This video illustrates the basic process I use when cleaning decks with “oxygen bleach.” It can be done with a bucket and scrub brush, but I most often use it as shown here.
Oxygen bleach (a.k.a. sodium percarbonate, or hydrogen peroxide) is a good tool to have in your cleaning toolbox. It’s not for EVERY job, but nothing is.
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There sure are a lot of amateurs out trying to earn money (beats sitting on the sofa all day) that talk a lot about things they know little or nothing about like chemicals, how they do or don’t work and why etc. I especially love how folks are frequently looking for an ‘easier way’ to get great results with ‘new’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ products, which are you guessed it~chemicals. Nothing beats pressure washing in 99% of all cases where wood needs to be ‘cleaned’ and the key ingredient is good ol H20. I can hear the arguments now for all those special cases where using a pressure washer just isn’t feasible…that usually means the wood has been horribly neglected for many years, is brittle and beaten by sunlight or is half rotten and is no longer fit for duty. But people will believe what they want to believe and people will do what people will do…I suppose that has always been and will always be the case…
The power washer has 99 percent credit to the cleaning..Years ago, I had my own Steam Cleaning business with a 3000 PSI. Don’t take much chemicals to do a job with a good quality Steam Cleaner like a Landa..Can’t fool me in that business, I’ve done it long enough to know whats going on 🙂
Is this the same thing you use on cedar?
Where do you buy the SP. AND WHAT RATIO DO YOU USE?
I just ordered a couple of KG’s of straight sodium percarbonate as it’s a lot cheaper than buying a name brand oxygen bleach. Have you used that before and if so how’d it go? I have a full pine deck that is looking a little worse for wear!
I feel like it’s just the power washer that’s doing all the work here..
Thanks for the video. Is it safe to use oxygen bleach on teak furniture? Which product would you recommend to use as a sealer?
I just used DeckBrite, after doing a light sanding with a palm sander. The difference was astounding. My balcony is over an asphalt driveway, so I pre-soaked with driveway BEFORE I started using the DeckBrite. (Other brighteners have damaged the sealcoating.) And I made sure I kept the driveway wet while I was working on the balcony wood. And then I rinsed the driveway for almost fifteen minutes. It turned out wonderfully.
Should prewet the wood first but good job!
what is your mix ratio in the tank?
After you power washed, it looked to me like there was still some black in the grain of those boards. Isn’t that an indicator of mold/algae?
Are you using hot water to mix the oxygen bleach