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Deck Cleaner PSA - Printable Version

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Deck Cleaner PSA - jteneyck - 05-11-2018

Maintenance of my Ipe' deck has become quite a challenge every year.  That's putting it mildly, actually.  Both Ipe' Oil and Penofin Hardwood Oil start to fade in 3 months or so.  But far worse is the dirt and black mold? that builds up on it, especially over the Winter.  That stuff does not come off with any of the commercial cleaners I've tried.  I ended up stripping the entire deck last year only to be looking at having to do it again this year.  I contemplated buying a more powerful pressure washer but when I thought about it more I concluded the better solution was finding a cleaner that would work.  

I did some more searching on-line and came across a note about using TSP as part of a recipe.  That reminded me that I had some so I went and got it.  Right on the back of the box is a recipe for deck cleaner.  1/3 cup of TSP in 3 quarts of warm water + 1 quart of bleach.  I happened to have some outdoor bleach, which is more concentrated than normal bleach so I used that instead.  I hosed off part of the deck and applied the cleaner with a garden sprayer.  After 20 minutes or so I brushed it with a deck cleaning brush and I could see the dirt and gunk coming off.  I rewet the surface, let it sit another 10 or 15 minutes, repeated the brushing and then hosed it off.  The best result of anything I've tried.  It removed all of the dirt and almost all of the black gunk.  Another treatment and I think it will be ready for a new coat of oil. 

The cost of this stuff is cheap compared to commercial cleaners.  Roughly $5 for a box of TSP, and the same for a gallon of Outdoor Bleach.  That will make at least 4 gallons of deck cleaner.  So that's $2.50 for a gallon, compared to $10 to $15 for a gallon of commercial cleaner that doesn't work nearly as well, or not at all.  

I also came across a product called Wet and Forget in my searching.  It is an enzyme that you spray on and leave on, and the rain and wind will continuously cause it to kill any mold, fungus, etc. for several months.  I'm going to try this stuff after the deck is done in hopes of keeping the black gunk from coming back. 

John


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - fredhargis - 05-11-2018

Good to know. I have to clean ours...I'll try that.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - jlanciani - 05-11-2018

Hi John, you might try upping the TSP to 1 cup and use the hottest water you have available. The results you’re getting will be even better.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - jteneyck - 05-11-2018

(05-11-2018, 10:30 AM)jlanciani Wrote: Hi John, you might try upping the TSP to 1 cup and use the hottest water you have available. The results you’re getting will be even better.

Thanks John.  I'll give it a try.  And, yes, really hot water helps TSP dissolve.  I mixed some in an orange 5 gal pail and left it in the sun for several hours.  There was still a little undissolved solids in the bottom but the solution was clear.  

NOTE:  Strain this stuff through a paper cone filter when filling your garden sprayer.  That will catch any undissolved particles that will clog up the trigger and/or nozzle.  I now know how to disassemble the trigger mechanism on a garden sprayer.  You can avoid that bit of fun if you filter the solution.  

John


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - Robert Adams - 05-11-2018

Make sure to use real TSP not TSP Substitute. Its worthless usually a blue liquid. There was a time period several years ago where they stopped selling TSP retail here. Luckily they reversed that after a while. Really good stuff and hot water is always good for cleaning.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - FireWood - 05-11-2018

(05-11-2018, 02:56 PM)Robert Adams Wrote: Make sure to use real TSP not TSP Substitute. Its worthless usually a blue liquid. There was a time period several years ago where they stopped selling TSP retail here. Luckily they reversed that after a while. Really good stuff and hot water is always good for cleaning.

IIRC, around the same time they took the phosphate out of laundry detergent and dish detergent, they took the good stuff out of deck cleaners too.

TSP is still sold around here, and it is a good thing!

If you ever come across and old box of Cascade dish soap with the phosphates in it, BUY IT!  You'll be amazed at how clean your dishes are.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - jteneyck - 05-11-2018

(05-11-2018, 02:56 PM)Robert Adams Wrote: Make sure to use real TSP not TSP Substitute. Its worthless usually a blue liquid. There was a time period several years ago where they stopped selling TSP retail here. Luckily they reversed that after a while. Really good stuff and hot water is always good for cleaning.

Only TSP Substitute is available here and that's what I used.  I'm sure the genuine stuff works better, but the Substitute does work.  

John

A quick check on Amazon shows the genuine stuff is available there.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - Robert Adams - 05-11-2018

(05-11-2018, 04:23 PM)FireWood Wrote: IIRC, around the same time they took the phosphate out of laundry detergent and dish detergent, they took the good stuff out of deck cleaners too.

TSP is still sold around here, and it is a good thing!

If you ever come across and old box of Cascade dish soap with the phosphates in it, BUY IT!  You'll be amazed at how clean your dishes are.

              That used to be the go to soap for flushing car radiators. Worked great. Its probably available south of the border. One liquid cleaner had to do a recall as they shipped the mexican market stuff to the us. The mexican version is much more effective but not legal for sale here anymore.


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - fredhargis - 05-12-2018

What about using such a solution on concrete? I know the chlorine would be bad, but if you flushed it off that quickly it shouldn't cause a problem(?).


RE: Deck Cleaner PSA - fishhh4 - 05-12-2018

John .....  you should consider CWF natural . Two easy day job . It can be applied with a garden sprayer . Make yourself up a spray shield out of luan . The beauty of CWF is it milks right up with TSP and bleach . Mild pressure washer takes it right back to original .
Let it dry a couple days . Apply CWF .
A maintenance coat in the fall might see you through a couple years .