Looking for an easy and inexpensive fashion to launder your deck? This oxygen bleach homemade deck cleaner works great well and is not-toxic…it won't harm your plants, pets or kids.

The Best Non-Toxic Inexpensive DIY Deck Cleaner
The Best Non-Toxic Cheap DIY Deck Cleaner

Information technology'southward the beginning of summer…time to start inviting some friends over to hang out on the deck!  The only problem?  The deck is covered in clay and algae (and this winter was particularly cool and clammy around here…perfect algae growing conditions!)

The Deck "Before" using the best (inexpensive and non-toxic) homemade deck cleaner ever!
The Deck "Before"

Information technology definitely needs to be cleaned!

Deck with plants after using the best (Inexpensive and Non-Toxic) DIY deck cleaner ever!
Deck with plants

Over the years, I accept tried lots of unlike shop-bought cleaning products.  Some work ameliorate than others, merely almost all of them are actually hard on the plants effectually my deck (and every bit you tin see, I have a lot of plants around my deck!)…non to mention toxic for my pets and the stream flowing behind my firm.

I'g too not a big fan of using force per unit area washers on the deck…if you lot don't get the spray force adjusted to the right level, it will accept the surface off the deck boards…which makes the deck rough (and seems to make the grime come back even faster).

The Deck after using the best (inexpensive and eco-friendly) homemade deck cleaner ever!
The Deck "Later"

I finally stumbled across a bootleg deck cleaner that is safety for plants, animals, and kids, doesn't cost very much, and actually works really well!  Oxi-Clean (otherwise known as oxygen bleach)!

Oxygen bleach uses oxygen ions to break apart the dirt which means no harmful chemicals are involved at all…and it's inexpensive.  I have a fairly large deck, and it takes about 2 cups of Oxi-Clean to do the whole thing.

Read on to encounter how to make your own inexpensive and non-toxic homemade deck cleaner (and how to utilise it).

Ingredients & Supplies

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  • Oxygen Bleach – I used Oxi-Make clean*
  • Deck scrub castor*
  • Bucket
  • Garden hose with a spray nozzle

How To Make Oxygen Bleach Homemade Deck Cleaner

Deck Cleaning Supplies | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
Deck Cleaning Supplies

Non just is this homemade deck launder constructive, it is also really easy to make…the but two ingredients you lot need are Oxygen Bleach (eg. Oxi-Clean*) and water.

Mix about ½ loving cup of oxygen bleach with 2 gallons of warm water in the saucepan until it dissolves.

Depending on the size of your deck, you may demand more than one batch to finish the job.

How To Clean Decking

The Deck "Before" | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
The Deck "Before"

Washing the deck with your homemade deck cleaning solution works best on a not-too-hot, non-too-sunny 24-hour interval and then that the water doesn't dry up before you have a chance to end.

If yous have a large deck, you lot may desire to clean sections of it at a fourth dimension to make sure the oxygen bleach solution doesn't dry on the boards (information technology's non the cease of the world if it does…it'll just mean more work for yous to become it off).

Soak the deck with a hose before starting | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) Homemade Deck Cleaner Ever!
Soak the deck with a hose earlier starting

one. Before applying your DIY deck cleaner, soak the deck with the hose.  This will open upwards the wood pores and make it easier to get rid of the dirt. I also use it to clean out whatsoever debris that may accept gathered in the cracks between the boards.

Spread the oxygen bleach solution on the deck with the scrub brush | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
Spread the oxygen bleach solution on the deck with the scrub brush

2. Employ the deck brush to spread the oxygen bleach cleaning solution over the deck.  If your deck has a pretty thick layer of dirt and algae like mine did, you'll need to scrub a lilliputian to get it into the grooves.

3. Go out the solution on the deck for virtually 10 minutes.

Rinse the solution off, taking all the dirt with it! | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) Homemade Deck Cleaner Ever!
Rinse the solution off, taking all the dirt with information technology!

iv. Then wash it off with the hose.  Yous can run across the green coming off with the h2o!

The deck after being rinsed ...guess which part has been washed... | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
The deck later beingness rinsed

If you have some actually muddy spots, you may need to give them a second handling.  I ordinarily use the skid exam…if the boards are withal glace when moisture, there's all the same algae left on the surface…

The deck after cleaning | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) Homemade Deck Cleaner Ever!
The deck later cleaning

Later on it dries, your deck will look every bit good as new.

Enjoy Your Clean Deck

Put out your furniture and your umbrellas on your newly cleaned deck | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
Put out your furniture and your umbrellas on your newly cleaned deck

Later on the deck has been washed with your DIY deck cleaner, you tin can bring out the furniture and the umbrellas.

In my example, those usually need cleaning, likewise…that algae grows everywhere! Fortunately, this oxygen bleach deck cleaner also works really well on patio furniture, siding, wood or poly-vinyl fences and pretty much whatever other outdoor surface that needs to be washed.

Relax with some iced tea | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) DIY Deck Cleaner Ever!
Relax with some iced tea

Then sit down with a cold iced tea (or whatsoever your drink of choice is) and relax on your clean deck!

The plants are completed unharmed | The Best (Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly) Homemade Deck Cleaner Ever!
The plants are completely unharmed.

It's hard to believe this is the aforementioned wood that was and so light-green before!  And the plants are completely unharmed.

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Have comments or questions on the best inexpensive, non toxic homemade deck cleaner?  Tell united states in the section below.


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Homemade Deck Cleaner