subject: Cleaning Composite Decks [print this page] If you've made the choice of building a composite deck as opposed to the traditional wood decks, you had your reasons such as easier maintenance, longer lifespan, more color options, eco-friendly characteristics, etc. You've also probably paid more than you would have paid for a wood deck so you'll want to get your money's worth by keeping it looking as great as possible.
Regardless of what its lifespan is predicted to be, it needs to be cleaned and maintained to get this long life. Cleaning composite decks is actually easier than cleaning wood decks because they don't have to be pressure washed as wood decks do. Follow these simple steps for cleaning composite decks and your deck will once again have the great appearance it had when it was new.
Rinse the deck off with water. Your garden goes will do a great job of rinsing it and provides the perfect amount of pressure. If you have a while composite deck, it may require a little more rinsing and washing to get out dirt that may be set into the material.
Using commercial deck cleaner for composite decks, mix up a batch of one gallon of water to one cup of cleaner. Use a five-gallon pail so you'll have room to mix it well. Apply your cleaning mixture to the deck with a push broom or any size broom that fits into the bucket. Be sure to wear old shoes or boots so the cleaner doesn't ruin your good shoes. Spread the cleaner on the entire deck with the broom, while also using the broom to scrub the deck.
If you find that the cleaner is getting really dirty, rinse it off so dirty residue doesn't remain and stain the deck, particularly with light color decks. Rinse the deck off with the garden hose. If, after rinsing, you find there are still stubborn stains, concentrate on scrubbing just the stains with more cleaner. Give it a final rinse and you're done. Keep all traffic off the deck until it's completely dry.
