Teak is a tough material, but it must be treated gently. Teak should not be cleaned with the overly aggressive two-part acid type teak cleaners. While two-part cleaners do clean the teak, they also tend to eat away the light-colored soft grain of the wood, leaving the darker colored grain and overall surface with a rough, washboard effect.
Teak is literally dissolved by strong cleaners, so always use the mildest cleaner that does the job. Another method often used to clean a teak deck is pressure washing, which will unfortunately also remove the soft grain of the wood. A rough, weathered deck exposes more of the wood to environmental deterioration. If left unattended, it will soil easily.
Some boat owners use a teak brightener after the cleaner and before applying teak oil, because the teak brightener bleaches teak up to a lighter shade and will remove any residue left in the grain from the cleaning process. However, before teak can be given any coating, it must be completely clean. Only after that it can be finished with a light coat of oil or sealer. We recommend Teak Life products.
The correct method to apply Teak Life is to first sand and surface using a 60-grit sandpaper for an even, level surface. Then apply a generous amount of Teak life UV by hand using a high-quality brush. Don’t apply in direct sunlight. Allow to dry for 24 hours and then consider a 2nd coat of Teak Life UV or Teak Life UV Topcoat in its respective colour. Maintenance is recommended every 6 to 12 months. Clean the surface with clean water, sand with 80 grit to remove standing fiber and apply a maintenance coat of Teak Life UV Topcoat.