How to Clean a Deck without a Pressure Washer (Renter Friendly)
How to Clean a Deck Without a Pressure Washer
If you’re anything like me, you might either be one of two things:
a) intimidated to use a pressure washer for fear of ruining the wood
b) much rather save money and not rent a pressure washer and use the hose you currently own.
I figured out an easy way to clean my deck without the pressure washer AND I found everything I needed at my local Home Depot! Thank you Home Depot for sponsoring this post! Even though this is #sponsored, please know all thoughts and experiences expressed are my own!
Materials Needed:
30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner (or your favorite brand)
Olympic Waterguard Sealer (or your favorite sealer)
Tools Needed:
The balcony served as our outdoor entertaining area when we first moved in, but quickly turned into my “woodworking shop” since I don’t have any other designated space. There are tons of wood scraps laid around as well pallets, our old rusty BBQ grill, and a makeshift child safety fence the previous tenant installed.
I started by removing everything on the actual balcony and transferred them into contractor bags. Once the deck was clear, I removed the fence so we could have access to clean and seal the railing and spindles
After decluttering, my husband and I inspected the deck to make sure there were no loose boards, harsh/sharp edges etc. If we wanted to make any repairs or sanding, we wanted to do it now before cleaning the deck. Can you imagine going through the cleaning efforts just to create sawdust and clean again? We wanted to eliminate as many steps as possible.
My family and I have lived in this apartment for about 3 years and I never cleaned the deck with a cleaning solution. Last year, I noticed some algae and mold building up that caused the deck to be extremely slippery. This year, I decided to clean and tackle this before the pollen rolls around. I was personally quite intimidated to use a pressure washer for the deck for fear of messing up the boards, so I decided to use the 30 second cleaner that required just a regular hose and a deck scrub brush.
I diluted the cleaning concentrate according to the instructions on the label and began spraying the deck. After I was done spraying the entire deck, I used the deck scrubber to help lift the dirt, algae, mold, etc. The instructions said you don’t necessarily have to do this but I was hoping to do the cleaning part just once, plus like I said earlier, this deck has not been thoroughly cleaned in years!
After cleaning the deck, I was SHOCKED at how amazing the cleaner actually worked. The deck looked absolutely amazing and so clean and I’m so happy I was able to achieve these results without the use of a pressure washer.
I let the deck dry completely before adding the sealer (plus, we had to wait for the temperature to get a little warmer). Working in small sections, I used the sprayer to add a generous amount of the sealer then brushed the area with a paint brush to provide even coverage. I would have loved to add a stain, but since this is a rental, I can’t stain the color based on my preference. I really like the sealer! It worked perfectly for the deck and didn’t darken the wood at all! I also loved how it went on like an iridescent milky texture so I knew exactly where I left off.
I needed this deck cleaned so I could actually work on a much bigger project! A Renter Friendly pergola! No bolts, screws, or anything was placed on the deck!! Want to know how I built it? Click here.
