Cleaning Teak – Pressure Washing Revisited

Updated January 17, 2018:   We are often asked if it is okay to use a pressure washer when cleaning teak furniture.  Our answer has always been a resounding “no”.  The reason we do not recommend pressure washing when cleaning teak furniture is that the fine stream and high pressure can cause the surface of the teak furniture to become bumpy and pitted.  Once that happens, the teak furniture will have to be sanded to return the surface it to its natural smooth finish.  Well, we have come to realize that the lure of the pressure washer is just too strong for some people, and regardless of our advice, they will pressure wash anyway. Therefore, we are modifying our answer.

Cleaning Teak Furniture by CAREFULLY Pressure Washing

Our answer is now: You can pressure wash your teak furniture if you are very careful and follow these instructions:

• If you have a high power pressure washer, turn down the volume. Or use a pressure washer that has less PSI.
• Only use a wide spray nozzle. Most pressure washers come with several nozzles. Us the widest one available. Typically, this will be a 40 degree angle.
• Keep the nozzle at least 12” from the surface of your teak furniture.
• You may want to start on the underside of the furniture to get a feel for how strong your pressure washer is and how far away you need to keep the nozzle.
• NOTE*:  For best results, you will need to use nice, even strokes, passing over the item completely each time.  Using short, quick strokes will simply move the dirt around the surface and create “bath tub rings” of dirt at the end of each stroke.

If you follow the above instructions when you are cleaning teak furniture with a pressure washer, you can achieve a nice, clean surface for your outdoor teak furniture. Then, simply keep the furniture clean of debris and dirt and you will have furniture that will last a lifetime.

Before and After example of cleaning teak furniture

If you’d like to learn more about our advice on cleaning teak furniture, please read our other blogs:

• Maintaining Your Outdoor Teak Furniture
• Another Example Cleaning Premium Teak
• Managing Mold and Mildew on Teak Furniture

Read our other blogs and visit our teak furniture website to learn why teak from Thailand is the best and how not all teak furniture is created equally. Connect with me at my Google+ Profile