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Homemade Composite Deck Cleaner (Eco-Friendly)

Learn how to easily clean your composite deck with our homemade cleaner. I am always skeptical of homemade cleaners, but this sure did the trick on our deck.

before gray mildew covered deck with arrow pointed to clean after gray composite deck.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full privacy policy.

Our Deck

Our gray composite deck tends to show a lot of dirt and mildew. I was hesitant to do this DIY cleaning project, but I am so happy that I did it. It was super easy and the results will show for themselves without using harmful chemicals.

Ways To Clean Composite Decking

  • Use a pressure washer
  • Specific deck and house cleaners
  • Bought Eco-friendly cleaners
  • Soapy water with a brush
  • Create your own DIY deck cleaner using ingredients you probably already have

We have seen DIY deck cleaner recipes that add Oxi Clean to the above mixture to help clean wood decks. But is this the best deck cleaner? Why buy a harmful deck cleaner when a more natural solution can be one of the best composite deck cleaners?

bucket filled with mildew after DIY cleaning used.

Why We Chose To Use Homemade Cleaner

When power washing, the stream can damage the deck surface if it is too strong. Other cleaners are not always as eco-friendly. Making your own composite cleaner is cheaper than buying it, and we were shocked at how easily it took care of stubborn stains. We think it is your best option, and it involves very basic steps.

Picking A Deck Cleaning Brush

red deck cleaning brush on gray composite decking.

One of the most important parts of cleaning your composite decking is having the right brush. Look for a brush with soft enough bristles. The one we ended up finding that works the best is meant for cleaning cars and has a hose attachment. 

I did not want to scrape my deck and thought of trying a soft brush first. The deck brush we used was the Libman 6.5 ft. Flow-Thru Wash Brush.

Similar deck brushes

Before You Begin

Any time you use something new to clean, we recommend that you test it in a small area to ensure that the colors don’t change or that the Trex deck doesn’t get damaged.

red brush showing clean path done with homemade deck cleaner.

IMPORTANT! Don’t put this mixture in your power washer when pressure washing. It will ruin your machine and is not a good idea.

Recommended Supplies

  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • Deck cleaning brush
  • Hose with sprayer
  • A bucket filled with 1 Gallon of water
supplies used for composite deck cleaner, vinegar, baking soda, bucket and brush.

According to Live Science, the vinegar acid “ breaks down the baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide that can help lift dirt from the surface” and is effective because it is on opposite ends of the PH scale. Just make sure that you don’t use these in a 1:1 ratio. You need to make your mixture either more acidic or basic based on your cleaning needs. 

Using The Cleaner

Step 1: The first step is to sweep or brush off loose dirt, leaves, etc.

the before dirty composite gray decking with mildew on it.

Step 2: Make the DIY composite deck cleaner by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Dump in 1/4 cup of baking soda. Make sure you are using a large enough bucket because your vinegar and baking soda will fizz.

hand scooping 1/4 cup baking soda to add to blue bucket.

Step 3: Spray the surface of the deck with a garden hose first.

hand holding spray on hose to wet deck down.

Step 4: Dip the soft bristle brush in homemade deck cleaner and sweep it on. We were shocked at how it naturally broke down the mildew.

deck brush being put in DIY cleaning solution in blue bucket.

Step 5: Work in small sections and spray off each area as you finish.

red deck brush with clean path on gray composite decking.

Step 6: Enjoy your beautiful and clean deck.

close up of gray composite clean deck boards.

Follow us on Pinterest, YouTube or Facebook for more DIY inspiration!

Tips

  • Do not try to clean the entire deck at once. Work in small sections spraying composite material as you go.
  • Do not let any mixture sit for too long on a sunny day (whether wood decking or composite).
  • Rinse your deck’s surface completely with clean water for a thorough cleaning
  • Tough stains may require a little more elbow grease and a small deck brush

Now you can say goodbye to mildew on your deck with this easy eco-friendly deck cleaning solution!

Homemade Composite Deck Cleaner (Eco-Friendly)

Learn how to easily clean your composite decking with this DIY homemade composite deck solution.
Print Tutorial
red brush showing clean path done with homemade deck cleaner.
Prep:5 minutes
Active Time:30 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes

Equipment

Supplies

  • 1 cup White Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
  • 1 Gal Warm Water

Instructions

  • The first step is to sweep or brush off loose dirt, leaves, etc.
  • Make DIY composite deck cleaner by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Dump in 1/4 cup of baking soda. Make sure you are using a large enough bucket because your vinegar and baking soda will fizz.
  • Spray the surface of the deck with a garden hose first.
  • Dip soft bristle brush in homemade deck cleaner and sweep on. We were shocked how it naturally broke down the mildew.
  • Work in small sections and spray off each area as you finish.
  • Enjoy your beautiful and clean deck.

Video

Notes

  • Work in small sections.
  • Make sure to fully rinse your decking before and after.
  • Always test cleaning solutions in a small area first to make sure it is safe for your specific deck.
Author: Erin Nutter
Cost: under $5

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