1. Prep for safety. Pressure washers are powerful tools that can cause serious bodily harm. Be sure to dress appropriately: Put on long pants, sturdy footwear, and goggles, and avoid oversized clothing or dangly jewelry.
2. Clear the deck. Remove all of the furniture and any movable objects, especially breakable ones. Sweep the deck clean of debris so any stains (tree sap, mildew, and more) are revealed.
3. Apply cleanser. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for loading soap (like Simple Green concentrate) into the pressure washer tank. This step will help loosen up embedded dirt. (If your deck isn’t that dirty or stained, you may want to skip this.) Make sure you have the right nozzle installed in the machine’s wand, power up the pressure washer, and proceed to spray the cleaner all over the deck with long strokes.
If you are dealing with deck stains, let the cleaner sit for 15 minutes. And avoid hot days because the heat could hold a stain in place or add additional discoloration.
4. Scrub with a stiff brush. Your goal is to get into tight corners and near railings and give those spots a good once-over. Don’t let the detergent dry or you’ll risk streaking.
5. Proceed to pressure washing. Use a wide nozzle to pressure wash your deck. Be sure to follow the grain of the wood, using wide sweeping motions and keeping the nozzle about 2 feet away from the surface. (You can get closer, but avoid getting closer than 6 inches so you don’t damage the wood.) When you’re done, turn the machine off and pull the trigger to release leftover pressure and drain the water line.
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