Teak hardwood is a highly durable material that requires little upkeep to keep it looking good and performing well.
The use of teak covers various applications, from decking and cladding to outdoor furniture and boat building. If you have purchased teak outdoor furniture, here is a comprehensive guide to Clean Teak Furniture so that it looks appealing all year.
How to Clean Teak Furniture
Teakwood loses its honey tone and develops a silver-gray patina when left to age naturally. Besides, wooden outdoor furniture is susceptible to mold and mildew, which discolors it further.
There’s no need to be worried. With a simple routine and a little elbow grease, you can keep your teak furniture in good condition for years.
In this post, we’ll go over the fundamentals of how to clean teak furniture. But first, let’s examine why teakwood’s color changes over time.
What Causes Teak to Change Colors?
Like other wood species, teak can retain its natural oils and rubber even after processing. It allows it to effortlessly withstand heavy rains, severe snowstorms, and scorching summers.
Teak oxidizes and loses its oils as it is exposed to UV rays, wind, and other elements. That’s why the wood’s color changes from golden brown to silver-gray. Remember that this is a purely cosmetic transformation that has no bearing on the structural integrity of the wood.
Other elements that influence teak weathering are:
- Humidity
- Dampness
- Change in lighting
Depending on where you live, weathering teak can take anything from a few weeks to many months. Teak furniture, for example, fades more slowly in dry areas with occasional rainy spells. On the other side, prolonged exposure to moisture can hasten the weathering process.
Best DIY to Clean Teak Furniture
Before you come out in a cold sweat, let us assure you that cleaning teak is a breeze. Washing teak furniture usually requires a light soap and water solution. However, using a homemade teak cleaner may get the same benefits.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
You’ll need:
- ¼ cup of vinegar
- ¼ cup of Tap Water
- 1 tsp of Dish Soap
- A small spray bottle
- A soft-bristle brush
If you know how to prepare homemade cleaning or deodorizing products (such as a DIY silk plant cleaner or a DIY reed diffuser), this will be just as simple, if not easier! Instead of wasting money on pricey teak furniture cleaner solutions laden with chemicals, you can manufacture your cleaner for around 1% of the price of a conventional cleaner. Because you’ll only be using a little vinegar, Dawn soap, and tap water, this cleaner will only cost you approximately 10 cents to create and will only take about 60 seconds to complete. This is a no-brainer!
You’ll be OK if you have a soft-bristle brush because most of us have vinegar, dish soap, and a spray bottle in our homes. If you don’t have one, you can pick one up at your local superstore for $5 or $6, making the total cost of all of these materials less than what you’d spend for a prefabricated teak wood cleaner.
Step 2: Assemble the Cleanser
Making your own DIY homemade teak cleaner is as quick as 1 minute, so this part should be enjoyable and uncomplicated! Fill your empty spray bottle with 1 part tap water and 1 part vinegar. Put in ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of vinegar. If you’re cleaning a larger piece of outdoor furniture, obviously adjust the measures to fit the scope of your operation.
After adding the vinegar and water, whisk in 1 teaspoon of dish soap. That’s all! It’s time to get to the portion requiring a little elbow grease.
Step 3: Start Scrubbing with the Cleaner
If you clean teak furniture or shower bench, you may spray it straight in its usual spot because this cleaning solution will not affect the shower tiles. Take your spray bottle and thoroughly coat the bench in the cleaning solution. (If you’re cleaning outdoor teak wood furniture, use the same methods: spray the whole piece of furniture thoroughly.) Allow the cleaning solution to settle for 5 minutes before beginning the scrubbing process.
This bench is badly dirty with soap scum and mildew, yet it already looks much better after only a few minutes of cleaning! Then, use your soft-bristle brush and carefully scrub each area until the water stains, mildew, and soap scum are gone. It is essential to stress that you should not use a hard-bristle brush since it will remove the varnish from the surface of your teak wood furniture. If you can’t find a soft-bristle scrub brush, try a bottle cleaner brush (a brush intended mainly to clean the interior of water bottles, and don’t put the thermoses in the dishwasher).
For a tiny bench, a small brush with a handle is excellent, but if you intend on cleaning a set of teak wood deck chairs and a table, it’s preferable to get a bigger soft-bristle scrub brush ahead of time so that you can cover more surface areas at a time. After scrubbing the whole surface area, rinse with clean water and leave to dry.
How to Clean Outdoor Teak Furniture
If you like the look of rustic furniture, weathered teak adds a certain charm to it. When exposed outdoors, the teak wood color changes from a golden blonde to a silvery gray. Follow the techniques below to clean teak furniture outdoors and preserve this worn look:
- Place a tarp beneath the furniture item once more and spray it down with plain water.
- The best teak cleaner is a DIY solution of liquid dish soap (two teaspoons) and a gallon of water combined in a bucket. It is the most straightforward and least expensive DIY approach for cleaning aged teak furniture. Unlike some professional cleaners, it is mild enough to maintain your antique teak’s gray patina while providing a thorough cleaning.
- Dip a soft nylon bristle brush or a rough sponge into the soapy solution and scrub the furniture gently in the direction of the grain (to prevent rough spots on the wooden surface). This requires a soft touch since the more pressure you apply when scrubbing, the more the grey color will fade out and reveal the wood’s natural golden blonde. Of course, if you wash off any patina, don’t worry; the aged gray color will reappear after a while.
- Wash the soapy residue away with a water hose after you clean teak furniture from the dirt and stains on the surface. Let the wood dry completely. Dab some towels all over your teak furniture to absorb part of the water to expedite the process.
- No matter how cautious you are, all that scouring may accidentally roughen the surface; consequently, sanding lightly with 220 grit sandpaper will take care of any irritating places.
Final Takeaway
Take a look at the before and after photos! Clean teak furniture has been rejuvenated and looks brand new thanks to a non-toxic DIY cleaning and careful scrubbing. Who knew that caring for teak wood could be so simple?
Never underestimate the power of a few simple home goods, a soft-bristle brush, and some elbow grease! Have you tried this method on your teak wood indoor or outdoor furniture?
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