Never Pressure Wash Teak Furniture

We get a lot of calls about how to maintain and clean teak furniture. Many from folks who didn’t even get it from us. We’re happy to help when we can. Here is a frequent comment we hear: “The guy I hired to pressure wash my deck did me a favor and pressure washed my teak furniture for me. Now, it’s bumpy and splintery. What do I do?” Never pressure wash teak furniture.

This is unfortunate, because unlike other woods, good teak should never be pressure washed. As teak ages, it will turn silver, but it won’t get bumpy or rough. The natural oils throughout the wood protect it. However, the force of the pressure washer will create splinters, pits and bumps. Once your teak has been pressure washed, the best solution is to lightly sand the surface back to smooth. Quality teak will have enough oil throughout the product to protect it. If you want, you can apply teak oil, but make sure it does not contain any pigments or dyes.

And next time, just use the pressure from the normal garden hose to clean your teak furniture.

Read our other blogs and visit our website to learn why teak from Thailand is the best and how not all teak furniture is created equally and remember never to pressure wash teak furniture.

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