caring for your home before the cleaners come

How To Wash Your Deck This Spring With Your Pressure Washer

If you want your deck to look really nice again, often all you need to do is give it a little attention. Restore your deck and make it look like new by following the simple steps below. 

Clear Your Deck

The first thing you need to do is take all the furniture and remove it from your deck. You don't want to leave anything on your deck. It will be easier for you to clean and work on your deck when it is cleared.  

Sand Down Rough Edges

Inspect your deck and see if there are any areas where the wood has become rough. If you find any rough areas on your deck, where one could potentially get a splinter if they touched the wood because it was rough, you need to sand those down with sandpaper. 80 grit sandpaper works well on deck wood. 

It should only take you a few minutes to smooth out a small rough spot by hand. If you have a large rough area on your deck, you may want to use an electric sander. 

Sweep Your Deck

After you have addressed all the rough spots, use a large push-broom to sweep your deck. This will remove the majority of the large debris from your deck and allow you to really get your deck clean.

Cover Your Plants

Next, you should wet any plants nearby your deck before you apply any cleaner to your deck. This will allow the cleaner to roll right off your plants. Depending on the instructions on the deck cleaner that you purchased, you may also want to put plastic sheets over your plants to protect them from the cleaner.

Apply The Deck Cleaner

Now you are ready to apply the deck cleaner you purchased to your deck. Follow the instructions on the packaging. Most deck cleaners contain strong chemicals, so you'll want to wear protective gloves, goggles and a face mask. 

Scrub In The Deck Cleaner

Generally, deck cleaners instruct you to spray or apply the cleaner to your deck, then use a broom to scrub the cleaner into the deck. Make sure that you are using a clean broom to perform this task. 

Pressure Wash Your Deck

To remove the cleaner, you are going to want to get out your pressure washer. You are going to want to put it at right about medium pressure and hold the wand at about a 45 degree angle.

Start at one corner of your deck and work your way towards the edge of your deck. As you wash, make sure that you are washing in the direction of the grain of your wood. If you go against the grain, it could gouge your wood. Be careful around the corners and railings with the angle of your spray; you don't want the water to splash back up into your face. You may also want to wear protective eyewear in case water does splash into your face.

Now all you need to do is let your deck dry; it should look great now that you have cleaned it so thoroughly. Once the deck has dried, put all your furniture and belongings back on it. For further assistance, contact local professionals, such as those from Penney Steamers & Vacuum Service Ltd can wash heavy equipment.