Composite Decking is often sold for its elegant design, its resistance to rot, and its low maintenance. However, being easy to care for isn’t the same as not caring for it at all. When you install a composite deck, you still need to sweep regularly to clear the deck of debris. If you don’t, dirt and soil can accumulate on your deck. Luckily, the deep cleaning process isn’t as intensive for composite decks as it is for traditional decks. Rather than needing to clean and re-stain like you would with a wooden deck, a composite deck only requires simple cleaning products you have in your very own home. Read our simple guide of how to care for your Brisbane composite decking—from regular maintenance to more thorough cleans.
List of Tools
Cleaning a composite deck is super simple! Find some of you can do it with household objects you already own.
- Soft bristle broom
- Bucket
- Hose
- General Cleaner
- Sponge
- Household Degreaser
- Hard bristle brush
General Maintenance
The best way to keep your composite deck clean is by regularly sweeping it with a broom to get rid of any built-up leaves, seeds, pollen, dust, and dirt. This will reduce the build up of dirt and grime that can build between the cracks of the wood or form permanent stains.
Another deeply important thing to do is that whenever there is a spill on the deck to wipe it up as soon as possible. Composite decks are very durable, but they’re still vulnerable to stains. Use a cloth to soak up the stain and water to rinse it as soon as you can so it doesn’t get absorbed by the wood.
We’ll first give advice on doing general cleaning for your boards, and then on more thorough cleaning.
How to Clean Composite Decks
- Rather than trying to clean the whole deck at once, divide the deck into sections. This will ensure that soap won’t dry on the boards and give your deck a hazy look.
- Dry sweep the deck with a soft-bristle broom in the direction of the grain.
- Mix general cleaner and warm water into a bucket until it’s nice and soapy.
- Wet a section of the deck boards with a hose.
- Spread the soapy mixture over the wet section of boards with a soft-bristled broom.
- Rinse the soapy mixture with clean water from the hose.
How to Remove Stains from Composite Decks
The above method should work for general dirt and grime buildup on a deck, but sometimes accidents happen, and you aren’t able to immediately clean up a spill, which ends up creating a stain. Here’s how to clean it up.
- Dry sweep the stain area with a soft-bristle broom.
- Mix warm water and general detergent in a bucket.
- Use a sponge to scrub the stain.
- If the stain remains, gently use a hard-bristle broom to remove the rest of the stain. (Make sure to brush with the grain, but not too aggressively, so you don’t scratch the boards.)
Products for Different Types of Stains
- Here is a list of what products to use for different types of stains.
- Oil-based stains (barbeque splatter or suncream): Household degreaser.
- Rust Stains: Mix of oxalic acid and warm water.
- Stubborn Grease and Oil Stains: Sodium Carbonate Solutions specific to the type of oil stain on your deck.
Cleaning Don’ts
- We don’t recommend using a pressure washer. This is because even at its lowest setting, there is a chance of it scratching the paint and finish of your deck boards.
- Don’t let stains sit there. While composite boards are more resistant to grime and rot, they aren’t impervious to stains. Mop up any stains as soon as you can.
- Avoid stainers, paints, or bleach to clean a stain, as these can damage the integrity of your boards.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you’ll now have the ability to maintain a clean deck that is gorgeous to look at and lasts a long time. If you have any questions like cost of composite decking or composite deck maintenance, or wish to enquire Trade Builders Supplies about which composite deck boards that will be the best for your upcoming project, feel free to contact us. We’ll be more than happy to help.
