The primary tool for the washing your teak decks is the best cotton mop you can find. Buy two or three when you find them, the good ones are hard to come by.- Be sure to use only single part teak cleaners/soaps on your teak decks. The best alternatives to these are dishwasher or powdered soaps. Dilute them thoroughly, just a 1/4-cup in a ½ bucket of water.
- If you must do a deeper cleaning, use a soft nylon bristle scrub brush or a Scotch Brite Pad. Always scrub across the grain of the teak deck. Always avoid using the hard white bristle poly brushes.
When it comes to teak decks, DO NOT…..
- Caulk a deck without masking the wood. I’ve heard of people flooding the joints and deck with sealant and then sanding the sealant off the deck. A teak deck can last for many, many years but not if treated this way.
- Do not sand a teak deck. One nice features of a teak deck is its non-slip quality. The grain of teak has softer and harder lines so the soft ones wear out leaving the hard ones as a perfect non-slip surface. Sanding will ruin the non-slip quality. Sanding also increases the chances for leakage.
- Do not clean a teak deck with chemicals. In most cases, it will damage the natural teak oil and make the teak deck require more frequent cleaning. If you have to clean something on the deck, the best cleaning technique is a low powered pressure washer with a mild detergent.
If you have any questions about the teak deck maintenance tips presented here, call the pros at Teak Marine USA. They have more than 20+ combined years of experience in all aspects to teak deck maintenance, repair and installation.