Mild Maintenance– Furniture polish and furniture polish rag. Wipe down the exterior, wiping towards the direction of the wood grain. Moderate– Murphy's Oil Soap or White Vinegar (especially if there is mold or mildew spots). Use a lint free cloth, wring out excess moisture and wipe down the exterior.
Wet a lint-free white cloth with white vinegar, wringing out excess moisture. Wipe down all interior surfaces of the chest, then let the chest air dry while open. Repeat if needed to remove any remaining spots or slight odors.
Sand the surfaces of your chest with ultrafine-grit sandpaper to remove any uneven staining. Wipe the surfaces down with a clean, damp rag. Apply a coat of polyurethane sealant using a clean paint brush. Coat the entire surface evenly.
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.
Wipe Down the Exterior
Moderate– Murphy's Oil Soap or White Vinegar (especially if there is mold or mildew spots). Use a lint free cloth, wring out excess moisture and wipe down the exterior.
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 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.
A natural, water-based cedar wood stain — like Owatrol Aquadecks (Honey) — will also keep the timber in good condition whilst providing a beautiful finish. A good oil or water-based protection typically lasts for 2 years up to first maintenance.
Whether the chest is new or not, a stain provides years of beauty without peeling or chipping. If you want to add color without sacrificing the natural beauty of the grain, choose a semitransparent, oil-based wood stain. Oil-based stain hardens the wood's surface and adds durability to the cedar chest.
Pour 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the inside of the drawers and leave the drawers open to air out. The vinegar will eliminate any remaining musty odor.
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.
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.
Algae and molds can be cleaned quite easily and effectively with bleaching agents such as sodium hypochlorite (liquid household bleach) and sodium percarbonate (the active ingredient in some commercial cleaners). Bleaching agents quickly kill mold and algae, but they also can degrade wood.
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.
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.
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.
Liquid dish soap (ammonia-free) is safe for use on cleaning your deck when mixed with a little warm water. Simply mix 1 gallon of water, 2 tablespoons of ammonia-free dish soap (such as Murphy's), 1 pint of rubbing alcohol, and 1 quart of oxygen bleach.
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.