It s a fact that reclaimed wood is usually dirty.
Cleaning reclaimed wood with bleach.
A package of wood bleach contains two bottles usually labeled a and b one contains lye sodium hydroxide and the other peroxide hydrogen peroxide.
Set the reclaimed wood out in the sun and allow it to thoroughly dry before using the wood.
The most important lesson i ve learned with reclaimed wood is when to lightly clean it vs.
Wood can discolor and stain over the years especially if it is outside in the elements.
Make your wood surfaces look new again by cleaning them with oxygen bleach.
The types of bleach available at your grocery store have varying degrees of effect on wood furniture.
And unfortunately i learned this the hard way.
Common laundry bleach or chlorine will effectively remove stain or dye color from wood but.
Use a scrub brush to scrub all of the wood with the solution.
I ve used a scrub brush and bleach on old wood before.
Alternatively you can use a solution of one part detergent ten parts bleach and twenty parts water.
Once you have finished bleaching the reclaimed wood rinse out the bucket.
In a bucket combine five parts water to one part dish detergent.
I can appreciate the need to really clean any wood brought into the house.
To use this solution for mold cleaning hose the deck down with water to soak the wood then apply the mildew and algae cleaner in one area at a time scrub each portion with a long handled brush or broom and give it 10 to 15 minutes to soak in to ensure that it reaches into the wood where mold and mildew often lurk.
Some say to put part a on first then apply b.
Instructions for use vary from brand to brand.
Scrub notches and grooves vigorously.
If you re planning to use it in a project the first step of that project will be to clean the old wood assuming of course that you re like me and you want to install clean reclaimed wood into your home.
Scrub the wood with a soap solution.
Step 7 allow to dry.
The bleaching action occurs when the two chemicals come together in contact with wood.
Give it a scrub or sand down.
Using reclaimed wood in projects has reached a fevered pitch.
This tutorial shows you how to do it.
I have been obsessed with it since before i was married over 15 years and so i am glad that it has become a thing.
The easiest way to clean reclaimed wood.
Then take the bucket and fill it with lukewarm and slowly pour the water over the surface of the reclaimed wood to remove any remnants of the chlorine bleach.
I use bleach water to kill any bugs mold algae and plants that might be lurking.
Oxygen bleach will not damage wood fibers or the wood s finish and is harmless to plants that may be growing nearby making it an excellent choice for decks.