I built a western red cedar swing for my in laws about 15 years ago. It sat outside all summer long for the past 15 years and was pretty gray. Last spring I rented a pressure washer to clean my deck and decided to see if I could clean off the swing. Being careful not to get too close where the pressure wold cut the wood, I clean the entire swing in just a few minutes and it looked like new. The gray was completely gone. This swing had been treated once or twice with Thompsons Water seal.