felt compelled to write 5/25/10
We have Trex decking. After reading your testimonials, I feel like I'm being very repetitive. However, I was so impressed with the results I felt compelled to write to you.
Before I used Corte Clean, I had used three different deck cleaners without any luck at all and the next recommended product contained bleach, something I did not want to use. My three products were a Wolman brand, Simple Green brand, and Krud Kutter. I decided to do some research on the web and happened upon your site.
My deck was horrible with mold - so bad I thought it was ruined and it's less than three years old. I decided to purchase Corte Clean instead of the recommended bleaching cleaner and it really was amazing how the mold disappeared.
The directions for use are right on and very simple. Corte Clean worked so well, in fact, I told my brother (who is in lumber sales) that if anyone ever asks him what to use to clean their composite deck, ONLY recommend Corte Clean!
I just wish I had some "before" pictures because the "after" looks brand new - can't thank you enough.
L. Gorrasi
Cincinnati, Ohio
TimberTech Stains Resolved!!! 2-3-08
I first tried other products and remedies such as Simple Green and pressure washing to clean my tan TimberTech deck without success. I actually believe that pressure washing made the mold and mildew problems worse by driving it deeper into the pours of the composite! I then purchased and used Corte Clean composite deck cleaner when the manufacturer recommended the product. Nothing else worked except for Corte Clean, especially when used with a Gilmour sprayer. The sprayer is the ticket along with the Corte Clean! Corte Clean did a great job although it took several applications and a bit of elbow grease on our stained deck. Fast forward 6 months, our deck got stains all over it again. We again used Corte Clean. The stains came off with far less effort for our second Corte Cleaning. I just purchased another Corte Clean container as I am sure I will need it again as the humidity is high here in Pismo Beach, CA and mold & mildew is an issue. Great product and easy to use! James M, Pismo Beach, California
4/28/09
Corte Clean worked great on my Trex deck, just as you promised!! J. Krohn
Not Been Cleaned In 5 Years Of Mold 7/27/09
I am very pleased to have found a company that not only offers a superior product but also excels in customer service. I initially purchased Corte Clean in an effort to eliminate mold from my composite decking. The deck had not been cleaned in five years. I used the product as instructed and was very pleased with the results. I just completed an order with Greg to purchase a case of the product. I fully intend to maintain the beauty of the deck. It is a rare occasion when I encounter a company representative that wants to take time in explaining a product and who also encourages me to call back with any questions. I thank you! S. Carlson, Varginia Beach, VA
Does not pollute fish ponds or kill critters 9/23/
Seven years ago, we decided to replace our worn-out patio with a deck. We talked to people who had recently installed decks on their houses and interviewed two highly-recommended carpenters. All of them talked up the advantages of the new composite decks. Though they cost about a third more than wooden decks, they would more than repay the initial expenditure through their lack of need for any maintenance over the years: no cleaning, pressure washing, sanding, scraping, or re-treating. The one local company carrying composite decking materials recommended Trex. They did not even carry a cleaner for composite decking, they said, because it never needs cleaning. I perused the Trex website, which pretty much echoed the lumber company: no maintenance required other than an occasional hosing down. The deck was built with Trex and looked great.
Come the Spring, however, it looked like an old wreck. It had areas of slime, mold, sap,and rust. On the web I saw many postings from people who complained about their so-called "no maintenance" deck. I called Trex, who lied that they had never said no maintenance, only low maintenance. They told us to buy PSC, a new cleaner formulated especially for composite decks and which contained no bleach, was non-polluting, and would not harm animals or plants. We tried Lowe's, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware; none carried the cleaner or had even heard of it. I called Trex again, and they offered to send us some PSC. It was the only promise they ever kept. Our handyman, Danny, used the PSC to clean the deck, and the deck did look better but was still unsightly because the stains, though lighter, were still completely visible. Three days later, four of our fish and two of our plants in a small pond next to the deck were dead. So much for no harmful chemicals. Our backyard runs down toward a large pond owned by the complex and harboring fish, turtles, and frogs. We decided not to use any more PSC to protect both our critters and the ones in the lake behind us.
While checking the Web, I came across several postings by people praising a product called Corte Clean for their composite decks. I ordered some online. Danny was so thrilled with the results that he called us out to see. The deck looked almost new again, vibrant and stainless. When fall rolled around, I tried to order Corte Clean again online but had trouble with the website, so I phoned. I told Greg I wanted to order Corte Clean because it does an amazing job, does not stink, and does not pollute or kill critters. He said he was so pleased to hear all those plaudits.
With gratitude for a great product from an honest company,
Dr. R. Sosis
Cincinnati, Ohio
everyone was saying how clean the deck was 7-10-08
I used Corte Clean and it really worked as stated. We had a party and everyone was saying how clean the deck was. I even mentioned to my neighbor who has a composite deck that he should buy your product. He tried power washing his deck and said it left white spots. I sure wish you sold this stuff at the major stores like Menard's, Lowe's etc. I think it would sell like crazy as nothing else I know of cleans this well and is easy to use. I am glad I found this product.
K. Madl
Really Impressed For Cleaning Trex! 6/16/09
Used Corte Clean by following its label directions to clean my Trex deck after searching for a composite deck cleaner on the internet. Corte Clean just lifted the mold and other stains out after a long winter here in the North East (we spend the winters in Florida). Our Trex looks like new again. R. Root, Syracuse, NY
Great Product!! 6/30/09
After successfully using Corte-Clean on my Trex decking at home, I wanted to use it on the permanent dock at our cottage. Not sure if this would contaminate the lake I called your company and left a message with Greg. Hoping to get a call back within a few days, I was very pleasently surprised when he called back within 15 minutes. Greg was very helpful and answered all my quesitons. I look forward to having a a new looking deck at our cottage just like the one at home! Thanks!
J. Meister
PS - It did not hurt any of the grass or plants around my deck at my house!
Absolutely Cleans Our TREX Deck Beautifully 4-9-09
I just wanted to let you know this is the third year I have used Corte Clean on our Trex decking and how satisfied my husband and I are with the product.
We built our Trex deck and spiral staircase in 2005 and by the spring of 2007 we noticed black spots all over the deck and stairs. I contacted customer service at Trex. I explained to her that all I wanted was a way to get the deck back to its original shape. She told me that on their web site was a way to clean it but that she would send me some information. I received that information along with a claim form but they wanted us to use bleach on our deck. I got on line and found out that many people across the country that had Trex decking were very dissatisfied with the bleach and found that the spots came back even worse.
Corte Clean absolutely cleans our deck beautifully! By the time I found your product on the internet, our deck was in pretty bad shape. We had to use the scrub technique to get rid of the spots and in some places had to give it a second treatment. Thanks so much for all your ideas and help!!!
Bev C
West Liberty, IA
Another Satisfied Corte Clean Customer 5/7/09
"Your product works extremely well."
D. Acker
Streetsboro, OH
Mold & Mildew 10/21/08
I used the Corte Clean composite deck cleaner last weekend for the first time. It cleans off mold and mildew well.
Jenny D
Canada Corte Clean/Trex Customer 7/2/09
Corte-Clean is by far the best remedy for the mold problem on Trex! E. Carson, Canada
AMAZING! FUBAR To Flawless!! TREX!!! 12-14-09
Apologies in advance if this gets a little wordy but I feel like if I can save just one person the trouble that I went through then it's worth the time to put this down. I had an old wooden deck that I replaced with a much larger (3X) Trex composite platform. Very nice custom work from a reputable builder. What happened next is, in my opinion, a mutual fault situation on the part of myself and Trex. I will admit straight up front that I did not do what I was supposed to do... clean the deck two times a year. My bad. For all the money I put into it you would think I would have been more careful. Anyway, in no time flat (the first year) I started to notice little black splotches appearing sporadically here and there. I think this is where the issue of culpability on the part of the Trex composite materials starts to come into play. I've had plenty of wooden decks, and never once did I ever encounter a situation where the wood was covered in black mold after a single year. Anyway, on my new Trex deck some areas had a higher concentration than others, for no apparent reason. Anyway, procrastinator that I am, I did nothing other than make a mental note that I'd have to address it before it got worse. Did it ever. Long story short, I let it get bad. Really bad. Bad enough to where I wouldn't let my 2yr old son go out on the deck anymore and left myself a pair of "deck" shoes out there so if I had to walk on it I wouldn't track mold into the house. It was that bad. Ultimately I decided to act. Went to Home Depot. Asked for advice, was referred to Baehr (sp?) composite deck cleaner. Used it. Didn't make a dent. The scrubbing I did made an impact but the stains were still there and the mold came back with a vengeance almost as soon as I put the brush down. Basically, I think I just made it angry. Started doing more internet research. Found that certain types of composite decks are massively prone to mold, and that there had been class action law suits on some companies, etc., etc. Was starting to think I'd really screwed up permanently with my new home addition. It had been 3 years and I had only cleaned it once and the mold was bad. Yes, I agree... I was a moron for not taking better care of the deck and nobody (including Trex) would argue that I didn't get what I deserved. I got all kinds of bad advice from everywhere you can imagine, folks telling me to high pressure wash it, sand it, etc. to fix but luckily was told by the contractor who built the deck that I would only end up destroying the deck surface and providing even more of a course and grainy surface for mold to cling to and it would be worse than ever. Was considering a tear down when I found a link to Corte Clean on some DIY web site or other. They were making some pretty sensational claims about restoring trashed composite decks to 'like new' status with their wonder product. I bookmarked it but figured it to be just another bogus bunch of marketing garbage. Nothing else worked and I'd tried all the big name products so why believe that some relatively obscure product was the silver bullet? I didn't. Anyway, after more procrastination and the approach of winter I had one more shot for the season to try to fix the situation so I ordered a bag of it off the net. Had nothing to lose at that point. Bought a little plastic pressure pump applicator, got out the scrub brush and went to work. The only regret that I have is that I didn't take pictures of the before and after. I don't write product reviews very often (as you can probably tell) but after all I'd been through and the result I got with Corteclean I had to say something. The deck looks like the day it was installed. No mold. No stains. G-o-n-e. I mean it, it's perfect. Perfect! Make no mistake, it wasn't a hands-off job. I had to scrub it and apply it twice (it was in really bad shape) and it's not real easy to wash off so I got a workout for sure but it's been three months now and I am still astonished at what I have back there. It went from FUBAR to flawless in one afternoon. End story is that my son plays out there again and finally I can open up the double doors again for company and let them use back area. Huge success. WHY is this not sold at Home Depot? At Lowes? At Target? Walmart? Everywhere?? The scary part is that I found this stuff only by luck. Needs a big old marketing push to get the word out. At least there's the Internet. Seriously, folks. Finally something that actually lived up to (in my opinion, outperformed) the hype. Btw, I do plan on cleaning it at least annually from here on out. cheers, Brian E
Brian E
Obliterated Mold From Portico Deck! 7/21/09
I have now used Corte Clean on my deck and it worked very well. Once I got into the "hang of it" your product was fairly easy to use and the mold was obliterated. The composite deck companies should be promoting your product. Mine is Portico and I have told them they need to have a link to CorteClean on their website. I also told our local Ace Hardware store that they need to stock your product. R. Carlson, South Burlington, Vermont
Problem Solved
Thank god for Corte-Clean®. We love our deck all over again.
T. Johnson, Portsmouth, NH
It Works! 6/14/11
I've tried several composite deck cleaners before trying Corte Clean. I will never buy anything else. The product works hard to lift the dirt and grime. It didn't change the deck's color like the bleach based cleaners do.
Tom S.
Rusty old water heater stains on TimberTech 5/3/10
I had my old water heater replaced. They took it out and let the rusty old water drain out on my TimberTech deck. Corte Clean removed the rust stains.
Mr. Hewes
Newtown Square, PA
Elk® Composite Decking
Our test deck owner really liked the product when he used it.
Mike McLintock, Director of Marketing, GAFF / Elk
Wow, Wow, WOW! 7/8/09
sorry for this long message, but it takes words to say it all.
I built my Trex deck in the Spring of 2007. I was so proud of how it looked with the saddle brown planks, and the darker Madeira (?) railings with saddle balusters. It looked gorgeous. Last Summer, 2008, it still looked great, although as expected, there was some fading from the sunlight. Over last Winter, dark spots started to appear, and got worse as we moved into this Spring. I was disgusted to look at it, but though it would come off easily. Stupid me. I could not get it off. I have a pressure washer, but was hesitant to use it on the Trex. I did try the pressure washer in an inconspicuous area of my deck; It took off the surface dirt, but would not touch the dark spots. I searched for deck cleaners on the Internet, and found all the stuff the stores carry, plus Corte-clean's web site. I read all the testimonials, and thought "yeah, right", anybody could make up those stories. I was in real need to clean up my deck for the 4th of July, so I placed my order for the 6 lb container of Corte-Clean. I followed the instructions to the letter. Although I did have to do some scrubbing (more than just a little), I could see the spots disappear a I scrubbed and rinsed the cleaner off. Amazing stuff. I wet down the plants around my deck fisrt; they did not get damaged at all. Funny thing is, after a few days, the deck even looked better. there was some **very** light spotting left after cleaning the deck and it was till wet, but it has rained a few times since the cleaning, and there are no more spots at ALL. I am super happy.
And thanks, Greg for your super fast replies (about 15 minutes or less!) to my emails. Greg even called me on the phone to answer a question.
Super product, the best customer service I ever experienced from an Internet vendor.
Bob L
Ronkonkoma, NY
Bob L, retired
Praises for Corte-Clean 6/14/11
We have almost 500 ft. of decking.This year it looked horrible, black spots all over. I thought it was stains from my outdoor plants, but as I looked for ways to clean composite decking, I read the testimonials about Corte-Clean I realized it was mold spores on my deck. I went to Lowe's & bought 2 packages that were soon to expire (didn't think it would make any difference). Cleaned the deck twice at max. strength, it was clean but mold spores still remained. I talked to the manufacturer of Corte-Clean & he sent me 2 pkgs. of his product. Cleaned the deck again at max. strength, mold spores are gone!!!!!!The manufacturer couldn't have been nicer. He returned my call promptly. I have called him at least 5 times & every time he answers all my questions, giving me advice, & says call me anytime you need to. I couldn't be more pleased with this product. Will order more in the fall.
Barb K.
Trex® Composite Decking 4/4/08
Corte-Clean® is the Eco-Friendly solution for cleaning Trex® Composite Decking.
Bart Kelly, Technical Services Manager, Trex Inc.
Rain about 300 days a year. 5/21/10
My name is J. Carr, we had our home built two years ago, we have a Timber Tech deck all around the house with steps in the front of the house and a bridge in the back. We live in Waimea Hawaii on the wet side of town. They call it the wet side because we get some form of rain about 300 day a year. Our deck developed these dark spots (mold) the size of a penny or smaller, in a search for a cleaning product I contacted TimberTech on the Web. They listed Corte Clean as an recommended cleaner for their product. I contacted Greg #! at Corte Clean and asked about his product. I did not take before pictures but the ones I sent to Greg are the after. I found the product easy to use and you can see the results. I highly recommend the product if you have the composite product on your deck. (See after photos in Media Photo Gallery)
GREAT PRODUCT FOR TREX 6/2/10
I HAVE LIVED IN MY HOME FOR 8 YEARS AND WAS UNAWARE OF CORTE-CLEAN UNTIL I RECENTLY LOOKED AT TREX ON THE COMPUTER, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW TO KEEP MY DECK CLEAN WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE AND WAS TOLD ABOUT OTHER PRODUCTS (WHICH CONTAINED BLEACH) UNTIL NOW. WE LIVE IN THE SEATTLE AREA AND GET A LOT OF MOISTURE ABOUT 8 MONTHS OF THE YEAR, SO WE GET A LOT OF MOLD ON OUR EXPOSED DECK. I TRIED CORTE-CLEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY AND AM AMAZED ON THE RESULTS I GOT AFTER JUST 2 APPLICATIONS. I HAVE SOME PRETTY DEEP BLACK SPOTS AND WILL HAVE TO APPLY MANY MORE APPLICATIONS TO GET IT BACK TO BEING IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT I AM SOLD ON THE PRODUCT. ITS TO BAD ITS NOT ADVERTISED MORE, BECAUSE WITH MORE EXPOSURE I'M SURE A LOT OF FOLKS UP HERE WOULD LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, THEY WILL FROM ME. J. DEGROOT
J. DEGROOT, HOMEOWNER
Do it now! It works for ChoiceDek! 9-10-08
You must return all of your other cleaners and grab Corte Clean because...... It actually works!!! Skip the gym for the day, grab your scrub brush and mixture of Corte Clean and get to work. Don't think, however, you don't need to scrub. You do. But, the great news is once you've done all this everyone will say, and I quote, "looks like brand new, mom." Truly, I'm not making this up! I used another product, spend one half day on a 12X12 deck with only half of the mold removed. Was I depressed! I love this stuff so much I could sell it. That's a true testimonial.
C. Masciarelli, stay at home mom, among other things, homeowner
Really Workes To Clean MONARCH Decking! 1/6/09
Corte Clean is a wonderful product that really works for cleaning Monarch composite decking. We have tested numerous cleaning products without success including the new BEHR deck cleaning product intended for mold & mildew stains. We then Tested Corte Clean with amazing results. We now sell Corte Clean at St. Clair Fence & Deck in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Please call me if you are interested in Corte Clean. 1.800.380.1497 or (519) 542.1261 www.decksbystclair.com
Linda Crooks, St. Clair Fence & Deck