Teak Wood Furniture Care.
Teak Furniture is relatively low maintenance than other woods, however it needs some care.
Teak does not require any special maintenance routine. Teak outdoor furniture, when left outside, the exposed surfaces of the furniture will become a soft silvery grey in colour. Many people like to maintain this natural silver-grey colour, in which we recommend simply cleaning the furniture. Besides, weather will cause some surface erosion leading to slight surface roughness, possible mildew and checking.
Checking is a natural process that occurs when teak develops small crack in the end grain. This process doesn’t affect the strength of your furniture. Therefore, the finish on teak garden furniture only helps to maintain the new look without having any effect on its durability.
Unfinished Teak Outdoor Furniture
Untreated or unfinished teak weathers with time to a silver grey color and can be maintained easily with a periodic cleaning to remove accumulated dirt and some stains.
Using a warm water and soap or detergent solution, gently scrub the wood in the direction of the grain. Rinse thoroughly and allow it to dry completely before use. Using a pressure nozzle on your garden hose will help to loosen most dirt and debris that has accumulated in corners and crevices.
Pressure washing your teak furniture should be done with extreme care as damage could result from the use of excessive pressure. A pressure of 1200psi or less is sufficient.
Adjust the nozzle to a fan pattern as opposed to a small jet stream and maintain 6-10" between the nozzle and the furniture surface being cleaned.
Pre-wetting the furniture will help to soften dirt build up and require less pressure washing.
Pressure washing may raise the grain of the wood and require a light sanding with a medium-fine sandpaper when completely dry. Sand lightly, following the direction of the grain of the wood. Sanding across the grain will leave visible scratches and require additional sanding to remove these scratches.
Finished and Oiled Teak Furniture
Finished or oiled teak furniture will require regular care to maintain the finish. Following the manufacturer’s 
recommendation for the reapplication of the oil/finish whenever the color fades, will help to preserve the appearance of your outdoor teak furniture.
Some outdoor furniture dealers offer teak furniture care kits from the manufacturer and home centers usually have similar kits available in the paint department.
Most kits suggest a thorough cleaning and rinsing, allowing the furniture to dry completely, followed by a light sanding prior to the application of the oil or finish coat. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instruction to achieve the best results.
The following two methods are generally practiced:
A ) Teak Oil : Apply 1-2 coats of teak oil to your teak furniture. You must do it regularly (app. Every 2 months) to keep the furniture looking good. Oiling of furniture results in mildew and it also doesn’t prevent checking. In fact, we don’t recommend using teak oil as end finish because of high maintenance. Furthermore, with each finish the end surface turns dark.
B) Teak Sealer / Teak Protector: This is a transparent solution widely available in hypermarkets. You need to apply 2-coats of teak sealer after sandpapering. It restores wood to its natural colour. Sealer help to resist normal weathering and mildew growth. Checking will still occur.
In Malaysia, due to the high amount of dust and smoke in the atmosphere, dark stains may be noticeable after some months of outdoor use. Clean the furniture with a wet soft cloth every now and then and keep the furniture clean from the dust. The dust can fill in the grains of the wood and some stains can be stubborn to remove. If the furniture has a natural finish, slowly sand the area with a smooth sand paper.
Teak furniture makes an excellent choice for outdoor living and if properly maintained, will last a lifetime. If you are unable to perform the regular maintenance, contact us and we will bring it back near to its original look.
Beware that furniture finished with Melamine cannot be brought back to its original look. Teakia does not use Malamine in manufacturing its Teak Furniture.
At Teakia, we are experienced at manufacturing quality teak furniture as well as repairing and restoring used teak furniture to its original beauty. Should you require repair of your teak furniture, please feel free to contact us.