How to Clean a Wood Deck the Right Way in 2025
Many homeowners make the mistake of using chlorine bleach to clean their deck, thinking it will effectively remove mold and mildew. However, using bleach can cause long-term damage to your wood, leading to discoloration, splintering, and premature aging. The good news? There’s a safer and more effective way to clean your deck in 2025.
Why You Should Avoid Chlorine Bleach on Your Deck
Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is a powerful sanitizer that kills bacteria and viruses, but it is not designed to clean wood decks. Here’s why using bleach is a bad idea:
- It Damages Wood Fibers: Bleach destroys lignin, the natural glue that holds wood fibers together. This weakens the wood, causing it to splinter and turn an unattractive gray color.
- It Doesn’t Kill Mold at the Root: Mold has deep roots in porous surfaces like wood. Bleach only removes mold on the surface, while the water content of bleach actually feeds the mold underneath. This often leads to faster, darker regrowth.
- It Strips Deck Stains and Sealers: If your deck is stained or sealed, using bleach can cause premature failure, fading, and a blotchy appearance.
- It Harms Surrounding Plants: Bleach runoff can kill grass, flowers, and landscaping around your deck, requiring extra precautions to protect your yard.
When it comes to chlorine bleach, think of it as a household cleaner for non-porous surfaces—kitchens and bathrooms—not for outdoor wood decks.
The Best Way to Clean Your Wood Deck in 2025
If you want a safe and effective way to clean your deck, use Restore-A-Deck Cleaner. This specialized wood cleaner is designed to remove dirt, mildew, and stains without harming the wood’s natural structure.
Why Restore-A-Deck Cleaner is the Best Choice:
? Safe for Wood: Unlike bleach, it preserves the lignin and fibers, keeping your deck strong and looking great.
? No Power Washer Needed: The formula is strong enough to clean the wood with just a garden hose. Simply apply, let it sit for 10–15 minutes, and rinse off.
? Safe for Plants and Grass: No need to cover or protect surrounding vegetation—it won’t cause harm.
? Prepares Wood for Staining: If you plan to stain or seal your deck, Restore-A-Deck Cleaner ensures a clean surface for the best adhesion and longevity.
How to Use Restore-A-Deck Cleaner:
- Mix the cleaner according to the instructions.
- Apply with a pump sprayer, brush, or roller.
- Let it sit for 10–15 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or pressure washer on low.
Final Thoughts
To keep your deck looking its best, avoid using chlorine bleach, which can do more harm than good. Instead, choose Restore-A-Deck Cleaner for a deep clean that protects your wood and extends the life of your deck.
For the best results, get Restore-A-Deck Cleaner online or at your local hardware store today!
10 comments
I have a log home and most log home manufactures suggest bleach to clean weathered logs. I have used diluted bleach succesfully for a long time. It is necessary to power wash it off and maybe use a neutralizer before any finish is applied. Most log suppliers and experts suggest 25% bleach and 75% water. This is for bare logs. My logs were then coated with an oil base translucent UV protective coating. It is important to not leave it on to long. Most deck cleaners i have looked at seem to contain the chemical name for chlorine bleach and certainly smell like chlorine bleach. You do not want to use chlorine bleach on Cedar however. Oxygen bleach works much better.
Charles, bleach is bad for wood as it breaks down the lignin that holds the wood cells together. This has been proven numerous times. Best to use a Oxygenated Wood Deck Cleaner. In addition, you should follow the advice of the stain manufacturer, not the log home manufacturer as prepping is specific to the stain being used, not the wood.
So once I use the oxygen bleach as a cleaner, and the deck dries, I can stain? Do I need a brightener first?
You should always use a wood brightener to neutralize a cleaner.
What if sealer has not been applied yet? Is there a way to fix the white that the bleach caused? My sister did this in a solution (bleach, Dawn and water) that I use for washing the house down.
It would help to use a the Defy Wood Cleaner and Wood Brightener to help restore the natural color.
Kate,
If he already sealed the wood then you have a even bigger mess to fix.
You would need to strip off everything and start over.
Sorry you have such a mess!
My husband didn’t know that you aren’t supposed to use chlorine bleach to clean our deck… He had our neighbor put the bleach into the pressure washer and it left lines all over the deck. So the neighbor thought he’d just pour the bleach from the jug straight into the deck and use a mop to rub it in. Now I can see the poor wood is definitely in bad shape. He didn’t do this to the entire deck, just 1/3 of it. It sucks that our deck is only a year old. How
Do we correct it?? My husband is out there now spraying it with sealer. So we have one part that is white (and splotchy from the bleach) and the other parts he hadn’t gotten to yet. How do we save it and make the deck color look even all over???
Thank you, another good article about no bleach. Not only does it breakdown the wood fibers, it also changes the pH of the wood thus causing a premature coating failure.
Oxygen bleach is fantastic! It cleaned the vinyl siding to my house with almost no elbow grease, safely disinfected all my kids’ Little Tyke plastic furniture, and my husband grabbed some out of the laundry room to test a patch of the deck with it- worked great!