Teak is an incredibly popular choice for outdoor garden furniture. It’s especially common in patio furniture. One of the main reasons Teak is such a popular choice is the hardness of the material. Outdoor furniture needs to be durable, and that’s where Teak excels because it’ll last a long time! During the middle ages, Teak’s predominant use was in shipbuilding.

The wood is very weather resistant and can effectively survive through all sorts of different conditions. It’s one of the very few woods out there containing natural oil that will help protect it from water. The oil helps the wood maintain its shape effectively, and none of the weather conditions will cause the wood to lose strength.

Aside from the weather resistance, the oil that Teak generates also helps ensure that the furniture is pest resistant. All of these properties combine to ensure that Teak is super low maintenance and doesn’t require a lot of effort.

However, that doesn’t mean that Teak doesn’t require some sort of cleaning from time to time. Due to the low maintenance nature, many people don’t know how to clean Teak patio furniture. There’s no need to worry though, here’s a rundown on everything you need to know!

When we talk about Teak wood being low maintenance, we really do mean that it’s low maintenance. It doesn’t take much effort to clean your Teak wood outdoor furniture effectively. All you need to do is effectively clean all your Teak garden furniture once a year.

Ideally, it would be best if you looked to clean your Teak furniture during the spring seasons. That way, you don’t have to worry about too much sun causing the wood to lose its colour. In addition, the bright days of spring will help ensure that the Teak wood dries away quickly without causing you major worry.

When it comes down to cleaning your Teak wood furniture properly, there are a few things that you’re going to need.

• Bucket
• Source of Water
• Hose
• Soap
• Sandpaper
• Brush
• Vinegar or Bleach

Before you learn how to clean Teak wood outdoor furniture, the first thing you need to do is get everything ready. Fill the bucket with water and mix in some soap to create a soap water solution. Try to make sure that the soapy solution fills up more than 2/3rds of the bucket.

Then you can either add white vinegar or bleach to help make the cleaning solution more effective. Regardless of whether you decide to use bleach or not, make sure that you wear protective rubber gloves while doing all of the cleanings.

After your cleaning solution is ready, get your brush out and start scrubbing away at the furniture. Any sort of cleaning brush will be fine as long as it has soft thistles. If you use tough thistles, it’ll cause the oil to strip away and cause the wood to become less weather resistant.

Once you’re sure that the cleaning solution covers every bit of the surface, you’re ready to move on to the next step. It’s time to clean off all the solutions with your hose. Again, make sure that your hose is running at medium pressure.

If you use a high-pressure hose, then it’ll strip away the oil from the wood and cause it to become less weather resistant. By using a normal pressure hose, you can effectively clean away any of the excess grime or dirt that might be present on the surface.

Make sure that you don’t miss any surface when trying to clean the furniture. For example, if the soap solution dries out on the wood, it can leave stains on the surface.

After you’re down spraying down your furniture, wait for it to dry a bit before you check for any other stains. If there are some persistent stains that are still there after the wash, then there’s no need to worry.

Simply take the sandpaper and rub it against the direction of the grain. By rubbing the sandpaper properly, you’ll be able to eliminate even the most diligent stains. However, it’s important that you use very fine sandpaper. If you use thick sandpaper, then it’ll potentially damage the furniture.

It’s only natural that people assume that a pressure washer will do an effective job at cleaning. However, part of learning how to clean outdoor Teak wood furniture is focusing on what not to do!

While a pressure washer might be an effective way to clean your garden furniture quickly, it can also end up taking a lot away from the furniture. The impact from the pressure washer can cause the wood to lose its oils and will cause stress on the joints as well.

Stress on the joints will cause it to weaken, and the furniture will lose a lot of its integrity. So, pressure washers must stay away from when it comes to cleaning your Teak wood furniture.  

If you’re cleaning older furniture, then going with a pressure washer is something that you must avoid. When it comes to old garden furniture, the joints aren’t very strong, and using a pressure washer might cause some pieces to break.

While they might seem like an efficient solution, pressure washers do a lot more harm than good.

If your Teak furniture is exceptionally old, then it’s highly likely that you’re going to have to use specialised products to refresh the aesthetic appeal of your wood. Weathered Teak won’t just have to deal with your standard dust and grime. You’ll also be dealing with mould potentially.

That’s where the specialised cleaning products come into the equation. They can help kill any type of mould that might form on the surface and help refresh the look of the wood.

The very first step in the process when you’re looking to clean weathered Teak is the same as any outdoor furniture. You’ll need to properly moisten the surface.

After the surface is moist, you can then use the Teak cleaner to effectively scrub the entire surface of the weathered furniture. Because the weathered furniture is more sensitive, you should ensure that you apply the product with a soft brush.

After applying the cleaning solution, you should let it stay in place for a few minutes. However, don’t wait too long as the solution might start to dry up. You can clean up all the furniture by taking a wet brush and scrubbing in the direction of the grain.

Finish up by rinsing all the furniture thoroughly and then leave it off to dry. Your weathered furniture should be looking young and healthy!

One thing most people tend to forget when learning how to clean Teak garden furniture is dealing with different kinds of stains. Teak oil and grease stains from food can dampen the overall appeal of your furniture.

To effectively clean any stains, make sure that you address the stain immediately as it happens. You need to use an absorbent wipe to immediately get as much of the spill as you can!

After you manage to remove as much material as you can, you need to let the rest of the stain dry. Once the stain dries up, all you need to do is use fine sandpaper to clean the stain effectively.

To prevent future stains, you can get a protective covering for Teak furniture to further increase its longevity.

Moisture is one of the main causes for dark spots and mould to develop on Teak. One of the most effective methods of removing both dark spots and mould from new Teak furniture is bleach.

However, those that are new to the substance must be careful when trying to use bleach. Bleach is a corrosive substance, and you need to use protective equipment. A substance like gloves can help ensure that your hands don’t suffer any damage from using the bleach.

After wearing gloves, you can mix in bleach and soapy water in a bucket. The solution needs to contain 2/3rds of water and 1/3rds bleach to ensure that it doesn’t damage the teak outdoor furniture. Use a brush to scrub the solution onto the furniture, let it soak for a bit, and then rinse away to refresh your furniture.

There are some products that you should avoid while trying to clean Teak furniture. One of the absolute don’ts of cleaning Teak furniture is using steel wool. Steel wool can have a seriously detrimental impact on the visual appeal of the teal.

It’s also essential to avoid using a pressure washer while cleaning your Teak furniture. The use of a pressure washer will have a detrimental impact on the overall appeal of the wood. Aside from changing the appearance of the Teak, it can also cause the furniture to lose its integrity.

You should also look to avoid any kind of oils when looking to clean your Teak furniture. The oils can make the furniture more prone to a mildew infestation.

Learning how to clean Teak garden furniture is fairly simple. It’s a very low-maintenance type of wood, so you won’t get a lot of opportunities to practice. However, you’ll only need to clean your furniture once every year to keep it in optimal condition.

Alternatively, you can use protective products to ensure that your cleaning lasts longer and the furniture remains in optimal condition for longer!