Cleaning Teak Furniture
Cleaning Teak
Regular cleaning of your teak will help prevent mildew build-up and potential discoloration. When cleaning your teak, always start with least aggressive cleaning solution first. If that doesn’t work, try something more concentrated.
Sometimes a quick wash with mild soap and water and a mixture of bleach or vinegar is all that is needed.
Other times a deeper more aggressive cleaning is needed, in which case you should use a store-bought teak cleaner or oxygen bleach.
2 DIY Cleaning Solutions
- Mix 1 cup each of chlorine bleach and laundry detergent with 1 gallon of warm water.
- Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water.
Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses.
Note – If the teak is badly stained with mildew and mold or other material, add about 2 teaspoons of trisodium phosphate [TSP] to the mixture.
DIY Solution Application
Use a spray bottle or garden sprayer to ensure precise application of your DIY solution. Garden sprayers include a reservoir tank, hose, valve, wand, pump, and spray nozzle and require less effort to use than a hand help hand-pump sprayer.
Apply the cleaning solution, in a well ventilated area, onto the teak and use a soft plastic bristle brush to scrub the solution into the teak. Wait 15 minutes and then rinse with water.
For teak that has seen a long time exposure to the weather you may need a more aggressive store bought cleaning solution.
