On another topic, re: staining. If the temp is expected to reach the high 80's with the deck in full sun, can the RAD stain be applied in the morning, maybe in section over a couple days? Is there some amount of time the stain needs to be on before it reaches the upper temp limit? How about resuming in late afternoon as temp decreases?
Restore-A-Deck Cleaner Only

Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner: The BEST Deck Cleaner
Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner is a powdered concentrate that is mixed with water. It safely cleans and restores the natural beauty of exterior wood commonly found on decks, stairs, and fences. This product also cleans weathered composite lumber, removing mold, mildew, and algae along with the silver-gray color that can develop over time. This product restores all wood surfaces back to their original appearance. Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner will not harm wood fibers, pets, grass, or most plants.
Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner has consistently been rated the best wood and deck stain cleaner year over year and is used by pros and homeowners alike.
The Restore A Deck system is a multistep deck cleaning system, and best results are achieved when using all 3 products. This product is Step 1 Cleaner of the Restore A Deck system.
When & Where to use Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner
Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner removes dirt, grime, mold and mildew stains, and weathered graying from horizontal and vertical wood surfaces. It is recommended for surface preparation prior to application or reapplication of wood stains. For best results use Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains.
ADVANTAGES
- #1 Rated Wood and Deck Stain Cleaner
- Designed specifically for all Exterior Wood and Composite Decking
- Prep new wood, weathered wood, and maintenance coats
- Powdered formula makes 5 liquid gallons when mixed
- Extremely cost-effective. When mixed, the cost is less than $6 a gallon.
- Eco-Safe formulas safe for DIY deck cleaning
- Removes stains from wood caused by mold and mildew
- Removes wood graying caused by UV rays
- Removes dirt and debris from decks, stairs, and fences
- Safe to use on all exterior wood surfaces, not just decks
Note: Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner will slightly darken the wood. Use Restore-A-Deck Wood Brightener to restore all wood to its original color and as a neutralizer to further brighten other wood species that have been cleaned with Restore-A-Deck Wood Cleaner.
Coverage: 750-1000 sq.feet per container.
Restore-a-Deck Step 1 is a wood cleaner and preps stains for reapplication of a stain. It is not a stain stripper or remover of old stains. Please see Restore-A-Deck Stripper if you are trying to remove a semi-transparent stain.
Available Sizes: |
2 lb Container |
Powder Concentrate: |
1 Container Makes 5 Gallons |
Purpose: |
Wood Deck Cleaner |
Coverage Per Gallon: |
100-200 sq. ft Per Gallon |
Application Tools: |
Sprayer, Stiff Brush |
Neutralize: Yes |
RAD Step 2 |
Reviews
Sunday, 24 December 2017
#1 Rated Wood and Deck Cleaner that safely cleans and restores the natural beauty of exterior wood.
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We will reply to your comment shortly· 06/01/2021Our deck is 8 years or older, and we previously used the RAD stripper 2 yr ago to remove dying stain which brought it close to "new wood" look; it was not stained afterward. This time, we did the RAD cleaner and brightener process on the grayed-out deck in prep for staining. The cleaner gave mixed results: some wood like new, some still quite gray despite consistent treatment across the deck. The brightener was not applied until >1.5 hr after the cleaner due to power washing hiccups. Would you recommend repeating the cleaner/PW/brightener process, or go crazy and use the leftover stripper in lieu of the cleaner (a couple edge boards could use that anyway)? Any further guidance welcome.
On another topic, re: staining. If the temp is expected to reach the high 80's with the deck in full sun, can the RAD stain be applied in the morning, maybe in section over a couple days? Is there some amount of time the stain needs to be on before it reaches the upper temp limit? How about resuming in late afternoon as temp decreases? -
We will reply to your comment shortlyI have a 2 year old deck unstained, unsealed deck in NC. Recently cleaned with Olympic deck cleaner. The result was furring with many white boards. I would like to apply your RAD semi transparent dark walnut stain. 1) What do you suggest in prep for that? 2) if the 2nd coat of stain cannot be applied within the allotted time, when can it be recoated?
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We will reply to your comment shortly1. RAD Cleaner and Brighener Kits and if needed, lightly buff/sand off the furring.2. 6-12 months later after prepping again.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI have a 9 year old unstained cedar deck. It has been cleaned twice a year and clear sealed every 2 years, so wood is in good shape with some graying. I am trying Restore-A-Deck cleaner for first time. Do I need to use brightener? After cleaning and deck dries, I had planned to clear seal again with another vendor's product.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyYes, you need to brighten after cleaning.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWhen using the Cleaner and then Brightner on the new cedar decking should I cover the painted wood? I'm not sure if cleaner and brighter coming into contact with paint will cause problems? I can also just re-paint the granite colored boards again too. Really appreciate all the questions and answers below. Thanks.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIt does not remove paint. You can repaint that gray if needed.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyHi, does your deck cleaner contain a fungicide or mildewicide? Thank you!
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, it is not possible for a cleaner to have this in it. Those are for stains.
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We will reply to your comment shortly1. My pressure treated Southern pine deck was finished last summer Aug 31,2020 and I'm going to stain it with semi-transparent stain soon. Do I really need the cleaner or could I use a mild dish washing detergent, since it's brand new. 2. Do I need the brightener since it's brand new? Thank you, your site is very informative and beneficial for me, doing my first time w/deck care.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyYou have to use both cleaner and wood brightener for prep.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyHi I used RAD for the 1st time last year. Worked very well. I did 3 steps = wash/brighten/stain. Following a busy summer and harsh winter, I am ready to do some touch ups in a few high traffic areas. Do I just repeat the process - cleaner, brightener, stain?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyYes, correct.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWhere can I find restore a deck cleaner in Columbus Georgia
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWe sell online only.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWe have a large deck and there are a few high traffic spots that need to be restained, yearly. We originally used RAD strip/brighten to redo the entire deck with TWP stain last year; we don't want to make that a yearly thing.
To address the worn/open wood spots should we use RAD cleaner on the entire deck and restain or do we need to start from scratch again with a strip/brighten/stain approach? We do plan on using the same TWP stain, so I was under the impression I could just clean/restain...but now I am second guessing...-
We will reply to your comment shortlyUse the RAD Cleaner and then apply one coat to all floors.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI have a boat dock with IPE. It is very dark from being weathered and build up of algae in spots. I bought Stripper and Brightener. Is it okay to leave the IPE at that stage or does it need to be followed up with a stain?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIt should be stained.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIf I just stained my deck and house needs to be washed will the cleaner effect my stain / bleach it? What do I do
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We will reply to your comment shortlyMost likely it will damage the stain unless they wash with water only.
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We will reply to your comment shortly
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWe live in the Pacific NW. We had our redwood deck clean and stained two years ago (with Baer semi-transparent) and we were not happy with the results. It looked more like a solid stain or paint. Even after a redo immediately (sand and stain) with thinner coat, not a good result. However, the stain has not peeled in the past 2 years.
For now I just want to clean the dirt and mildew, and would like to wait to restain until next year (using RAD stain) if we can put it off. So I used mild bleach to clean a patch and it cleaned pretty easily with soft brush; the stain underneath looks ok.
Would you recommend for now the RAD Cleaner if I do NOT plan to restain? Will your RAD cleaner be too abrasive? And is there any reason to use another product such as the RAD Brightener now, if we don't plan to stain this year? Thank you.-
We will reply to your comment shortlyOur prep products are for when you plan on reapplying, not for general cleaning.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyAnd is the RAD cleaning product appropriate for what I'm describing?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, we did already say it is not for general cleaning, only for when you plan on reapplying.
When you do plan on recoating, you will have to fully remove the Behr before using the RAD semi-transparent stain.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyWhat steps would you recommend for a mahogany deck (was stained Australian flame) that we have started to power wash. We would like the wood to weather and were thinking to remove the old stain and seal with a clear coat. Thank you!
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We will reply to your comment shortlyUse the RAD Stripper and then the Brightener for prep. Stain with the RAD Stain in Light Walnut.
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We will reply to your comment shortly2 questions:
1) My front porch is covered, but faces South and for much of the day is about 1/2 sun and 1/2 shade (lengthwise down the middle of the deck). The sun part fades and loses protection. The shade part doesn’t fade and retains water (and stain) repellency, and doesn’t need re-staining. Do I need to strip the whole porch to re-finish? Is just using your cleaner on it sufficient? I don’t want to build up too thick a coat of finish, and I do want the finish to take. Last year when I just put the new finish on over the old, it spotted and didn’t take all that well - though it looks much better after wearing. What would you recommend?
2) Another 150 sq feet of my deck is uncovered and on the east side, and gets direct hot sun until about late-afternoon. It fades over the course of a year no matter what finish I put on it (I don’t want to use a solid stain, and I’ve used semi-transparent oil and water stains over the years). I have used your RAD stain (cedar) the last several years, and totally stripped and sanded the deck before applying. This year, I was having to take showers outside on this deck (don’t ask) and even though I was using small amounts of a very mild soap and rinsing the deck well after using, a good bit of the stain pretty much washed off large sections of it over where the soap was used. So now the deck is mottled. Should I strip the entire deck before applying the stain? Or, is cleaning before staining sufficient? Any other thoughts, like if I ever need to use soap over my deck again how to keep the finish from washing away?
Thanks for your help-
We will reply to your comment shortly1. Strip and brighten all is the correct way to even it out.2. Strip and brighten all. No need to sand.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI have a fence that was stained 5 years ago with TWP. Still looks good but faded. Do I use Restore-a-Deck cleaner, then stain, or do I have to use brightener as well? Can I skip the cleaner?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyAre you using the same stain and color?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI think it's the same color, but the stain was different formulation 5-6 years ago. I'm using 1511 California Redwood.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyTWP has not changed its 1500 formula, ever. If using the same product and color then use the Cleaner and Brightener for prep.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIn May 2020 I applied RAD Semi Transparent (Light Walnut) wet on wet on cedar deck. Looked Great, but did start to notice fading (late Aug. timeframe) after being in full sun (100 degree + days). I just recently used the RAD cleaner (Oct 2020). While using the cleaner with a scrub brush and washing if off with pressure washer I noticed I was back down to the original wood. Is that normal? I did purchase more stain. Do you recommend going back with a wet on wet application? Also, Is it best to dampen the deck before staining or should it be completely dry? Thanks for any assistance.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIs this recommended for siding as well? And can it be put in a pressure washer pump safely? How long should it sit on the siding before rinsing?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyYou can use this for cleaning siding but it cannot be applied through a pressure washer. Use a pump sprayer and then pressure wash off after 10-15 minutes.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI just used the cleaner then the brighter. Everything looks great. Unfortunately it’s going to rain today before I can stain. Do I need to re clean or brighten after the rain? Thanks
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, rain does not harm the prep.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyDoes RAD cleaner affect metal stair railing(It was black) in this pictures?
Should I need to make a cover to protect it?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, it should not harm the metal spindles.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI sanded my pergola. It still has lots of silver/grey patches. Can I stain now or should I use your cleaner. I will be staining with a water based semi solid stain from Sherwin Williams.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyClean and brighten the wood for prep.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyI used RAD on a new deck that was built 6 months ago. Waited week and half before staining. Now after a month we are having rains and the sap is bleeding out. Is this caused by the cleaner opening up the pores of the wood. What can be done to remove the white spots that are everywhere? Thank you.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, the cleaner does not cause the sap to leech out. Sap happens on its own and cannot be prevented or removed besides sanding.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyIs this essentially sodium percarbonate?
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We will reply to your comment shortlyNo, not just sodium percarbonate. Numerous additional ingredient that allows it to work on wood more effectively and with cold water as well.
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We will reply to your comment shortlyGoing to clean & stain 14 month old pressured treated deck, never been stained before. Do I apply the cleaner/brightener to railing spindles/balusters as well, or is this more intended for deck floor/horizontal surfaces? I do have a bit of mildew on some spindles that needs cleaning. Spray application and thoroughly washing off could be tricker on spindles. Thanks
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We will reply to your comment shortlyPrep all wood including the railings and spindles.
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