Removing grease from wood decks
 

The grease is from melted hamburger fat from a barbecue. The deck is
well aged lumber (exposed year round to New Jersey temperatures, rains
and snows, but shaded most of the time) that has never been painted or
sealed. So far, I've tried, separately, dish detergent, bleach,
something similar to 409, and ammonia with limited success. Next I'll
try, separately, laundry detergents (because of their enzymes), TSP,
oxalic acid, water-rinseable auto degreaser/carb cleaners, and an oxygen
bleach like sodium percarbonate.

Any othe suggestions? If the above or your suggestions don't work, I'll
use my belt sander. It doesn't matter if any of the treatments
temporarily alter the appearance, as natural weathering should restore
the grayness.

Thanks.

Ray

In NJ I used a pressure washer with great results !
"Ray K" wrote in message
...
The grease is from melted hamburger fat from a barbecue. The deck is well
aged lumber (exposed year round to New Jersey temperatures, rains and
snows, but shaded most of the time) that has never been painted or sealed.
So far, I've tried, separately, dish detergent, bleach, something similar
to 409, and ammonia with limited success. Next I'll try, separately,
laundry detergents (because of their enzymes), TSP, oxalic acid,
water-rinseable auto degreaser/carb cleaners, and an oxygen bleach like
sodium percarbonate.

Any othe suggestions? If the above or your suggestions don't work, I'll
use my belt sander. It doesn't matter if any of the treatments temporarily
alter the appearance, as natural weathering should restore the grayness.

Thanks.

Ray

On Mon, 30 May 2005 11:58:40 -0400, Ray K
wrote:

The grease is from melted hamburger fat from a barbecue. The deck is
well aged lumber (exposed year round to New Jersey temperatures, rains
and snows, but shaded most of the time) that has never been painted or
sealed. So far, I've tried, separately, dish detergent, bleach,
something similar to 409, and ammonia with limited success. Next I'll
try, separately, laundry detergents (because of their enzymes), TSP,
oxalic acid, water-rinseable auto degreaser/carb cleaners, and an oxygen
bleach like sodium percarbonate.

Any othe suggestions? If the above or your suggestions don't work, I'll
use my belt sander. It doesn't matter if any of the treatments
temporarily alter the appearance, as natural weathering should restore
the grayness.

I have a similar problem except that I don't know what it is that was
left by the previous owner. It certainly repels water and the
pressure washer did nothing to remove it. I doubt that sanding would
do anything but could be wrong.

Alan wrote:

On Mon, 30 May 2005 11:58:40 -0400, Ray K
wrote:



The grease is from melted hamburger fat from a barbecue. The deck is
well aged lumber (exposed year round to New Jersey temperatures, rains
and snows, but shaded most of the time) that has never been painted or
sealed. So far, I've tried, separately, dish detergent, bleach,
something similar to 409, and ammonia with limited success. Next I'll
try, separately, laundry detergents (because of their enzymes), TSP,
oxalic acid, water-rinseable auto degreaser/carb cleaners, and an oxygen
bleach like sodium percarbonate.

Any othe suggestions? If the above or your suggestions don't work, I'll
use my belt sander. It doesn't matter if any of the treatments
temporarily alter the appearance, as natural weathering should restore
the grayness.



I have a similar problem except that I don't know what it is that was
left by the previous owner. It certainly repels water and the
pressure washer did nothing to remove it. I doubt that sanding would
do anything but could be wrong.


I've tried very concentrated TSP (from painters section). It was
somewhat helpful. Next I'll try the carb cleaner.

Ray