Fall Deck Cleanup with Thompson’s WaterSeal

This post is sponsored by Thompson’s WaterSeal- but all images and opinions are my own.

It’s hard to believe that summer is winding down. For my family, Labor Day weekend is the time to start our fall-clean up in preparation for winter. Luckily, here in Ohio we have a lot of lovely fall days, and we can enjoy our deck into November.

However, summer is not very kind to the fabric goods on our deck. The sun has bleached them, and mold and mildew had taken over our awning.

This is the door to our pantry- and use use it a lot in the summer as it’s closest to the area with our grill. It’s in a perpetually-shady area, and so mold, mildew, and moss grow right on it. Can you believe this awning is only three years old?

Not pretty, is it? After all of the work we’ve done on the kitchen, to have this awning look this bad almost made me cry. I was thinking that we’d have to replace it entirely!! (And you can imagine how much I want to spend MORE money at this point!)

But my friends at Thompson’s WaterSeal came through. They offered me some Oxy Foaming Action Exterior Multi-Surface Cleaner. I figured, “what the heck!” It couldn’t hurt it.

By the way, here is some more information about the cleaner:

Removes stains from dirt, mildew, algae and fungus on a range of outdoor surfaces, including wood and composite decks, fences, concrete, masonry, brick, stucco, outdoor furniture, roofs, siding and some fabrics such as awnings and vinyl plastics. It is an effective, oxygen powered cleaner concentrate that is biodegradable and gentler than chlorine bleach-based formulas.

Oxygenated Foaming Action
Removes Stains From Dirt, Mildew, Algae and Fungus
Non-Bleach, Chlorine-Free Concentrate
Gentler* Biodegradable Cleaner

Yeah, that’s what I needed all right!

So I mixed some up using the instructions on the back: three capfuls in one gallon of hot tap water.

Note: remember to follow the precautions on the bottle and do things like protecting your plants and wearing your goggles!

I wet down the awning and applied it with a soft brush.

I was kind of surprised to see it foam and bubble up immediately. I let it sit for 10 minutes and gave it a good scrubbing.

Thompson's WaterSeal Oxy Foaming Action Multi-Surface Cleaner in action

Scrubbed….

And rinsed!

Not perfect, but much better. So I tried another application- the directions on the back of the package said that you might need two treatments for stubborn stains. And you should use the mixture within an hour, so I had lots left and was within the time frame.

Check out the look after the second treatment.

It is SO much better! I just wish I could reach all the way to the back to really scrub it. But from the deck you don’t see that part at all!

Now that the awning looks GOOD again, I decided to go one extra step and treat it with the Thompson’s WaterSeal Fabric Seal. It comes in a spray can so I could apply it by standing on a ladder.

Here’s a bit about that product, too:

Provides maximum strength waterproofing protection for outdoor and indoor fabric surfaces. It contains UV inhibitors to resist color fading caused by the sun and penetrates below the surface to protect against moisture damage without leaving surfaces discolored, stiff or sticky.

Prevents Water Damage
Resists Color Fading
Repels Spills and Stains
Allows Fabric to Breathe
Use On: Cushions, Pillows, Umbrellas, Canopies and Other Outdoor Fabrics

And….

After!

Did you see the difference???

I am overjoyed with the results- it looks GREAT and it even looks like the color has been refreshed. And with the water-repellant feature, I’m hoping the rain (and soon, snow) will sheet off of the awning and hopefully prevent more mold and algae. I’ll make sure to keep you updated and post pics next spring!