First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot the ink with a clean, dry white cloth; don't rub, which spreads it across the boards.
- Work from the outside edge toward the center so the ink doesn't grow.
- Act while the ink is fresh, before it soaks deeper into the wood.
- Test any cleaner on a hidden board first, and stop if color transfers or changes.
Ink on a deck soaks into whatever the boards or stone are made of, so the cleaner has to match the material. Concrete, brick, stone and asphalt need different treatment than wood, and an old or weathered board can look different again once it's clean. Some inks may never come out completely, so it's worth knowing what your deck is made of before you start scrubbing.
Work out whether your deck is wood, concrete, brick or stone before you pick a cleaner, because that decides everything. Test any product on a hidden board first, especially on painted or weathered wood. Once the ink has set on stained wood, cream wax on a damp cloth is the step to try for felt-tip or India ink.
Before you start
What decks & wood fences can take
Safe to use2
- Water
- Oxygen bleach
Use with care5
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
8 items
What you'll need
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- Clean, dry white cloths or paper towelsTo blot the ink without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Washing sodaMakes the cleaning solution for concrete, brick, stone and asphalt decks. (opens Amazon)
- Mild, pure soap and ammoniaThe wipe for painted wood decks. (opens Amazon)
- Dishwashing detergentMakes the foam for ballpoint and stamp-pad ink on stained wood. (opens Amazon)
- Soft-bristled brushHelps scrub mineral decks without scratching them. (opens Amazon)
- Cream wax and a damp clothFor felt-tip and India ink on stained wood. (opens Amazon)
- Garden hoseRinses with low-pressure spray.
- Rubber glovesRequired if you reach the oxalic acid treatment. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Blot the ink while it's fresh
Press a clean, dry white cloth or paper towel onto the ink and lift it up, switching to a clean part of the cloth as it fills. Work from the outside edge toward the center so the ink doesn't spread across the boards. Do this before anything wet touches the deck.
Tip. Fold a paper towel into a small pad so it fits the spot.
Step 2 of 6
Identify what your deck is made of
Concrete, brick, stone and asphalt take a different cleaner than wood, and painted and stained wood also differ. If you can't tell whether your wood is painted or stained, don't pick a cleaner yet. Clean a hidden spot first and see how the boards respond.
Step 3 of 6
Apply the cleaner for your surface
On concrete, brick, stone or asphalt, wash the spot with a solution of washing soda and water, scrubbing with a cloth or soft-bristled brush. On painted wood, wipe with a cloth dipped in mild, pure soap and water with a few drops of ammonia added. On stained wood with ballpoint or stamp-pad red or black ink, mix dishwashing detergent in hot water, swish it into a big volume of suds, then dip a cloth in only the foam and gently wipe the stain.
Careful. Never mix ammonia with bleach, and rinse the ammonia out with plain water before you use any other product.
Step 4 of 6
Rinse the spot thoroughly
Rinse the spot with clear water until no cleaner is left, using a garden hose on low-pressure spray. On stained wood, rinse with a clean cloth moistened with clear water instead. Check the spot once the rinse is done, and repeat the wash if ink still shows.
Careful. Rinse before the cleaner dries, since a dried film on the boards is harder to remove than the ink.
Step 5 of 6
Lift felt-tip or India ink with wax
On stained wood with felt-tip or India ink, clean the spot with cream wax on a damp cloth. Keep the pressure light and turn the cloth as it picks up ink so the color doesn't smear back across the wood.
Tip. Use this only on stained wood; painted decks use the soap and ammonia wipe instead.
Step 6 of 6
Let the wood dry and reseal
Once the wood is completely dry, re-seal the cleaned spot so bare wood doesn't take up new stains. If a light shadow of the ink remains, leave it for now and try the stronger treatment below rather than scrubbing harder.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for ink on decks & wood fences
Look for a deck cleaner, brightener or restorer made for weathered wood, since it lifts mildew and dirt so the wood's own color shows through.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on decks & wood fences, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The spot is gone when the cloth stops picking up color and the wood looks even once it's dry, since wet wood always looks darker. Check it after the boards are fully dry, not while they're still wet. A faint shadow that remains is common on older wood and needs the stronger treatment below.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your decks & wood fences
Concrete, brick, stone and asphalt
These decks take the washing soda solution well, so the cleaning stays simple. Scrub with a cloth or soft-bristled brush, then rinse until the water runs clear.
Ink that survives one wash has usually set deeper into the pores, so repeat the wash before trying anything else. Let the surface dry fully before you judge the result.
Painted wood
The soap and ammonia wipe lifts ink without scouring the paint, so use a cloth rather than a brush. Wipe along the boards in long strokes, and rinse well with clear water.
Ammonia is strong, so keep the mix to a few drops and work with the windows open. Dry the boards thoroughly before you decide whether the spot needs another wipe.
Weathered, grayed wood
Gray wood hides a stain under weathering, so the deck itself may need restoring first. Commercial deck cleaners, brighteners or restorers remove mildew and dirt so the wood's own color shows through.
If all the natural color has leached out, the wood stays silver when dry, and those fibers should be left in place rather than sanded away. Old stain or sealer is removed with a stain and sealer remover, then lightly sanded once dry.
Old CCA-treated wood
Old CCA lumber needs a different approach, since wetting it raises arsenic at the surface and bleach releases chromate. Skip the wet steps here and keep children and pets off the wood while it's damp.
Don't cut or burn old CCA lumber either, because sawdust and smoke contain arsenic. Replacing the boards is the safer long-term fix.
Pressure-treated wood
Chlorine bleach corrodes metal fasteners on pressure-treated decks and doesn't kill mildew spores, so it adds risk without solving much. Leave it out of the cleanup entirely.
Use the cleaner for your surface and the detergent foam or wax steps instead. Rinse with a garden hose on low-pressure spray, the same as other wood.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Ink that has been on the deck for weeks or months has soaked into the wood and is harder to lift than fresh ink. Start with the cleaner and wax methods above, since they're gentle and worth repeating before anything stronger.
On stained wood, rottenstone, a fine abrasive powder sold in hardware and paint stores, can be mixed with mineral oil, linseed oil or lemon oil into a paste and rubbed lightly along the grain. Finish by wiping the spot with plain linseed oil.
If the stain still shows, apply an oxalic acid solution made from 1 tablespoon of oxalic acid to 1 pint of lukewarm water, put it on with an artist's paint brush, let it stand a few minutes, and rinse. Wear rubber gloves for this, since oxalic acid is poisonous.
If the ink still shows after that, accept that some ink may never come out completely, and don't keep pushing with stronger products. A faint shadow can remain on deck wood even after a good job, and that's a realistic result.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on ink on decks & wood fences?
Most home remedies don't belong on a deck, and the one that does is already built into the steps above. Clean ink with the cleaner that matches your deck surface, such as washing soda on concrete or brick, or detergent foam on stained wood.
Works1Skip5
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the ink into the boards
Rubbing pushes the ink deeper into the grain and spreads it past the edges of the spot. Blot and dab instead, and the mark stays small.
Don't use soap on stone, brick or concrete
Soap leaves a film on these surfaces that holds dirt. Keep soap for painted wood, and use the washing soda solution on mineral decks.
Don't use a tornado tip on the pressure washer
Narrow-stream and rotating tips can gouge the wood and strip its surface. Rinse with a garden hose on low-pressure spray instead.
Don't use steel wool or wire brushes on the boards
Leftover iron from them reacts with the wood and leaves stains. Use the cream wax or the detergent foam instead.
When to call a professional
Call a professional when the stain is on old CCA-treated lumber, since replacing those boards is safer than cleaning them. Pressure washing a deck is also a job for experienced hands, because a deck can be damaged in the wrong hands.
Questions
Can deck toner remove ink?
No. A deck toner is meant to restore faded color across the boards, so it doesn't lift a spot of ink. Clean the ink first, then decide whether the whole deck needs toner once the spot is gone.
Will ink come out of a deck completely?
Often, but not always. Fresh ink on concrete or painted wood usually lifts in the first wash, while old ink in stained wood can leave a faint shadow. Some ink may never come out completely.
Is ammonia safe to use on my deck?
Yes, in the small amount used for painted wood: a few drops in mild soap and water, with the windows open. Stronger mixes or added cleaners aren't needed for this job.
Can I use chlorine bleach on my deck?
Not for ink. Chlorine bleach can harm pressure-treated wood and metal fasteners, so skip it on a deck. Use the cleaner for your surface instead.
What if my deck wood has turned gray?
Restore the wood before judging the ink, since weathering hides the wood's own color. A deck cleaner, brightener or restorer removes mildew and dirt first. If the color has leached out completely, leave the fibers in place rather than sanding harder.
Is pressure washing safe for ink?
No, skip pressure washing. Narrow or rotating tips can strip the wood, so rinse with a garden hose on a low-pressure spray instead. Narrow or rotating tips can strip the wood surface, so rinse with a garden hose on low-pressure spray instead.
Ink on other materials
Other stains on decks & wood fences
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.