Looking after your teak garden furniture

Now that you’ve invested in some quality teak garden furniture, what’s the best way to look after it?

Teak, a tropical hardwood found mainly in Southeast Asia, is extremely popular both for its natural beauty and its ease of maintenance. It is a naturally oily and very dense wood, making it highly weather resistant and, therefore, perfect for garden furniture.

With just a little care and attention you will improve the cosmetic appearance of your teak garden furniture significantly. Teak furniture can be washed with a mild mixture of soap and water and it is recommended that you use a soft utility brush to remove surface dust and dirt. You should rinse the furniture thoroughly after cleaning and allow it to dry completely. At Patio-Furniture we also offer a teak cleaner which is formulated specially for this task, it will remove any surface dirt and will prepare your furniture for teak oil or sealer.

It is not necessary to heavily scrub or polish teak garden furniture – for example, you should be able to clean a chair in half an hour. Teak garden furniture, unlike furniture made from other less durable woods does not require the application of wood sprays, preservatives or oils as it has a naturally high oil content. However, for some tastes, the sliver-grey colour that teak garden furniture develops as it weathers, may be too rustic and oil (OR TEAK SEALERS)can be applied to create a full, rich surface sheen.

Here are some tips for applying teak oil to your garden furniture:

• Ensure the surface is clean and free from dust

• Your garden furniture must be completely dry, otherwise moisture trapped within the wood may cause black mildew spots to appear after oiling. Your furniture may take up to 48 hours to fully dry out after rain

• You must apply teak oil before your garden furniture begins to weather. If it has already begun to weather, then we recommend you use our teak cleaner followed by our teak sealer which will help to restore the original colour

• Follow the instructions on the teak sealer packaging for application. Generally, this would be to apply a light coating with a clean, lint free rag or paint brush. Two coats should be sufficient