How do I clean and care for an Accoya wood deck?
Good news: it is one of the simplest maintenance routines there is. No mandatory treatment, no miracle product — one serious clean a year, a few good habits, and that is all.
The short answer
A deep clean at least once a year — stiff brush and clear water, a mild cleaner (pH below 9) for stains — and light rinses through the year. Never a pressure washer. No treatment is needed to protect the wood: a saturating oil only serves to keep the honey tone of the natural colour, and Color Grey needs no finish at all.
The basic routine: a brush and clear water
Like any outdoor surface, a wooden deck collects a thin organic film over the months — dust, pollen, micro-algae — which holds moisture and slows the boards’ drying. The goal of maintenance is simply to stop that film from building up.
- Wet the deck first: the film softens and lifts far more easily.
- Brush with a stiff brush, along the boards.
- For stubborn stains, use a mild cleaner with a pH below 9, then rinse thoroughly with clear water.
Worth knowing: planed surfaces (like our smooth-profile boards) are easier to clean than grooved or rough-sawn ones.
How often, in our climate?
The manufacturer’s rule: a deep clean at least once a year, with lighter cleans through the months. In the Caribbean, the right rhythm depends mostly on exposure:
- At the start of the dry season, after the rains, give it its big annual clean.
- Shaded areas (north façade, under trees, near a hedge): the green film settles faster — clean more often.
- By the sea, an occasional rinse with clear water prevents salt building up on boards and screws.
The pressure washer: never on wood
It is THE one real prohibition, and it comes from the manufacturer itself: the jet of a pressure washer can tear the fibres and damage the boards — true for Accoya as for any wood. If you pressure-wash a path or a wall nearby, cover the deck for the duration.
Natural or Color Grey: two slightly different routines
For cleanliness, both colours are cleaned exactly the same way. The difference is about tone:
- Natural Accoya: left bare, it evolves to an elegant silver-grey patina — with no consequence whatsoever for its durability. If you prefer to keep the original honey tone, apply a saturating oil, renewed periodically depending on exposure. It is an aesthetic choice, never an obligation.
- Accoya Color Grey: tinted through the full thickness of the wood, it is designed to keep its tone with no particular finishing maintenance (manufacturer data). The annual clean is enough.
The good habits that keep it beautiful
- Let the underside of the deck breathe: never block the ventilation openings — it is also a condition of the manufacturer’s long-term warranty.
- Raise flower pots on spacers: standing moisture under a pot marks any surface.
- Sweep away leaves and debris that hold moisture, especially in the rainy season.
- Avoid rusting metal objects left in place (untreated furniture, tools): rust stains.
Maintenance and the manufacturer warranty
The at-least-annual clean is part of the care conditions set by the manufacturer Accsys for its warranties (up to 50 years above ground, 25 years in ground contact, subject to installation and use conditions). Nothing complicated — but keep a record of your purchases, and at the handover of a deck installed by our teams, we give you the documentation and our personalised care advice.
A deck that is easy to live with
That is the whole point of Accoya: spending your time on your deck, not maintaining it.
Related questions
Do I need to oil or saturate an Accoya deck?
No, it is not needed to protect the wood: Accoya is durable to the core, with no mandatory maintenance treatment. A saturating oil only serves to keep the honey tone of the natural colour, if you prefer it to the silver-grey patina. Color Grey, tinted through the full thickness, needs no finish at all.
Can I clean an Accoya deck with a pressure washer?
No. The manufacturer expressly advises against it: a high-pressure jet can damage the fibres of any wood. A stiff brush and clear water are enough — and if you use a pressure washer nearby on another material, cover the deck.
My deck is turning green in shaded areas — what should I do?
It is an organic film (algae, moss, dust) that forms in damp, low-sun areas. Wet the deck to soften it, brush, rinse. For stubborn stains, use a mild cleaner with a pH below 9, then rinse thoroughly with clear water.