Fill a bucket with warm water and add a squirt of dish soap. Wash the tongue and groove wood ceiling with the soapy water. Apply the soap solution with a soft cloth, cleaning the wood ceiling in a circular motion. Rinse the soap from the ceiling with clear water and a damp cloth.
You can use water mixed with a bit of mild detergent for a basic cleaner. If you need a stronger cleaner, you can dilute bleach with water for a cleaner that will accentuate the natural luster of the cedar. This is particularly effective in the removal of mildew. Wipe the wood gently, and avoid excessive scrubbing.
By using a brush attachment, you'll be able to get dust out of every joint and crevice, for healthy and clean walls. If you have grime build up or any other kind of minor scuff marks on your interior pine paneling, then these can simply be removed with a damp microfiber cloth.
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. Be sure to keep the hose pointed downward to avoid forcing water up behind the shingles.
Fill a bucket with warm water and add a squirt of dish soap. Wash the tongue and groove wood ceiling with the soapy water. Apply the soap solution with a soft cloth, cleaning the wood ceiling in a circular motion. Rinse the soap from the ceiling with clear water and a damp cloth.
If you are seeking a natural look for your tongue and groove ceiling, the easiest solution is a simple treatment with linseed oil. This can be accomplished with a rag or large brush by wiping or brushing the linseed oil directly onto the wood.
You simply keep the wood siding wet with the oxygen bleach solution for 15 minutes. It will remove the mildew and deep-clean the siding. Lightly scrub the siding before rinsing with clear water from a garden hose. Avoid the temptation of using a pressure washer.
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.
Chlorine bleach is the traditional and most popular form used in households, most often in the washer to get stains out of laundry. The powerful ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is a toxic substance and is not good for your cedar siding, as it can damage the wood fibers.
A great solution would be to try an environmentally safe, non-toxic citrus stripper called CitriStrip before staining the wood to brighten up the room. The only other option — that would preserve the knotty pine — is to sand everything down, get down to the bare wood, and bleach the walls.
Cleaning. Once you remove all paint, it's time to clean your knotty pine to remove dirt, grime and other contaminants. Start with any mild detergent mixed with water, and apply this solution using a sponge, rag or even a sponge-style mop. Wipe the wood with clean water to remove the soap, then allow it to dry.
Mix ½ cup of mild dish soap in 1 gallon of warm water. Fill another bucket with warm water only. Dip a soft sponge into the soapy solution, wring it until it is merely damp and wash a section of the wall. Dip a second sponge in the bucket of water, wring the sponge so that it is not dripping and rinse the wall.
Absolutely! The official OxiClean website gives step-by-step instructions on removing stubborn stains from decks, patios, deck furniture, and more. Since these surfaces are made from wood, it is perfectly acceptable to clean cedar siding with the product.
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.
The most common culprits are tannins, mildew, and mold. Tannins ordinarily leach from cedar wood, and do not normally cause any problems. However, when tannins mix with metal and iron, a chemical reaction occurs and a black stain can form. Cedar, along with any other wood, is a natural habitat for mildew and mold.
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.
The iron found in galvanized fasteners, as well as some window screens and flashings, can cause blue or black stains on cedar. These stains don't respond to oxygen bleach. Instead, use a wood bleach containing a 5 percent oxalic acid solution to remove the stains.
Is Vinegar More Effective Than Bleach? Vinegar truly is better than cleaning with bleach when it comes to killing mold. The EPA does not recommend using bleach to kill or remove mold, except in special circumstances. In most cases, “a background level of mold spores will remain” after the application of bleach.
Staining Cedar With a Semi-Transparent Stain
Semi-transparent stains are your best bet when you want the real look of slightly weathered cedar with protection. The few solid particles in this mix will not significantly obscure cedar's wood grain.
Tongue-and groove-ceilings must be stained before installation for best results. If, however, the builder hung the roof without staining it first, finish the ceiling in the method suggested in the tips section. Then you'll have to touch up the unstained portions of the tongue as they become exposed over time.