Cleaning. If your siding's fresh color lays buried under a gray, weathered surface and mold, buy a bleach-based cleaning solution or mix 3/4-cup of bleach with 1-gallon of water to restore or salvage the cedar's luster.
Fortunately, cedar that has lost its scent can be restored by simply sanding the exposed wood surfaces lightly. (Likewise, a cedar sachet used in a drawer needs only to be pinched a bit to release a fresh scent from the wood shavings inside.)
The best way to restore your cedar siding or cedar fence to its original glory is with soft washing. Instead of the robust streams of high-pressure water used in pressure washing, soft washing uses a low-pressure technique with a special mixture of highly effective and biodegradable cleaning solutions.
Pour some onto a clean polishing rag, and wipe in the direction of the grain. For medium cleaning, use white vinegar or Murphy's Oil Soap and a lint-free cloth. For the toughest jobs, add 3 tablespoons of bleach into 1 cup of water and wipe the surface; rinse with clean water and dry off with a clean cloth.
As a rule of thumb, good cedar blocks can last for a period of 3 to 7 years. The best way to renew the strength of cedar blocks is by sanding its exterior with sandpaper. You can do it more frequently if its fragrance fades quickly.
How long does a cedar chest last? You can purchase cedar hangers, cedar blocks for moths, and sachets for your clothes and bureaus, but they will be effective for about 3 months.
Cedar hookup – Place these on hangers with your garments that are in closets or garment bags. You can also hang them on their own in the back of the closet. Cedar drawer liner – These liners provide a great way to protect clothes and keep them fresh even in dressers and chest of drawers.
Paint the cedar siding with primer, once the caulk dries. Wait for the primer to dry, then paint on a layer of exterior house paint, picking a color that matches the original or a fresh color. Apply additional coats as needed, making sure each paint layer dries before adding others.
Staining Old Cedar:
If a few steps are performed, staining an old cedar siding comes out almost flawlessly. You should always remove all old flaking paint or stains on the top layer of wood by using power washing.
The Cedar Bureau recommends using a solution no stronger than one-part bleach to three parts water. Apply it with a pump sprayer and let it sit for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off with a garden hose.
Cedar offers a durable option for exterior and interior building projects with natural resistance to rot and decay, so a protective finish is optional. If you want to enjoy the aroma of varieties such as Western Red Cedar and incense cedar, leave the wood unsealed.
If your cedar deck is newly installed, you'll need to sand* the cedar boards prior to staining. The boards go through a planing process at the mill that result in “mill glazing”. The planing process causes an oily surface on the boards that can hinder the wood stain from penetrating the wood.
The best clear Cedar finish stain for outdoors is Linseed oil, hands down. Linseed oil is the primary ingredient in any oil finishes, which dries clear. You can find other clear water-based stains, but will not last nearly as long as a Linseed oil based stain will.
Cedar chests are used to store everyday items such as blankets, sheets and clothing at the change of seasons. Photographs and other memorabilia can also be stored safely in a cedar chest.
Cedar chests are not ideal places to store your quilts. The acid from the wood can easily transfer to your quilt, causing discoloration and staining. But if a cedar chest is your only storage option or you really want to use the chest for this purpose, then slip your quilts into cotton pillowcases first.
The oil, however, is only effective as long as its scent lasts — which isn't that long. Its moth-repelling effect does depend on the species of cedar and the freshness of the wood, but like all oils, cedarwood oil is volatile — meaning that it evaporates and its scent dissipates over time.
You can use cedar in combination with neem oil and other natural repellents to keep your home moth-free. However you choose to use cedar, though, it will always be safer and healthier than mothballs.
Excessive moisture or humidity can make any piece of wood furniture smell foul after a while. Vacuum inside the chest, and wipe the inside and outside with a lint-free dust cloth. Air the chest out, ideally outdoors, on a non-humid day. A screened porch is perfect, as it helps keep the chest as clean as possible.
The mothball chemicals are designed to vaporize and condense on the clothing stored in the chest, but they also condense in the wood, which is somewhat porous, and a bit oily--the cedar oil is why cedar chests work to protect clothing. So it takes a long time for the chemicals to re-vaporize and leave the wood.
Can pressure washers be used on cedar siding? As long as the sprayer is set to a low pressure, pressure washing can be used to clean cedar. It is important to avoid damaging the wood's soft surface, so using a low pressure and not working too closely to the siding is necessary.