http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/swab-the-deck/
(Apr 24, 2008)
Our decks take a beating during winter with all the exposure to rain, snow and dirt. How do you get rid of winter and get your deck ready for spring? Proper cleaning is the first step. 
Scrub a dub
If your deck is very dirty then the only way to get it really clean is to get down on your hands and knees for a deep scrubbing. Most home experts and contractors advise against power washers since it can leave the wood frayed and uneven. A bit of elbow grease combined with the right cleaner goes a long way.
Cleaners to avoid
You want to avoid using the usual bleach or conventional deck soaps. Bleach gives off harmful fumes and the residue in your rinse water also ends up in your garden, harming or even killing plants and shrubs. And if you’re using bleach to clean up mildew -- forget it! A study conducted by Professor Jeffrey Morrell, Dept. of Wood Science, Oregon State University found that bleach "doesn’t eliminate the surface micro flora." It doesn’t kill the roots of the mould, only bleaches it so we think it’s been cleaned away, when it hasn't.
Conventional soap is not much better since it also has toxic chemicals that will contaminate the soil around it. It can also kill off beneficial bugs and drive the birds from your garden.
Natural soaps
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds makes an excellent cleaner for decks. It’s made with pure fur and spruce essential oils that is mild but works well on hard-surface cleaning. With no synthetic dyes or fragrances, it biodegrades rapidly after doing its job. Home Soap’s All Purpose Home Household cleaner is another great all purpose soap that will get the deck sparkling. Its blend of coconut derivatives and essential oils that cut grease and dirt put is easy on your hands and the garden.
Oxygen clean
A new kind of cleaner, sodium percarbonate (not to be confused with sodium bicarbonate -baking soda) makes an excellent deck cleaner. This white particle powder is non-toxic, non-flammable, biodegradable and soluble in water. Much less harsh than bleach, it's mildly acidic and reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide, which cleans and brightens. It’s particularly good at lightening heavily darkened wood but is also an excellent stain remover. There are several brand names sold at grocery and hardware stores but the secret is to look at the percentage of sodium percarbonate in the mixture. Cheaper brands will have up to 40 percent filler much as soda ash, chalk or dust. You want a higher percentage of the actual sodium percarbonate.
Avoid the dirt
Once you’ve gotten your deck in top shape there are some things to watch out for:You’re asking for it with bird feeders on the deck. Bird droppings will stain your deck and make it difficult to keep clean. So feed the birds in your garden away from your deck. Plants are great on the patio but plant containers can leave behind some nasty marks. Moisture trapped underneath containers will leave hard-to-remove stains and may cause the wood to rot. Buy containers with legs or place them up on small blocks to create ventilation underneath. You can also move the container around the patio. Heavy pot can go on wheels. Anne Colvey is a Montreal based journalist who lets her husband clean their deck.
Swab the deck
Image: istockphoto.com/Lydia Dotto
Scrub a dub
If your deck is very dirty then the only way to get it really clean is to get down on your hands and knees for a deep scrubbing. Most home experts and contractors advise against power washers since it can leave the wood frayed and uneven. A bit of elbow grease combined with the right cleaner goes a long way.
Cleaners to avoid
You want to avoid using the usual bleach or conventional deck soaps. Bleach gives off harmful fumes and the residue in your rinse water also ends up in your garden, harming or even killing plants and shrubs. And if you’re using bleach to clean up mildew -- forget it! A study conducted by Professor Jeffrey Morrell, Dept. of Wood Science, Oregon State University found that bleach "doesn’t eliminate the surface micro flora." It doesn’t kill the roots of the mould, only bleaches it so we think it’s been cleaned away, when it hasn't.
Conventional soap is not much better since it also has toxic chemicals that will contaminate the soil around it. It can also kill off beneficial bugs and drive the birds from your garden.
Natural soaps
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds makes an excellent cleaner for decks. It’s made with pure fur and spruce essential oils that is mild but works well on hard-surface cleaning. With no synthetic dyes or fragrances, it biodegrades rapidly after doing its job. Home Soap’s All Purpose Home Household cleaner is another great all purpose soap that will get the deck sparkling. Its blend of coconut derivatives and essential oils that cut grease and dirt put is easy on your hands and the garden.
Oxygen clean
A new kind of cleaner, sodium percarbonate (not to be confused with sodium bicarbonate -baking soda) makes an excellent deck cleaner. This white particle powder is non-toxic, non-flammable, biodegradable and soluble in water. Much less harsh than bleach, it's mildly acidic and reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide, which cleans and brightens. It’s particularly good at lightening heavily darkened wood but is also an excellent stain remover. There are several brand names sold at grocery and hardware stores but the secret is to look at the percentage of sodium percarbonate in the mixture. Cheaper brands will have up to 40 percent filler much as soda ash, chalk or dust. You want a higher percentage of the actual sodium percarbonate.
Avoid the dirt
Once you’ve gotten your deck in top shape there are some things to watch out for:
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