Many people do not bother cleaning teak wood indoor furniture, which can affect its longevity and reduce its lifespan as overexposed surfaces to sunlight or dirt get damaged quickly.
How to Clean Teak Wood Indoor Furniture? You can clean teak wood indoor furniture using a soapy solution that removes mild stains. Moreover, sanding a wooden surface and using a teak protector can also help protect it from air elements. Furthermore, you can use solutions of vinegar and bleach in addition to teak sealants.
It is essential to clean the teak wood furniture if you want to avoid discoloration of wood material, as it can turn silvery grey after a few years.
Moreover, it is better to use teak protectors after cleaning the water, dirt, and grease stains from the indoor furniture to make it durable for a long time.
How do you clean teak wood indoor furniture?
Many homemade cleaning solutions like vinegar effectively remove black stains, oil, and dirt from the teak wood surface, but prepared products are also available in the market.
Every cleaner is not made for teak furniture, so you have to choose the correct solution that does not cause more damage.
Soapy solution
Overexposure to dirt and grease can lead to the formation of tough stains on the wooden table and bench in the dining area or entryway.
It is essential to clean the surface after short durations to improve the durability of indoor furniture.
Depending on the stains, you can prepare a soapy solution using a mild to strong detergent.
Add a few squirts of detergent into a water bowl and mix it thoroughly to form a perfect solution. After that, pour the solution on the dirty surface and use a scrub to rub the surface.
Additionally, rub it with a suitable brush to remove tough stains, or mild stains will come out even with gentle movement of hands.
Scrub the surface for almost 10 to 12 minutes and pour clean water to remove the soapy solution. Clean the surface using a neat cloth that can absorb the remaining water drops.
Keep the chairs or desk in sunlight or an airy place to allow quick drying; otherwise, moisture promotes mold and mildew growth.
Sand the wooden surface
The teak furniture can change its color from honey golden to a silvery grey over time when you do not pay attention to its maintenance for a long time.
Sanding can help remove water drops and contaminants hidden deep inside the surface. However, it can decay over time when you do not remove these contaminants from the surface.
You have to wash the surface with a suitable cleaner to remove dirt and prepare the surface for sanding.
Let it dry and look for failures in caulk seams that remain wet when all other sides get dried.
After that, mark the area using tape and fill the seams with caulking material. Finally, use sandpaper of 60-grit or 80-grit to scrub the surface after drying to make the surface even.
Wash the surface with clean water to remove the remaining caulk dust and residual teak. Then, dry the surface using a soft cloth and keep it in the air.
Vinegar solution
White vinegar can be used as a furniture cleaner as it is mild on stains and is recommended to be used before applying any other harsh chemical on a dirty surface.
Mix vinegar and dish soap in water and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Shake the spray bottle to mix all the ingredients well.
You can easily spray the solution through a nozzle and spread it all over the dirty areas of teak wood indoor furniture. Leave the sprayed solution on the surface for almost 3 to 5 minutes.
Take a scrubbing brush and scrub the surface gently to deal with lighter spots. Avoid using brushes with sharp bristles, as they can cause damage to your dining tables and chairs.
Scrubbing can help tackle all dirt, mildew, and moisture stains. First, rinse the surface with plenty of water to clean the soapy solution.
Furthermore, clean the moisture drops and keep the chairs in a well-ventilated area so they dry quickly.
Bleach solution
A bleach solution is effective against stains of teak wood that can be used if the detergent cleaner does not work. It is a strong cleaner you can use when no other method works.
You can mix washing detergent into chlorine bleaching solution in 3:1. Dip the brush into the small bucket containing detergent and bleach solution.
Moreover, apply the bleach solution in small quantities on the stained and damaged surface.
Move the scrubbing brush in the direction of the grain and rub it hard if the stains are firmly attached to the surface.
After that, keep the solution on the surface for almost 5 to 10 minutes and rinse it with tap water. Use a bronze wool pad for tough stains, and avoid using steel scrubs to prevent damage.
Use teak sealant
A teak sealant can protect indoor furniture from harsh UV rays if you have placed a table or bench close to the window. Clean the surface with a soapy solution to remove air contaminants.
Dry the surface and apply a small quantity of teak oil on the surface using a soft brush. Place it in sunlight for 10 to 15 days until it gets dried.
Sunlight exposure opens up the wood grain that allows better application of sealers. Spray sealer in multiple sections to retain its natural honey-golden color when dried.
Use a lint-free cloth to rub the surface so the sealant enters the wood. You can apply the sealers once after every 10 to 12 months to keep it golden and shiny.
Furthermore, teak oil can be applied every 3 to 5 months to ensure the longevity of the furniture, but it needs to be rubbed with a lint-free cloth and dried accurately.
Things to consider when cleaning teak wood indoor furniture
A few things need to be considered when cleaning teak wood furniture that can help avoid damage and improve its lifespan.
Avoid using varnish on teak wood furniture as it contains harmful chemicals that can cause chipping and peeling of wood as you have to sand the surface vigorously to remove them.
It is better to keep the water pressure less than 1500 to 1800 psi as pressure washing is not suitable for it, particularly when it exceeds 2000 psi.
Additionally, the use of brushes having sharp bristles, like plastic brushes, can cause peeling of the wood polish. So, you can use brushes of steel and brass wool or a dishwashing scrubber.
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