David 

This is a review of my experience with using Corte Clean on my black spotted ChoiceDek. I last cleaned the deck about 1 year ago with a standard deck cleaning product containing sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide. I used Corte Clean on my ChoiceDek last Saturday. It was about 70 degrees, sunny, and I used it at the general cleaning recommended rate of 1-1/2 cups per gallon. I followed the directions explicitly. I did not use a power washer for fears of damaging the deck and I also used a deck scrubbing brush on the entire deck with extra effort on the black spots. The cleaner worked great. I was amazed how quickly it lifted the general dirt. If it wasn’t for the black spots, I could have mostly just sprayed the deck and hosed it off and not used a scrubbing brush. I really like that Corte Clean doesn’t have a bleach odor and found it very easy to use. Last year I used a standard deck wash product and ruined my shirt from bleach stains. Not to mention breathing in bleach vapors and the red irritated skin on my hands (should have worn gloves!) Corte Clean also removed the North Carolina red dirt stains off the deck, but they did require scrubbing. These stains are typically very hard to get out of anything and I was very suprised Corte Clean removed them. The product also removed the dirt and discoloration stains around a welcome mat. I sprayed the railings, which was effective, but it wasted too much of this expensive product. Next time I will use a sponge or towel to clean the handrails. I probably used twice as much product as I expected, primarily because of spraying the railings. As a cleaner, I think Corte Clean worked great. My deck looks as good as new. A few days after it rains I’ll post again and let you know the results. Unfortunately, I’m expecting the mold to return from new mold spores that settle on the deck. I’m just hoping that it won’t be immediate and I can wait another 6 months or so to clean the deck again. Sadly, the more I read about mold and composite decks the more I’m beginning to believe the problem is not unique to ChoiceDek. Congratulations and thanks Greg and Corte Clean for an excellent cleaner that works well and is environmentally friendly. I realize Corte Clean can’t prevent mold. And as I mentioned earliler, the lack of bleach was a huge benefit for me. 3/24/08 This is a follow-up to my post on 3/24/08 about my experience using Corte Clean on my ChoiceDek mold. After 16 days and a lot of rain since I’ve cleaned the deck with Corte Clean our deck is still mold free. Along with the rain, we’ve also had sunny and 70 degree temperatures some of the time. I’ve also been blowing off the deck with a leaf blower once per week. There’s been nothing visible to blow away on the deck, but hopefully it’s blowing off mold spores, if that’s even possible. Mold count in our area is presently low. Tree pollen is medium. One thing I forget to mention in my original post was that I also applied a coating of Corte Clean at the recommended rate and I let it dry on the deck. I did this 2 days after I cleaned the deck. My deck is light gray, so once the chemical dried on the deck I don’t even notice it. Both Corte Clean and AERT recommended this for added protection. So far I’m extremely happy with the Corte Clean solution to cleaning the mold. Hopefully the deck will remain mold free for at least a few more months. Dave 4/7/08 This is another update to my original posting on 3/24/08 after cleaning my ChoiceDek with Corte Clean. Still no mold. The deck is slowly getting dirty but of course that’s to be expected. I still occasionally blow of the deck with a leaf blower. I have not used a hose on the deck since I cleaned it. Temperatures have been in the high 80s to mid 90s. I’m sold on Corte Clean and will use it again. Dave 6/5/08 This is follow-up to my earlier posts concerning ChoiceDek and cleaning with Corte Clean. I cleaned our deck with Corte Clean on 3/24/08, and mold spots re-appearred the week of 6/23/08. So, my thorough cleaning job lasted about 3 months. And once I noticed the mold spots, they really took off from there with our almost daily rain shower, sun, and temps in the high 80s and low 90s. According to Weather.com, mold activity in our area was moderate last week which may have contributed to the mold’s rapid growth last week. Regarding Corte Clean, I’m still a fan. It doesn’t prevent mold but it wasn’t advertised as such. Corte Clean does a great job of cleaning. Just be sure you apply it in the sun which makes a big difference. 2008-07-01