How often do you clean Teak?

I don't clean mine at all. Ever. Never have in eight years of ownership. I don't even hose it down. Boracol applied once a year (or twice if I see the slightest hint of the pin-head sized spots of black mould) and then leave it to the elements.

The teak in the cockpit does get a gentle hosing a couple of times a season and some soft soap applied to the inevitable grease spots where the crew on watch drop bits out of their ham sandwiches.
 
Lots of people recommend Boracol. Is that not something to kill mould primarily? As one who has a boat in the Med, mould isn't a problem so cannot see that Boracol is for me.

I was once advised that if you are going to use a brush it has to be soft enough that you could use it on your face!

So for me in the med, I wash with fresh water to get the dirt off. I use a gun on the hose set to tap and not jet.

I occasionally use a very soft brush but only across the grain.

So maybe horses for courses?
TudorSailor
 
tudorsailor said:
Lots of people recommend Boracol. Is that not something to kill mould primarily? As one who has a boat in the Med, mould isn't a problem so cannot see that Boracol is for me.
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Boracol has 2 active ingredients, which are essentially an algaecide and a fungicide. The algaecide stops the deck going green; the fungicide kills the tiny black mould spores which many people think are dirt. Boracol-treated decks do stay much cleaner - certainly in UK weather conditions.
 
scottedwardrudd said:
Does anyone clean their teak decking more than once or twice a year?
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No - just once actually. Use Patio Magic and DO NOT use a brush, just a cloth of soft sponge. This is the advantage of teak decks over glass decks - no cleaning...... But there are long term disadvantages, especially if you use teak deck restorers (which removes the top oxidized surface exposing new wood) and brushes.
 
pvb said:
Boracol has 2 active ingredients, which are essentially an algaecide and a fungicide. The algaecide stops the deck going green; the fungicide kills the tiny black mould spores which many people think are dirt. Boracol-treated decks do stay much cleaner - certainly in UK weather conditions.
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I bet if you compared the ingredients of Patio Magic and Boricol they will be almost the same..... They are both PH neutral and so will not attack the wood or the sikaflex.
 
Yep, we had to reapply the Patio Magic every 2 to 3 years, not bad for an inferior and cheap product though. It last 2 years on our patio too.
 
Two years ago I managed, like a complete numpty, to spill some Fabsil on a teak covered cockpit locker. Impossible to mop up completely. The decks get a Borocol treatment once a year and a light hose down every few weeks to get rid of the dust. The interesting thing is that the locker lid is always noticeably easier to clean and attracts less dirt than the rest of the deck and attracts less green in the off season. There's no colour difference when dry but a little lighter when wet and you can see the water bobble on the surface rather than we out the wood, although not completely . No adverse effects that I can see so far. Not recommending that this as a treatment but after two seasons seems to be quite effective.
If the teak dissolves to mush i'll let you know.
 
blxm said:
Two years ago I managed, like a complete numpty, to spill some Fabsil on a teak covered cockpit locker. Impossible to mop up completely. The decks get a Borocol treatment once a year and a light hose down every few weeks to get rid of the dust. The interesting thing is that the locker lid is always noticeably easier to clean and attracts less dirt than the rest of the deck and attracts less green in the off season. There's no colour difference when dry but a little lighter when wet and you can see the water bobble on the surface rather than we out the wood, although not completely . No adverse effects that I can see so far. Not recommending that this as a treatment but after two seasons seems to be quite effective.
If the teak dissolves to mush i'll let you know.
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Interesting. Is the locker lid still as grippy as the rest of the deck?
 
What sort of brush/ cloth do people use to clean the teak? I have been told that a soft plastic brush its the best option. However, I don't want to damage the teak if I scrub it to much. Any thoughts?
 
I've been looking into cleaning our teak.
FWIW, both Patio Magic & Boracol silver bullets explicitly state that they are harmful to aquatic life & it is not to enter the water system...
I was as disappointed as anyone when I saw this.
 
mogmog2 said:
I've been looking into cleaning our teak.
FWIW, both Patio Magic & Boracol silver bullets explicitly state that they are harmful to aquatic life & it is not to enter the water system...
I was as disappointed as anyone when I saw this.
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Boracol contains ethylene glycol, which is added to help it soak deep into the wood. Properly applied (a floodcoat with a soft paintbrush on a dry day), Boracol will penetrate into the wood and, once dried, won't readily wash off into the sea. It's probably less damaging than the antifoul which I expect you use.
 
Frequent point of discussion at the sailing club.
10 people will have 11 views, or more.

However, two common conclusions.
Do not wash with fresh water. Ever. Wash frequently with salt (sea) water. Salt is a preservative. So save your money and pickle your timbers. Anything from a bottle is plain marketing or possibly detrimental.
Do not brush, in either direction. Bare foot policy, or shoes that are deck ONLY.
 
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