Although teak is a durable wood, it can be vulnerable to staining by liquids. If you discover rings left on your oil finished teak coffee table by a perspiring glass, don't panic! With a little know-how and the right tools for the job, you can get rid of most liquid marks. Here's how.
What you'll need
- washing-up liquid
- mayonnaise
- lemon oil
- fine steel wool pad
- cloths
- hairdryer
- tung oil (available from good DIY stores)
How to do it
- Where spills are concerned, it's important to act quickly. Use a clean cloth to mop up as much of the moisture as possible, before it has chance to soak into the wood.
- If the drink stain has been caused by something sticky, such as lemonade or fruit juice, you'll need to get rid of the sticky residue before you tackle the stain. To do this, soak a clean cloth in a weak solution of warm water and washing-up liquid, and wipe down the table surface.
- Now you can turn your attention to getting rid of the stain. Take your hairdryer and set it to a cool temperature. Direct the air over the damp area, moving the hairdryer slowly back and forth until the liquid evaporates.
- Now, place a small blob of mayonnaise onto a clean, dry cloth and rub it into the stained area, using gentle pressure in a circular motion.
- Leave the mayonnaise to soak into the stain for a couple of hours, and then wipe it away with a damp cloth. Dry the area with a clean cloth.
- Next, take a small amount of lemon oil and a fine, steel wool pad, and carefully rub the stained area to sand away any staining that's been left behind in the upper fibres of the wood.
- It's important that you apply a coat of tung oil to the table to replace any moisture that's been stripped from the wood during the cleaning process and to even-out the colour following the mild sanding of the stained area. To do this, take a clean cloth and use it to apply one light coating of tung oil to the table's surface. Begin working from the top corner of the table, and continue diagonally across the surface, rubbing the oil smoothly in the direction of the wood's grain. (The grain should feel smooth beneath your fingers. If it feels rough or lumpy, you're rubbing across the grain)
For more about this topic, contact a teak furniture provider in your area.
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