3 Steps to Clean, Restore and Protect Teak Furniture

The marks on this teak coffee table tell quite the story. Scratches, a water mark, food and paint; this table has been through a lot. Here is how I cleaned and restored this teak coffee table to it's (almost) original condition.

At the time of this project, I had owned this teak coffee table for 17 years. It's been with me through 6 moves, countless parties, 3 roommates and 2 kids.

Up until my kids entered the picture, it was in pretty good shape despite the fact that I didn't put much effort into maintaining it.

Once my fist was born, all bets were of. We're talking crayon marks, food stains, water marks and scratches.

Then the "smasher" was born and my table was further abused by cars, hammers and any hard toy that could be used to violently bash it over and over again, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Needless to say, this table was had earned its keep and deserved so much needed R&R. Here's my 3 step system to clean, restore and protect teak furniture (this 3 step system can be used for any indoor veneered or solid teak furniture with natural, unstained finish).

 STEP 1: Clean the surface

Using a damp cloth, wipe down the surface of the wood to remove dust and dirt. Make sure to wipe in the same direction as the wood grain. 

STEP 2: Gently sand the surface

 A table with this many stains and scratches needs to be CAREFULLY sanded down because it has a veneer top and too much sanding will go right through to the substrate. I use a gentle steel wool #0000 whenever possible. Again, making sure to move in the same direction of the wood. A light exfoliation is all that is required, so don't go overboard here. I sanded just enough to remove the paint and any hardened mystery gunk (ew!).

STEP 3: Oil the surface

The last and final step is to apply one or more coats of teak oil to help seal in moisture and protect the surface from future discoloration. This step also restores teak's beautiful golden color and provides a subtle and natural sheen. Teak oil is used to obtain a matte finish however, so if you're looking for a glossy effect, you will need to apply a product with varnish.