Man, my deck was lookin' ROUGH after this winter in Big Bear. Pine needles glued on, mystery gunk in the corners, just plain sad. Decided enough was enough, time for a serious DIY pressure wash session. No way was I paying a fortune for someone else to spray some water!

Gearin' Up & Figuring Things Out

First things first, hauled out my trusty gas pressure washer. It's not some monster truck model, just your standard homeowner special. Checked the hoses, made sure the connections weren't leaky – learned that lesson the hard way once! Grabbed my widest nozzle, the white 40-degree one, 'cause I didn't wanna strip the wood.

Knew Big Bear's water pressure itself ain't gonna cut it for deep cleaning, gotta rely on the washer. One big tip – start slow! Held the nozzle a good foot and a half away from the deck boards for the first pass. Just did plain water to blast off the loose dirt and needles. Immediately saw areas where grime was holding fast.

The Soap Situation & Nature Stuff

Okay, time for soap. Didn't wanna use harsh chemicals up here near the lake and trees. Dug around the garage and decided on two homemade mixes for different spots:

• For general grime & mildew: Mixed warm water, a decent squirt of basic dish soap (the plain green kind), and like half a cup of white vinegar in my washer's detergent tank. Vinegar cuts through mildew real good.
• For greasy spots near the grill: Made a paste! Took baking soda, a splash of water, and just a little squirt of dish soap. Made it thick enough to smear on and stick. Pre-treated those nasty splatter zones while the soap mixture was running through the pressure washer.

Let both the vinegar-soap mix and the baking soda paste sit for about 10 minutes. Patience is key! The pine sap needed special attention. Don't blast it right away! That'll just spread it. Gently scrubbed those sticky spots after the soap had soaked in with a stiff nylon brush I keep with my wash gear. Came off surprisingly easy.

Getting Down to Business

Started spraying the soap mixture with the washer. Still kept the nozzle back – this is not the time for close combat. Used long, smooth sweeps along the grain of the wood. You gotta find your rhythm, like sweeping a floor with water. Too fast, you miss spots. Too slow, you risk damaging the wood.

Saw the grime just melting away as I went. Really satisfying! Paid extra attention to corners and around the railings where gunk loves to hide. Once the whole deck was nice and soapy and the pre-treat spots were scrubbed, switched back to the pressure washer with CLEAR WATER ONLY. This part is crucial! Flushed the whole system for a minute to get all the soap out of the lines. Then, methodically rinsed the entire deck, again working with the grain, starting from the house outwards. Kept rinsing until no more suds were visible and the water ran clear.

Finishing Up & Big Bear Lessons

Honestly? It looks almost new now. Took maybe 3 hours total? Mostly waiting for soap to soak and careful rinsing. Big lessons learned for Big Bear DIY washing:

• Test nozzle distance! Always start far away on an inconspicuous spot. Wood is softer than you think.
• Homemade solutions work great. Vinegar + dish soap for mildew, baking soda paste for grease. Cheap and lake-friendly.
• Pre-treat stubborn areas. Let the cleaner do the work first; don't just rely on brute force.
• Rinse like crazy. Any soap or cleaning residue left behind will attract more dirt faster and can harm the wood.
• Protect surroundings. Cover plants near the deck next time! They got a bit of an unscheduled shower.

Stoked with the results. Deck feels cleaner underfoot and looks a million times better. Definitely a solid Big Bear DIY win!