How often do you clean Teak?

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scottedwardrudd

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Hi All,

How often do you clean your Teak decking on your boat? If I clean it to often will it effect the quality of the teak?

Also, any recommendations for Teak specific cleaners?

All the best,

Scott
 
I sanded some tired looking teak when we bought my wife’s boat last year. Since then it’s had two or three coats of teak oil and still looks good.
The gunnels of my last boat were thick wood and were sanded once every three years. A coat or two of teak oil at the start and end of the season kept them looking cared for.
 
Treat it 2 or 3 times a year with Boracol, then leave it to go silvery naturally. Don't oil it - that attracts the dirt. Don't ever jetwash or scrub it. Only ever use a soft sponge to clean it.
 
Our teak decking is decorative: narrow planks of thin teak glued onto a grp deck. We scrub the teak when wetted down with a scrubbing brush across the grain (not with it as it wears the teak down rapidly) and then rinse it. It's surprising just how much dirt comes out. Decking then looks good for a period before we repeat the scrubbing because the decks got dirty again. Keeping to a barefoot policy on board helps extend the intervals between cleaning. We don't treat the teak with anything: teak oil would be messy and get tracked everywhere and the other treatments seem to be variations on snake oil.
Inevitably, I know I will have to replace the teak but that's a good few years away yet at present wear rates.
However, the boat is in Greece where things growing on wet teak aren't a problem and being barefoot isn't a drama. I treat the toerail of my Hurley 18 with teak oil once or twice a season after a good scrub with a brush and water. Keeps it looking reasonable and growth free.
 
It all depends on what you want it to look like. If you want beautiful varnished teak, you'll have to work at it, because every varnish known to humanity falls of teak eventually. I like silver grey, I treat with the three parts of Teak Wonder (cleaner, brightener, sealer) before launching and then just let it do its stuff.
 
JumbleDuck said:
It all depends on what you want it to look like. If you want beautiful varnished teak, you'll have to work at it, because every varnish known to humanity falls of teak eventually. I like silver grey, I treat with the three parts of Teak Wonder (cleaner, brightener, sealer) before launching and then just let it do its stuff.
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The OP is specifically asking about teak decks, not brightwork.
 
Tranona said:
The OP is specifically asking about teak decks, not brightwork.
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Fair point. So I'll add that between beautifully shiny and cheerfully weathered there are all sorts of possibilities, and that in general the nearer the shinier end of things you are the more work it takes. In general the best way of dealing with teak decking seems to be with hammer, chisel and shed load of cash, but if that isn't an option I think the simpler the better.
 
Once a year. Light scrubbing with water and soft brush, rinse off, let dry, spray with Baufix mould remover (about £2 at Lidl sale - one handy spray bottle does the whole boat). Works really well, no green stuff growing at all. Does not bleach the teak or harm deck, caulking or your wallet. Deck is original from 2001.

The rest of the time the deck just gets hosed down when I rinse the salt off the boat, and of course the automatic saltwater wash underway (now somewhat less likely after rounding the corner into the Algarve - plenty of autowash on the west coast of Portugal).
 
I used to use B&Q or Homebase own brand teak decking cleaner. It gave reasonable results but needed 2 to 3 applications per year (UK based).

I now use Patio Magic. Diliute 3:1 and apply with a 3 inch paint brush. Wait for 3 rain-free days then stand back and admire your deck! One application per year is sufficient.

Never use an oil or a varnish and never use a heavy scrubbing brush.

Hope you enjoy the pleasure of the teak deck.
 
+1 for Boracol / Patio Magic applied once a year. Easiest stuff in the world to apply - it’s just like water - but wear a mask and gloves. We never scrub, wash or rinse the decks, in fact the more seawater that gets washed across the better. This approach gives great looking silver decks all year round, the only exception is a small area on the port side where rainwater can collect because the drainage isn’t perfect. A second application of Boracol half way through the season sorts that. As davidjackson mentions, ensure no rain falls within a couple of days of application, or you’ll have to do it again.
 
I'm glad you asked that question, as I am a great lover of woodwork on boats, and whenever I look on Apollo duck, or boats moored up somewhere (and expensive ones too) I am mortified at the state some owners let their exterior woodwork get into, in fact they can't even be bothered to clean/oil/varnish (whatever their chosen finish) if they are selling the boat...1st impressions and all that. If I went to view a boat and the 1st thing I saw was neglected woodwork, I'd walk away, as there is every chance all the rest of the boat is rubbish too!!! Rant over.:ambivalence: My own woodwork has to look pristine, even if the boat is virtually worthless on the open mkt. Sorry, so in answer to your question.....certainly every year + more if needed.
 
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Any of the Patio Magic/Boracol formulations will do. Almost all the discolouration is due to mould and not dirt. I have a deck brush with two heads. One is very soft, and I very occasionally use this very lightly and across the grain. My teak deck is in its 18th year and still looks good for another 30 or 40 years, by which time I will have lost interest.
 
+1 Boracal, used once a year, we just paint onto a damp deck and leave for a couple of days. If no rain then rinse with fresh water, I do not scrub or brush my deck in anyway.
 
Nigelb said:
+1 Boracal, used once a year, we just paint onto a damp deck and leave for a couple of days. If no rain then rinse with fresh water, I do not scrub or brush my deck in anyway.
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This is I presume Boracol Y..... there are various permutations of wood brightener / preservative???
 
aussi said:
+1 for Boracol / Patio Magic applied once a year. Easiest stuff in the world to apply - it’s just like water - but wear a mask and gloves. We never scrub, wash or rinse the decks, in fact the more seawater that gets washed across the better. This approach gives great looking silver decks all year round, the only exception is a small area on the port side where rainwater can collect because the drainage isn’t perfect. A second application of Boracol half way through the season sorts that. As davidjackson mentions, ensure no rain falls within a couple of days of application, or you’ll have to do it again.
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I'm intrigued, how does one do that - could do with knowing for next summer's cruise!
 
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