4 Tips on How to Clean Trex Decking (With Pictures)
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Jana Blagojevic
- Last updated:
To maintain the long-lasting beauty of your Trex decking, cleaning it regularly and properly can go a long way. If you clean your deck regularly, which should be around twice a year, you should be able to clean it efficiently with soap, warm water, and a soft bristle brush. Not maintaining it regularly will make the times you do clean it far more difficult, due to the build-up of dirt and grime.
Learn the proper way to take care of your Trex decking and enjoy its long-lasting features with minimal effort below.
The 4 Tips on How to Clean Trex Decking
1. Rinse the debris off your Trex decking with water
Before cleaning your Trex decking with a solution, it is important to rinse it off from any dirt, mud, or debris that may have accumulated over time. You can use a pressure washer for this step, with a ”spray” setting of the nozzle. Using a hose, any collected dust and dirt will flow off, giving your decking a good rinse. The debris left after hosing everything down will be handled using stronger methods.
2. Create a solution for cleaning the deck
You can create a solution of warm water and soap for any debris that is caked onto the deck and difficult to remove with only water. Any patterns, ridges, and crevices of the deck will surely have dirt or mud stuck, especially if this is the first clean after a long time.
For this project, it is necessary to use ammonia-free dish soap to prevent stains from appearing on your Trex deck. Fill the bucket with warm water and add two tablespoons of dish soap. Mix the solution until foam starts forming on the surface.
3. Scrub the deck with a soft bristle brush
After applying the soapy solution, give your deck a gentle scrub with a soft bristle brush. Dip the brush in the soapy mixture and continue scrubbing the ridges of the deck carefully. Continue this process repeatedly as needed. If you have a larger deck area, you may need to mix more soap.
4. Rinse the area with water thoroughly for a final finish
The last step is another crucial step in this project: rinsing the Trex deck with water one final time. Using a hose or a pressure washer, rinse your Trex deck and remove any foam or suds. Leaving bubbles from foam to dry will form a sticky film on the surface of your deck. Rinsing the deck thoroughly with water will prevent the sticky film from causing stains or collecting even more dust.
Care & Cleaning Tips
It is important to note which type of cleaning your decking needs. Depending on the type of stain or dirt, there are several effective ways to clean Trex decking thoroughly.
- Oil and grease: All greasy spills need to be removed as soon as possible, which also means any spilled food or drinks. Mix a solution of soap and warm water, and never wait more than a week to clean the stain.
- Mold and mildew: When certain types of debris linger on the deck’s surface for too long, problems such as mold and mildew development problems can occur. While these issues may seem difficult to handle and remove from your deck, there is a straightforward solution. First, remove the mold with a soft bristle brush and then use a warm water and soap solution.
- Dirt and debris: First, remove any accumulated debris off the deck with a hose and create a warm water and soap solution for a thorough cleaning. To remove mud, you can use a pressure washer with a maximum PSI of 3100. Spray the deck with the soap from the pressure washer, scrub it with a soft bristle brush, and thoroughly wash it with a fan nozzle tip. Bring the nozzle at most 8 inches to the deck.
- Water stains: Water stains can occur when the water used for cleaning the deck contains high levels of mineral deposits. These mineral deposits become visible once the hard water dries on the deck’s surface. This is best to clean using white vinegar and a dry cloth. In some cases, you may need to use a deck brightener product to give your Trex deck a fresh look.
- Ice and snow: You can use a plastic shovel to remove any snow off your Trex decking, and if ice tends to accumulate on the deck, pour on rock salts or calcium chloride to melt it.
Conclusion
Cleaning your Trex deck is not as complicated and can easily be done in one afternoon. This project tends to be fun for most homeowners, and if you have the right equipment and tools, it can become a fun activity to do with your kids. Depending on the amount of debris collected on your deck, you may need to repeat this process twice. It would be best to clean it frequently and practice regular maintenance to prevent the accumulation of sticky gunk on your deck.
Featured Image Credit: Zac Gudakov, Unsplash
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