How to Maintain Vinyl Decking
Vinyl decking is becoming more popular because it lasts longer and requires less maintenance than traditional wood decking. While it's less maintenance, it's not entirely maintenance free. You still need to keep the deck clean to prevent gouging of the vinyl material.
Vinyl decking won't rot like traditional wood decking will. It's much easier to keep up with, and it's designed to imitate real wood so it still looks great. It still requires some maintenance to keep it looking great.
What You'll Need:
- Deck broom
- Garden hose with sprayer
- Vinegar
- Dish soap
- Bucket
- Deck scrub brush
- Keep the deck swept to avoid gouging the vinyl. You'll also need to sweep before you clean it to remove any debris and loose dirt that may have accumulated.
- Inspect the deck for stains or mildew. Vinyl is resistant to mold, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to get it. If you see stains or mildew you want to treat this before you move on. Spray the affected area with a mix of vinegar and water. A 1:1 ratio is all that's needed. Let this sit for several minutes and then rinse it away.
- Create a mix of water and dish soap in the bucket. A gallon of water and three tablespoons of dish soap is sufficient.
- Use the deck scrub brush and the soap mix to scrub the vinyl deck. The deck scrub brush will have a long handle and a wide surface area to make this job easy. Pay special attention to any areas that are heavily soiled.
- Use the garden hose with the sprayer to rinse all of the soap off the deck when you're done. You want to keep spraying until all of the soap is gone. Leaving soap residue on vinyl can cause discoloration under the sunlight.
- Let the deck dry before you start using it again.