Do you have a deck in your home? Keeping your deck clean and well-maintained is vital in making sure that it lasts for a long time. Regular maintenance will also mean the prevention of premature wear and tear as well. Most decks are made from wood, and wood will contract and expand according to the temperature. Because of this, dirt and grime will tend to accumulate and seep on the wood as time passes. In order to make sure that your deck remains clean, a thorough cleaning once a year is recommended. However, as a homeowner, you should still regularly clean your deck. But how do you do it? What are some of the steps you need to take to make sure that your deck remains clean? Consider the following tips below:

• The first step to take when cleaning your deck is to remove everything in it. Transfer all chairs, plants, pots, grills, and other furniture in order to be able to clean the area. If you want, you can work with one side first before working on the other side of your deck.
• If you don’t want to remove everything from your deck area, especially if you are growing some vegetables, you can drape some plastic over the sensitive zones or the areas that you don’t want to catch water.
• Check if everything is in place. Before grabbing your broom to sweep the area, you should first check if all areas of your deck are properly screwed. Take a look at the flashing and ledger that connects the deck to your home. If you notice that some screws are loose, contact an expert right away.
• The next step would be to sweep your deck and get rid of all the dust that has built up on the surface of your deck. You may also want to get rid of the dust on the sides, along with the area under your deck. This is so that moisture will not build up in the area.
• After getting rid of the dust on your deck, you can then use a deck cleaner. What you have to do is to spread the cleaner on your deck, so that you can get rid of any stains that may be present. Scrub each area of your deck, and then rinse everything after.
• After rinsing, let everything dry first before putting back any of the furniture. Wood decks can be fragile when wet, so be sure to move back only the items once the deck is already dry so that it won’t cause any mold growth.