For you who love natural elements, choosing teak wood furniture is definitely a great idea. This type of wood is considered hardwood which is more durable than softwood. You can have natural beauty in the decor of your home without worrying about any tricky maintenance.
However, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take care of them on regular basis, especially if you place them in your exterior area. The harsh weather conditions may damage the finish and structure of the furniture if you don’t maintain them properly.
As a natural material, you have to do the job properly to avoid further damage. In this article, we share with you a complete Teak Furniture Maintenance Guide for your ultimate reference.
Teak Furniture Maintenance Guide
Regular cleaning
Outdoor furniture is heavily exposed to tons of elements which makes it so easy to get dirty. You can’t avoid things like dirt, debris, leaves, bird dropping, and mold. Therefore, regular cleaning is definitely important to keep your teak furniture look adorable and feel comfortable at the same time.
To remove the dirt on the surface of your teak furniture, you can use a stiff bristle brush at least once a week. Keep in mind to scrub the dirt in the same direction as the wood’s natural grain with medium pressure to avoid scratching.
You can wash your teak furniture by using a mixture of warm water and dishwashing soap when it gets too dirty. Here’s what you can do:
- Soak a sponge or microfiber cloth in the cleaning solution.
- Wipe the teak furniture carefully.
- Let the cleaning solution sit for about 5 minutes.
- Rinse the residue by using another clean cloth or hose it down.
- Air-dry completely before using the furniture again.
Clean the spills immediately
Besides the natural dirt, the spills from your food and drinks are also inevitable. You may invite some guests to your outdoor living space and have some meals around who accidentally leave some spills around.
You need to handle this issue as soon as possible since wood can absorb the spills and ends up leaving difficult stains. Here’s what you can do to handle the spills on teak wood furniture:
- Always clean spills as soon they drop to the surface of the furniture by using a microfiber cloth.
- If the stains have been there around for a while, you can use a stiff bristle brush and the same cleaning solution as the above step. Scrub the stains in the direction of the furniture’s natural grain.
- For more difficult stains, you may need to sand the affected areas with a fine-grit sandpaper. Always do this step carefully to avoid damaging the finish of the furniture.
Move them around carefully
Though teak is considered a durable type of wood, you still need to handle it carefully when you move the furniture around. Dragging and pulling your teak chairs and tables carelessly will erode the wood since you may generate a lot of friction.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Free the space where you’d like to move your teak furniture from potential obstacles like ceramic planters, glass tables, and other fragile objects.
- Properly determine the spot to place each piece of furniture before you move them to a new space, so you won’t need to pull and drag them a lot.
- Do not drag the furniture, always lift each one of them if you need to move them here and there. Always do the step slowly since you tend to be careless if you rush things.
- Keep in mind to hold each piece firmly when you move each piece around. It’s always better to ask for help if you can’t do it alone.
(Read also: Garden Decor Guide | How to Choose Garden Bench)
Seal the wood
The natural teak finish will fade away as time goes by, you may notice that the honey brown tone turns into a silver-gray patina. This natural condition is called weathering which is caused by the reduction of its oil.
If you’d like to keep their natural brown finish, you need to apply a teak sealer on a regular basis. It works by protecting the natural finish so you won’t lose the natural finish of your teak wood furniture.
The weathering process as mentioned above will be delayed once you add a teak sealer. This step is mainly important for you who place your teak chairs and tables under direct sunlight and rain.
You can find a lot of teak sealers in local hardware stores, so you might want to do a little research to find the best one that suits your needs.
Place them in protected areas
Though teak wood is known for its great durability, placing them in a protected area is always a wiser idea. If you have a shade like sailing fabric or canopy, you can place them under the shaded area.
You may find some cracking when those teak tables and chairs are overly exposed to hot temperatures or UV radiation. Avoid storing teak furniture close to the heater when you keep them inside during the freezing season.
Protect them from mildew
Mildew is another common problem that may affect your teak furniture, especially if you live in an area with high humidity. Naturally, the oil that teak wood contains can prevent mold and mildew problems, but as your furniture may expose to harsh weather conditions, it still may occur in time. Remember, mold and mildew don’t only damage the beauty of your teak furniture, but also affect your health.
Most homeowners often use high-pressure water to clean the mildew and mold on the surface of teak furniture, but it can lead to further damage, actually. You can use some DIY cleaning solutions to handle the problem like vinegar and baking soda if you prefer to do this step all by yourself.
If you are willing enough, you can call a professional cleaning company to clean the mold and mildew on your teak furniture.
(Image source: depositphotos.com)
