Semitransparent Small

Semitransparent Small
Do I need a brightener after I have used a stripper on my wood deck?

We have a large 3 tier wood deck that had multiple layers of semi-transparent stain on it. The stain was uneven and ugly. We wanted to change the color so first we tried a chemical stripper. While this took off the first couple coats we still couldn’t see the wood. We ended up using a belt sander to take the rest of the stain off. Then used a stripper again to get small area’s that that sander couldn’t get to. What Now? Some say use a deck brightener to neutralize the wood or do we just use a deck cleaner? It has been raining like crazy so this process has taken over 3 weeks to do. The wood is very dirty again even after sanding. We want to be sure we prep the wood the right way for the new semitransparent stain. Any help is appreciated!

stripper is extremely alkaline use vinegar to neutralize, if not it will damage top coats. continue sanding to restore wood, instead of buying expensive deck oil use a 50/50 mix turps & linseed oil a couple of coats should do. this will bring out the grain in the wood. you may not need to stain. finish of with outdoor sealer.just do smaller sections at a time and cover in case you get more rain.