Deck Cleaning (Algae is Not Your Friend)

Since summer is nearing its end, last weekend we thought we'd do a little deck maintenance. After rebuilding the deck last summer we haven't really looked after it properly, and with a rainy summer like the one we just had, some of the boards were looking a little stained. Especially in the corners. Yuck.

We took ourselves off to Lowe's and bought a bottle of Olympic deck cleaner because we'd heard that it is the one that works. It requires a separate sprayer, but the only one they had in stock was $40 and held 2 gallons. Way more than we needed or were willing to pay. So we just bought a little $10 garden sprayer instead. Problem solved.

We started by clearing everything off the deck and giving it a dry scrub with a hard bristled brush. You can see in the areas by the garden hose and under the chair that algae and mildew have turned the wood green. These are areas that rarely get direct sunlight, so it's tough to dry them out.

Before we started spraying the deck cleaner, we sprayed down the grass surrounding the deck with water to avoid damaging it. We sprayed on the cleaner (which I think is mostly just a strong bleach, though it is biodegradable) and waited for it 10 minutes as directed on the bottle. After giving the worst areas a second spray, we hosed it all down with water and left it to dry. You can see what an improvement it made even with it still a bit wet. Some of the boards still have a bit of a green tinge, but overall it looks so much cleaner! And it feels nicer underfoot.

It rained the next day so we're delayed on sealing it. In fact we haven't had nice enough weather since then (except when we're at work during the week, of course.)

How about a little side-by-side before and after? Quite a difference, isn't it?

We also bought a Big Boss X Hose that I'm sure you've seen on TV. The one that expands when you turn the water on and contracts back when you turn it off. This thing is so great! Look how tiny it is! (Don't worry, that grody little table is hitting the road - it's falling apart all over the place.)

Using the X Hose is so much easier than lugging the regular hose out over and over again. We water the grass every time the dogs pee in an effort to slow down the damage they're doing to the lawn, so the hose gets uncoiled many times a day. Now it just takes a minute or two. And the blue colour is kind of cute. I want to get another one for the front tap now.

Do you have one? What do you think of it?