Picture on a bath sponge drowned in cleaners for decking and façades.

Handle cleaners for decking and façades with care as they can be corrosive to the skin, eyes and airways.

Cleaners for decking and façades

Cleaners for decking and façades can be very irritating or even corrosive to skin, eyes or airways. It is therefore important that you handle these agents with caution.

Decking/façade cleaners can cause severe chemical burns in case of splashes on the skin or in the eyes. It happens that both adults and children need to be cared for in hospital due to chemical burns caused by agents that contain, for example, sodium hydroxide or certain types of ammonium compounds. However, there are alternative products that are not corrosive. Try to choose these alternative products whenever possible when you need to wash wooden decking or a façade.

How to reduce the risk of accidents

  • There are alternative products that are not corrosive. Try to choose these alternative products whenever possible when you need to wash wooden decking or a façade.
  • Read the information on the packaging. Look for hazard symbols and follow the instructions for use.
  • Wear gloves and other protective equipment that is recommended when working with the agent, such as safety goggles.
  • Always screw the cap securely on the bottle.
  • Store the agents in their original packaging out of reach and sight of children. Do not rely on the so-called child-resistant closures.

In case of an accident

Call 112 and request Poisons Information if someone has ingested an agent that may be corrosive, or has accidentally gotten a potentially corrosive agent on the skin.

Read about labelling and hazard symbols

Last published 30 November 2020