How To Clean Trex Decking

How To Clean Composite Decking

Power washing your deck can be a big mistake and is not usually recommended for cleaning composite decks. Decks created from earlier-generation Trex products should not be pressure washed, because doing so may damage the decking materials. Instead, clean with warm, soapy water as noted above. If you spill food, grease or oil on your deck, immediately clean the area with hot water. Any remaining stains should be cleaned with Pour-N-Restore, a commercial cleaner.

Decking & Railing Duos

A deck cleaner made specifically for composite lumber may contain surfactants, ingredients that leave a thin protective layer on the surface to help repel staining. Composite deck cleaners are typically sprayed on, brushed with a soft deck brush, and then rinsed off with a garden hose. The deck cleaner will come with specific instructions for use and you should follow these carefully. The cleaner has to sit on the composite deck for a prescribed length of time and then washed off with a pressure washer.

• Once the material has been opened up, many issues can arise including chipping, sun damage, and mold staining the plastics inside the opening.
• Pressure washing too close or using too much pressure can ruin your deck.
• If you have to pressure wash your composite deck, remember to keep it at the lowest pressure possible and no closer than eight inches from the deck surface.
• Composite decking material is softer than natural wood, meaning it can be “etched” more easily.
• Once mold has stained has occurred, it can be extremely hard to remove.
• In most cases, a garden hose is sufficient for regular cleaning.

The Composite Deck Cleaning Process

This may happen once or twice after the initial cleaning. Once that phase is over, keep your composite decking looking good with a necessary routine cleaning. This can be done by diluting 4 parts water with 1-part Spray & Clean and spraying your deck every 60 days or so during the season. You can also spray an hour or two before an oncoming rain storm which is a perfect way to rinse your deck naturally. We try not to play favorites with our products but there’s no denying that Spray & Clean is one of our stars.

Buyers Guide: The Best Deck Cleaners

There are a few situations when it may be okay to use a power washer in your deck. Decks made of ASA, which is essentially a high-end capstock, tend to be a little more forgiving when power washed. Wood and composite decks can also sometimes be cleaned with a power washer, but only if you have a professional doing it. It’s also a bad idea to use a power washer on a composite deck because the power washer can actually take chips out of the composite material.

Design & Price

I make no guarantees on Trex because even they now it will not be 100%. Fred, that’s odd, composite decks shouldn’t have this issue. Maybe try using our Composite Deck Cleaner and see if that takes it off. If you have a pressure washer, maybe give it a light rinsing after allowing the cleaner to set for minutes. To clean a composite deck, sweep it with a broom or leaf blower at least once a week to get rid of dirt and debris. If your deck is still dirty, hose it down, scrub with a brush and soap, then, rinse with a hose. For a faster cleaning option, try using a pressure washer.

Instead, I recommend using DEFY Composite Deck Cleaner. This cleaner is specifically formulated for cleaning composite decking, including Trex. Like other wood deck varieties, composite decking is quite porous.

To remove mold from older Trex products, the company recommends using a deck wash that includes detergent and sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach. It specifically recommends Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner ($9.98 per gallon at Home Depot) and Expert Chemical’s Composite Deck Cleaner & Enhancer ($19.98 a gallon at expertchemicalinc.com). The cleaning process will go best if you select the right cleaner to begin with. I hate bleach because it kills plants and vegetation and it’s terrible to work with. It will kill the mildew spores, but doesn’t necessarily remove them from the surface of the wood.