Normal cleaning anf maintenance – oil treated teak

Oil treated teak furniture has a nice reddish-brown color. If you want to preserve the reddish-brown color, the furniture needs regular maintenance with teak oil.

How often the furniture has to be retreated with oil depends on the environment where the furniture is located. Outdoor furniture requires retreatment more often than furniture under an eaves or a covered terrace. If you want to maintain the teakwood’s beautiful golden color, the furniture must be treated before the wood begins to appear dry and pale.

To achieve the best results, it is important that the furniture is thoroughly cleaned before retreatment. If the oil is applied to a dirty surface, it may become moldy and discolored. The furniture is easiest to clean with warm water with a small amount of a gentle cleaning agent. Use a soft brush to remove dirt. When the furniture is completely dry, lightly sand the surface with fine sandpaper, grain 180-220. Apply the oil afterwards. Do not apply the oil in direct sunlight.

For instructions on oil treatment: See tabletops in solid wood.

If you do not retreat your teak furniture, the color will gradually change.  The reddish-brown color will diminish over time, turning it into a beautiful silver-gray surface which is characteristic for teak. The natural oil content of teak allows the wood to be left untreated without compromising durability and strength.

For normal cleaning, use a damp cloth soaked in warm water.

Normal cleaning and maintenance - untreated teak

Before using your new teak furniture, you should consider which kind of look you prefer for your furniture. If you choose to leave your furniture untreated, the color of the light brown teak will change to the very characteristic silver-gray surface, for which untreated teak is known. This process of transformation depends on the specific environment where the furniture is located and will happen within weeks or months.

If, on the other hand, you want the furniture to remain a golden, warm color, you get the best results by oil-treating the furniture before using it the first time.

For normal cleaning, use a damp cloth soaked in warm water.

Special maintenance - Teak

It is important to regularly clean teak furniture, whether oil treated or untreated. Regular cleaning prevents dirt, algae and spores from settling and discoloring the surface. Without cleaning, it can be unfortunate that the wood gets fungal spores, which can give the wood small black spots. If normal cleaning is not sufficient to remove dirt, we recommend using a special wood cleaning agent. After thoroughly cleaning the wood, oiled furniture should be retreated with oil.

Special consideration - Teak

Teak is a natural material where variations in color and texture of the furniture may occur. For retreatment, use oil for outdoor use. Oil for outdoor use contains fungicides, which prevent microorganisms from discoloring the surface.

Over time, alternating humidity and weather conditions may cause the veins of the wood to rise, resulting in a rough surface. Furthermore, due to weathering, very small cracks may appear in the wood. Minor cracks do not affect the design of the furniture nor compromise durability.

To take the best possible care of teak furniture, we recommend that the furniture is stored in an unheated shelter during the winter season.

Please note that untreated teak is prone to discolor if the wood gets wet, e.g. from rain or ring stains from drinking glasses.

We recommend covering teak furniture when not in use for protection from the elements.