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.
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.
“The safe and effective way to clean the wood is oxygen bleach. The oxygen bleach comes as a granular powder that mixes with water. It is non toxic to trees and vegetation and will not remove natural color from the siding.
Don't use polyurethane on rough cedar, as the wood's coarse nature will prevent the sealer from bonding properly. Semi-transparent water-proof oil-based stain will adequately seal rough cedar against wear and water-based rot.
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.)
Make Your Cedar Fence Like New!!!
A friend of mine showed it to me and I thought it was awesome. Just take a pump up sprayer and add Clorox bleach ( must use clorox brand) 1 part bleach and 2 parts water. When you spray it on the fence the gray washes off and the board looks new again.
Over time, the pores in the wood open up, and more stain will absorb. You really have to keep up on it at first, though, in order to prevent the sun's ultra-violet (UV) rays from damaging the siding. A film-forming urethane can give your cedar a longer lifespan.
Apply Cedar Oil
In the case of cedar closets, cedar oil is the best finish for indoor cedar. Rub cedar oil into the wood with a soft, clean rag. Allow the oil to soak in and the wood to dry. Do not put items back into the closet until the cedar is completely dry.
You can also apply stain to rough sawn wood using a pump or airless sprayer. Spraying the stain can allow it to get into the rough texture of the surface with less effort than brushing or rolling.
The best woods for bleaching include oak, beach, ash, and gum. Varieties like poplar and pine are already so light that removing further natural wood color might render them bland and lifeless. Others, like cedar, redwood, rosewood, and cherry don't take bleach well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tung oil works perfectly on Cedar wood.
it works as a protective layer while giving a dark rich look to the Cedar wood furniture and woodworks.
Cedar is soft. Unless the cedar has deep scratches, gouges or planer marks -- lines running perpendicular across the grain -- cedar should be sanded by hand. Power sanders remove material fast, almost too fast for finish work. If you do need to sand it with a power sander, use an orbital sander with 100-grit sandpaper.
Boiled linseed oil, despite not providing much water-resistance to wood when applied in the usual way associated with furniture, will do much to slow the weathering to that natural grey/silver colour if applied heavily and re-applied periodically.
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.
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.
If you leave cedar wood untreated, it will not succumb to the devastating effects of mold, rot and insect damage. However, it will lose its typically golden-brown color.
To prevent cedar from fading to gray, you need to seal cedar fence with a stain that blocks ultraviolet light and contains a mildewcide, according to Family Handyman.