Cleaning Reclaimed Wood With Bleach

Scrub the wood with a soap solution.

Cleaning reclaimed wood with bleach.

Oxygen bleach will not damage wood fibers or the wood s finish and is harmless to plants that may be growing nearby making it an excellent choice for decks. The bleaching action occurs when the two chemicals come together in contact with wood. Once you have finished bleaching the reclaimed wood rinse out the bucket. If you re planning to use it in a project the first step of that project will be to clean the old wood assuming of course that you re like me and you want to install clean reclaimed wood into your home.

This tutorial shows you how to do it. Scrub notches and grooves vigorously. Using reclaimed wood in projects has reached a fevered pitch. It s a fact that reclaimed wood is usually dirty.

Then take the bucket and fill it with lukewarm and slowly pour the water over the surface of the reclaimed wood to remove any remnants of the chlorine bleach. Instructions for use vary from brand to brand. Use a scrub brush to scrub all of the wood with the solution. I use bleach water to kill any bugs mold algae and plants that might be lurking.

A package of wood bleach contains two bottles usually labeled a and b one contains lye sodium hydroxide and the other peroxide hydrogen peroxide. To use this solution for mold cleaning hose the deck down with water to soak the wood then apply the mildew and algae cleaner in one area at a time scrub each portion with a long handled brush or broom and give it 10 to 15 minutes to soak in to ensure that it reaches into the wood where mold and mildew often lurk. Give it a scrub or sand down. I ve used a scrub brush and bleach on old wood before.

In a bucket combine five parts water to one part dish detergent. Lay out all the planks on the lawn. I can appreciate the need to really clean any wood brought into the house. The easiest way to clean reclaimed wood.

And unfortunately i learned this the hard way. Some say to put part a on first then apply b. Common laundry bleach or chlorine will effectively remove stain or dye color from wood but. The types of bleach available at your grocery store have varying degrees of effect on wood furniture.

Make your wood surfaces look new again by cleaning them with oxygen bleach. Years ago when i started cleaning reclaimed wood i would sand it down with a hand sander which would get rid of that beautiful patina and some of the character. The most important lesson i ve learned with reclaimed wood is when to lightly clean it vs. I have been obsessed with it since before i was married over 15 years and so i am glad that it has become a thing.

But because this stuff was so full of mould the pressure washer really did the trick. Alternatively you can use a solution of one part detergent ten parts bleach and twenty parts water.