On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:17:03 +0100, Stuart Noble
wrote:

I imagine most of what people would want to clean from decking wouldn't
be iron stains, and most of the decking wouldn't be hardwood. So, what
else is special about oxalic that it's sold as a cleaner for decking,
the bulk of which is likely to be softwood?

Not a lot. It tends to lighten up grey weathered wood a bit, and disodium
peroxydicarbonate is rather more effective, hydrolysing in water to give
hydrogen peroxide. The only real way to properly restore the surface is
with the traditional sailors prayerbook or bible. Nothing particularly
religious, just blocks of stone, but using them got the sailors on their
knees. Nowadays long-handled ones are supplied so you can remain standing.

John Schmitt

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