How to Clean and Restore Your Teak Furniture in 5 Easy Steps

by Randi Destefano

Summertime means spending a lot of time outdoors relaxing and entertaining.  And if you’re like me, by the time the first summer holiday rolls around, it’s time to take a look at the condition of my outdoor furniture.  Of course, I’ve already made it pretty with new pillows or cushions, and cleaned off the last of the pollen.  But when it comes to teak furniture, unless you love the weathered gray look, it’s going to need to tender loving care to bring it back to its original beauty.

I usually like to be original with what I share with you, but this article from Teakworks4u had such good cleaning instructions I couldn’t resist.  Too bad I didn’t have it last summer for our own teak reconditioning.

Step 1: Spray the teak furniture surface liberally with Teak Cleaning Solution

For a surface as badly worn as this one, you will need to apply the teak cleaning solution quite liberally. Once the surface is coated, allow it to sit for at least an hour to penetrate the wood. If your teak isn’t as far gone as this, you can adjust the amount of cleaner you use and reduce the length of time you allow it to penetrate into the teak.

Step 2: Apply some elbow grease

Once you’ve allowed the teak cleaning the teak cleaning solution to do it’s work, you’ll need to do some scrubbing to loosen any dirt or surface “gunk” from the teak.  Steel wool works the best.

Step 3: Rinse the surface thoroughly with clean water

You’ve released a lot of dirt from the wood so now it’s time to rinse it away. We used a typical garden hose with the nozzle set on a light spray. Never use a pressure washer on your teak; this will damage the wood grain.

Step 4:  Spray on more teak cleaner and brush again

This might seem like overkill, but you’ll be surprised at how much gunk is still on the wood surface. Using a nylon bristle brush will also allow you to get in between the battens to remove any debris that may have gotten wedged in. Rinse the surface again and allow the piece to dry thoroughly.

Step 5:  Apply a coat of Teak Oil

Can you believe this is the same bench?  We left half of the bench untreated so you can compare the before and after easily. Rub the Teak Oil into the surface with a lint-free cloth. Allow it to penetrate for about 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess. Your teak surface is now back to its fresh-from-the-workshop finish.

Teakworks4u Deluxe Teak Cleaning Kit

Teakworks4u recommends you perform routine maintenance on your mat or bench by giving it a light cleaning every month or so. You’ve seen how easy it is to clean and restore a weather beaten piece using the Deluxe Teak Cleaning Kit. Imagine how easy it will be to take care of your teak bench or mat when you practice regular maintenance. By the way, you can also use the Deluxe Cleaning Kit on any teak, not just our products.