cleaning/staining old deck

[pushkins]

Cleaning/prep is the singular most important step in most projects and deck re staining is no different.
Olympic make a good deck cleaner as do Thompson, follow the directions closely to avoid damaging any of the deck wood.
The deck must be dry before applying any stain, so wait a few days of good weather after cleaning before staining.

[Tinkee]

Have an older deck that needs to be restained. In reading an older post I noticed that cleaning it before staining is a pretty important step. Whats a good method/product to use in cleaning the deck and once i clean how soon after can I stain? And finally, when staining, should I brush, roll, or spray it on?