vinegar, 1 tsp. A regular sweeping is enough for most of the year, but you should give it a deep clean and reseal it at least once a year. Check the deck for signs of algae, mildew, and other stains. Mix 1 teaspoon of dish soap, 1 teaspoon of borax and 1 quart of warm water in a spray bottle and spray it generously over outdoor furniture. One recipe for a cleaner that will do the same as TSP calls for Borax, Ammonia, and Water. It is my preferred homemade deck cleaner for a pressure washer. Pour the borax into the bucket and mix with a wooden spoon. Give the solution 15 minutes of dwell time to allow the oxygen bleach to work. My homemade deck cleaners are easy to make and use, and you know what is in them. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. Mix it together while wearing gloves and target specific areas on your deck where mildew has formed. Ingredients: 1/4 cup borax; Directions: Sprinkle the borax into the toilet bowl and use your toilet brush to scrub it around. Glenda Taylor, The Best Winter Camping Destinations in America, The Worst Money Mistakes Homeowners Ever Make, 45 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do, Sweet Dreams: 15 Inventive Beds You Can Make Yourself, 17 Creative Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes. Let the bleach solution sit on the stain for 15 minutes, then scrub with a brush and rinse. If you have cleaned your deck as I recommended, and you still have mildew stains, try applying a solution of half and half bleach and water and scrubbing it in. Deck Cleaner- Use 1 part vinegar to 8 parts warm water. But there is no reason to procrastinate, grab your bucket and brush on the first nice weekend and let’s get that deck in shape. Let your deck dry naturally and completely in the sun’s rays before redecorating it. Clear the deck of whatever furniture, grill, gardening containers, and other miscellaneous outdoor equipment you can easily stash elsewhere. Holding the nozzle too close can gouge a hole in your deck. Let me know what worked best for you in the comments, and please share this article with your friends and family. Even the best-kept decks accumulate dirt, twigs, leaves, and other debris that blows by and weather also takes its toll. Cleaning the Oven with my Homemade Cleaning Products To clean your oven, sprinkle a cup or more of baking soda over the bottom of the oven, then cover the baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. If you have cleaned your deck as I recommended, and you still have mildew stains, try applying a solution of half and half bleach and water and scrubbing it in. Mix the powdered bleach and water until it is completely dissolved, then add the dish soap and stir gently. Dip a clean cloth or sponge in this solution and wipe the shelves of the fridge. Let the deck completely dry before replacing patio furniture. Some of the best household cleaners come from ingredients you already have in your pantry. Leave the solution on the deck for about 10 minutes. Use a putty knife to get the debris stuck in the crevices. Once all of the stains are gone, rinse the cleaner away with fresh water. Power wash or brush the patio cleaner solution onto the deck surface and allow it time to soak into the wood. These include: Toilet Bowl Cleaner. If your deck is brand-new, you need to know how to stain a new deck so that it will continue to look clean and dirt-free for a while. Let the bleach stand for 15 minutes before washing it away. Use this solution for decks that are in good condition without major stains and for cleaning between yearly scrubbings. Apply the solution to the algae or mildew. While the ingredients suggested here are relatively safe and won’t damage garden greenery, it’s a good idea to wear goggles and rubber gloves to protect sensitive eyes and skin, should the homemade deck cleaner accidentally splash. This solution is very strong, so do not breathe the fumes. To use this solution for mold cleaning, hose the deck down with water to soak the wood, then apply the mildew and algae cleaner in one area at a time. Homemade Window Cleaner. This solution is also a good homemade composite deck cleaner and can be used on siding and brick. Commercial deck cleaners are available, and they do a good job of cleaning your deck. If the deck is looking clean, you can remove the cleaning solution with water. Liberally saturate the deck by dipping the brush into the homemade cleaning solution and sloshing it over the planks. For larger decks, you’ll save a lot of time and energy using a pressure washer, but for small decks, a scrub brush will do fine. Let it sit and rinse clean. If the stain remains, repeat the soak and scrub. Generously apply the cleaning solution, then scrub to a light lather. Use the fan tip and spray at an angle, leaving two or more feet between the nozzle and the deck. Sweep or use a blower to get rid of loose debris first. Pour the dish detergent (1/4 cup) and then mix well until froth appears. Bissell Steam Cleaner; Clean the Wood Deck. Last week I shared a free printable for Cleaning With Baking Soda and this week I shared a free printable for Cleaning With Vinegar.Because I can’t stop coming up with these recipes, I have another one for you today – Cleaning With Borax. It is milder than liquid bleaches and needs to be used soon after it is made.