Yet another Teak Deck post..

[Seagreen]

Relax. Not so much about cleaning, more about the repeated use of Oxalic Acid solution. Does frequent - every two months- use of this stuff in season have an adverse effect on the teak? Or will the environmental lobby kill me first?

A scientific mate tells me that the components of Oxalic acid are all to be found in seawater, so it won't turn the whelks gay... or something. Is this true?

 

[damo]

Well, since the components are hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, I would be pretty certain they are found in seawater. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I am prepared to be corrected by our resident chemists but AFAIK it is found in nature in various plants - rhubarb leaves being the best known - but its affinity for metal ions means that in seawater it will quickly form an insoluble precipitate (like the calcium oxalate kidney stones in the body)

This doesn't directly answer your question, but googling should bring up a lot about wood treatment and oxalic acid.

 

[mocruising]

How do you use the stuff to clean the decks. What concentration and the like.

 

[Ocean Hound]

Took over a boat that had really bad teak decks in terms of mould, algae etc. Oxalyic acid hardly touched it, so finished up using MMC Patio Magic, a kind of brick cleaner (keep away from bronze) which did the job and will keep the algae off for full season. I then brought back the colour using a mixture of Stocholm tar, boiled linseed oil, and paraffin which works a treat and requires minimum maintainance.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I used it to remove a rust stain in our (domestic) cast iron vitreous bath and it removed the glaze!