# Expensive Ipe wood deck **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [May 10, 2026, 4:01am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820 "2026-05-10T04:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/dcbrock/32/38857_2.png) [@dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/dcbrock)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2026, 4:01am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/1 "2026-05-10T04:01:19Z")
Thought I’d check with you guys before I screw it up. This is a long time window cleaning customer of ours that asked to clean her deck. It’s called Ipe aka ‘Brazilian Walnut’ and is very weather resistant. I just need to know how to clean it. The grey is natural, hasn’t been stained. ![IMG_0224](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/0/3/03e7c964764fe0af464f66fae1018e0ca7bf191e.jpeg) ![IMG_0225](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/d/c/dc0a8fb0fa69c1f42b23c2de34a43c0a617a1b01.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![jaycrop](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/jaycrop/32/39307_2.png) [@jaycrop](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/jaycrop)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:39am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/2 "2026-05-11T07:39:51Z")
I have a customer with Ipe that I wash every couple of years. They use an oil to make it look great after cleaning I have honestly had to throw as much pressure as possible on parts of it to get rid of the old oil before they reapply Ipe is also called ironwood and can take a lot of abuse I’m also a woodworker and Ipe will dull a blade quickly when working with it I’ve actually used a turbo nozzle on it to get it clean if they wait too long before cleanings ---
**Author:** ![qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/qons/32/27810_2.png) [@qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/qons)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 11:20am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/3 "2026-05-11T11:20:23Z")
Clean it right and it’ll look great when you’re done. Sodium metasicliate, normal pressure, ox afterwards. I’m sure sodium per carbonate would work fine, too. ![IMG_8942](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/3/8/383dbadd7049066472197ef0955f82ffb431f6f5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/dcbrock/32/38857_2.png) [@dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/dcbrock)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 1:26pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/4 "2026-05-11T13:26:17Z")
When you say ‘normal pressure’ are we talking about my usual 1500psi fan tip? ---
**Author:** ![qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/qons/32/27810_2.png) [@qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/qons)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/5 "2026-05-11T14:06:48Z")
Yep. 1500-2000 psi ---
**Author:** ![dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/dcbrock/32/38857_2.png) [@dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/dcbrock)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/6 "2026-05-14T00:31:08Z")
One more question. I used powdered oxalic acid ONCE on a job a few years ago. Followed the directions, poured it in warm water and suddenly I got hit with what felt like mustard gas. It nailed me so hard I had to walk away for a few minutes so I could breathe again. I keep hearing people say use oxalic but how do I do that without a trip to the ER? ---
**Author:** ![qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/qons/32/27810_2.png) [@qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/qons)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/7 "2026-05-14T00:35:14Z")
I use a very good mask. It messes with me pretty badly if I don’t mask up. Even a decent one is pretty cheap and worth it to save your lungs. ---
**Author:** ![Dirtyboy](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@Dirtyboy](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/Dirtyboy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/8 "2026-05-14T02:50:33Z")
You can use citric instead of oxalic if rust isn’t an issue. Oxalic hits the rusty stuff harder. I don’t mind the oxalic as much as I do the sodium hydroxide after it starts to work on some paints. Really stinks. Especially with butyl in there. ---
**Author:** ![qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/qons/32/27810_2.png) [@qons](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/qons)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:31pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/9 "2026-05-14T12:31:45Z")
I used the citric acid for about two years. I just was not getting the same brightening that I saw with oxalic. I also didn’t like having to carry around two different acids since some jobs would have rusty nails requiring oxalic. ---
**Author:** ![Dirtyboy](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@Dirtyboy](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/Dirtyboy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/10 "2026-05-14T13:02:22Z")
Not disagreeing with your assessment, but the citric will neutralize the PH (approximately) SH is 11-13 and citric is 2-6. Close to a 7 is all I care about. most of the ones I do are getting paint or stain afterwards. Edit: forgot to add I’d be sanding afterwards anyway for the furring and rounding over handrails. That grey wood is dead wood brock, and it needs to come off. You should upsell them on an oiling. It is faster than you think, just some prep. ---
**Author:** ![dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/dcbrock/32/38857_2.png) [@dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/dcbrock)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/11 "2026-05-21T00:40:04Z")
Well she changed her mind and decided to take that money it would cost to clean and put it toward Trex. ---
**Author:** ![Kentucky1234](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/kentucky1234/32/27243_2.png) [@Kentucky1234](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/Kentucky1234)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 12:42am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/12 "2026-05-21T00:42:08Z")
Wow she’s downgrading….. ---
**Author:** ![CleanWNC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/cleanwnc/32/45873_2.png) [@CleanWNC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/CleanWNC)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:21am UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/13 "2026-05-29T10:21:51Z")
for future’s sake I’ve cleaned ipe for over a decade now and the best method is with a first pass sodium hypochlorite and medium/light sodium hydroxide with rather heavy surfactant then brush that in and let it dwell a few minutes then pressure wash with wide fan tip around 1200 PSI. You can also use a surface cleaner if you so prefer with the pressure dialed down either with a regulator or a nozzle swap. Then follow that with an oxalic/citric brightening then its rubbing in your oil of choice the following good weather day. I like penofin or messmers but I prefer cutek (but it certainly is not cheap!) that’s wild though that somebody would even contemplate replacing ipe with trex. I suppose the maintenance costs are a real detractor from keeping it but I’d have to guess the money they’d spend replacing it wouldn’t defray the maintenance costs over the lifetime of the deck… ---
**Author:** ![dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/dcbrock/32/38857_2.png) [@dcbrock](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/dcbrock)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/14 "2026-08-21T22:03:55Z")
An update I finally got the deck done, used metasilicate and 1500psi fan tip. I think it came out great, she was very happy. The reason why she wants to get rid of the ipe is the high maintenance. She said it has been sanded twice, oiled and cleaned quite a bit and she’s just done with all that. First pic is before, second is after it dried. Third is during cleaning, wish it would stay that color. ![IMG_0509](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/f/4/f45ae0ce7a6be2e705d6c9db91dd7e53710b2878.jpeg) ![IMG_0512](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/a/1/a1850187adce84bf969ca2885993a08f661b6a5f.jpeg) ![IMG_0511](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/uploads/default/original/3X/f/4/f47e0325cca3706571ca1ffb59b7011b76133d2f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![PMG](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/pmg/32/36519_2.png) [@PMG](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/PMG)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/expensive-ipe-wood-deck/40820/15 "2026-08-26T12:43:02Z")
Nice job Chris