How to Restore Outdoor Teak Furniture

Outdoor teak furniture is a stylish choice for your patio or deck. Teak wood is not only pleasing to the eye, but it is also strong and low maintenance. This tropical hardwood is usually a lovely shade of golden brown, but furniture exposed to the elements can develop a silver-grey finish. This usually happens within 9 months. You can leave it as is and just follow a simple cleaning regimen. If you want it to look the way it initially did, spend a few extra minutes on the teak furniture to restore its original color.

Clean the Furniture

Mix two parts of laundry detergent with one part bleach and water. Using a soft bristle brush, rub the teak with this solution and then rinse it thoroughly with fresh water to remove all traces of dirt and the solution used.

If you want to get rid of stains, a teak cleaner can be applied. It will also remove the grayness. A teak clear coating will prevent future stains.

Restore the Color of Teak

After giving it a thorough clean, rub it with teak oil as this will make it lustrous. You need to use this every three months for the teak to retain its color. Rub the oil using a rag in the direction of the grain. The oil, however, will not stop the weathering. One disadvantage of using teak oil is that it may cause irregular coloring.

Other methods that help remove the gray patina are:

• Rubbing the teak furniture with sandpaper or a chemical stripper. This does a good job of stripping the outer layers to reveal the brown of the teak.
• Using caustic cleaner and acid.
• Using teak sealer. It can be used only once a year to protect the wood from weathering and also keeps away mold and mildew.

Maintain Outdoor Teak Furniture

It is not hard to maintain outdoor teak furniture and keep it looking its best if you follow these tips.

When you are not using your outdoor furniture, cover it with a canvas or vinyl cover. This will protect it from the sun. If the cover is waterproof, it is even better.

Bring your furniture in if the weather is extreme or if it won’t be used for a long period of time. This is not restricted to teak alone. Wood contracts and expands according to cold and hot weather and this can result in cracks appearing on the outdoor furniture.

Don’t leave it out in the rain or let water stand around the furniture for too long as this will lead to mold and rot.