stains or moss and green stains embedded in the wood of the terrace here is what to do:

1. Spray hot white vinegar on stubborn stains and leave for 2 minutes.
2. Then rub the stains and foam to make them disappear with a brush or sponge.
3. Rinse with plenty of water to finish cleaning the terrace and let dry.

For regular cleaning of your wooden deck, you can simply dilute white vinegar with water. This mixture of water and white vinegar can also be used to naturally clean a composite wood deck

3. Grandma’s trick with baking soda

If you like grandma’s tricks then know that baking soda mixed with water is an excellent natural cleaning product for a wooden deck.

Here’s how to make this baking soda deck cleaner:

1. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to 10 liters of water and mix well.
2. Brush the entire surface of the wooden deck, paying particular attention to the stains (use a brush or a large sponge).
3. Then rinse the deck with clean water and repeat as needed for stubborn stains.

This trick is also effective for removing stubborn stains on composite wood and treated wood decks.

Many wood species will become greyish over time. While some people appreciate this coloring, others will rather want to give a youthful look to their wooden deck by sobering it up.

Although there are chemicals to accomplish this task, instead we offer you a natural recipe without harmful effects on the environment. It is sodium percarbonate, which combines soda crystals and hydrogen peroxide.

Here’s how to use soda ash to sober up wood:

• Thoroughly clean the entire surface of the terrace to be sobered and let it dry well.
• Then combine one part baking soda with 10 parts water.
• Apply this mixture to the entire surface of the terrace using a brush or a broom.
• Leave on for twenty minutes then rinse well with water to finish.

You can carry out this « special » cleaning once a year to preserve the natural color of the wooden slats of your terrace, but also to clean a blackened terrace.

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5. Clean a wooden deck with powdered dish soap

To remove stubborn stains on a wooden deck, a mixture of hot water and powdered dish soap can be a solution.

Here’s how to do this cleaning trick:

• Dilute some powdered dish soap in a bucket of hot water.
• Scrub the entire surface of the deck with a push broom, paying particular attention to the stains.
• Then rinse the deck with plenty of water and let it dry.

If you notice stubborn stains on the wood you can scrub them again, but this time with a little washing-up liquid.

6. Remove moss and green on a wooden deck

It regularly happens that the wooden terrace is covered with moss, algae and green deposits after a wet season, for example. When wet, these greenish spots make the surface slippery and uninviting.

Fortunately, there are tips for cleaning and removing green moss from a wooden deck:

• citric acid: Combine 600 gr of citric acid, 150 gr of baking soda, 20 ml of castor oil and 8 liters of lukewarm water. Apply to the green stained surface and leave for 2 or 3 days. Then, brush and rinse with plenty of water.
• coarse salt: Add coarse salt to hot water and spray it on mosses and algae. Rinse the deck immediately.
• White vinegar: Take advantage of a sunny day to apply undiluted white vinegar to the moss that has invaded your terrace. Rinse with water to finish and repeat as needed.

7. Maintenance of a wooden deck

A well-maintained wooden deck requires less maintenance and will be much more durable.

Here are some tips and tricks for maintaining your wooden deck:

• The broom: before any treatment, and to preserve the beautiful aspect of the wood of your terrace, make sure to sweep it regularly in order to remove dust and dirt. Always sweep in the direction of the grain of the wood to clean it well.
• Protective oils: Both linseed oil and teak oil can be applied to a clean, dry surface and will help slow the graying of wood. It is suggested to oil the wooden deck at the beginning and end of the season.
• saturators: often used following a sobering treatment, the saturator penetrates the wood deeply to protect it from wear and bad weather, and helps to preserve the natural appearance of the wood of the terrace. In addition, it protects the wood of the terrace against UV rays, humidity and mold.
• Clean between the slats: various debris accumulate between the wooden boards of the terrace. Remember to clean them regularly with a spatula or knife, otherwise the combination of debris and moisture will lead to mold.

If you have just varnished the wooden deck or applied a natural oil, it is important to quickly clean your brush. Here are my top tips on it: How to clean a varnish brush?

8. Clean your wooden deck with a pressure washer

Finally, if you are looking for a quick and above all effective way to clean the entire surface of a wooden deck, high-pressure cleaning is the solution.

You can clean different surfaces with high pressure:

• natural wood deck
• composite wood deck
• concrete slabs
• paving stone
• the tiled floor
• garden walls
• the car
• garden furniture