Cleaning Grayed Teak With BLEACH??

[Mac Taylor]

Has anyone ever tried cleaning teak with bleach. Tried it on a small area and got immediate results. Decided not to go further though, without asking someone out there with more experience than I. Will this harm the wood? I used only a small amount on a rag then dabbed it on. The teak immediately turned bright. Looks good but would like experienced opinions before advancing. Thanks to all who reply.



Mtaylor673@aol.com

[Bill]

Has anyone ever tried cleaning teak with bleach. Tried it on a small area and got immediate results. Decided not to go further though, without asking someone out there with more experience than I. Will this harm the wood? I used only a small amount on a rag then dabbed it on. The teak immediately turned bright. Looks good but would like experienced opinions before advancing. Thanks to all who reply.

; Mac I have used a solution of 1 gallon water,2cups bleach and 1 cup Fantastic liquid cleaner for about twenty years. I start at the stern and work forward using a scrub brush.Those days are over know that I've started using Cetol, this scrubbing was done as required and prior to using Teak Wonder teak dressing.My advise is scrub it with the bleach solution let it dry good, then sand and follow the Cetol directions for application.You'll spend a lot more time sailing opposed to taking care of teak.
Bill & Jayne
CD28 Infinity



tocoiriverrats@aol.com

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Bill,

I plan on cleaning the teak on Hanalei this Spring and then using the original Armada(not the 2000 stuff) to protect it. Will the bleach solution you describe take out the little black stains that appear to be in the grain of the wood? I would prefer to sand as little as possible, as the teak was completely sanded two years ago. I have only used oil since then to protect the teak, with not acceptable results.

Would appreciate your comments...

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

[Larry DeMers]

Hi Guys,

Dilluted bleach is fine for cleaning the mildew off your teak prior to cetoling it. Only one problem with it..that is in clearing it off before painting. Bleach must be removed from the teak prior to finishing it, or the clorox will eat the paint finish from the inside..slowly.
Dave, those little black specs are mildew, from moisture either trapped in the teak when it was last finished, or that leaked into the wood through an imperfection. I had a couple of those on the companionway framing. Bleach will kill it off. Dry the site well after rinsing it extra well! Then cetol it right away. Waiting another weekend for instance will allow the mildew to get reestablished.


Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Has anyone ever tried cleaning teak with bleach. Tried it on a small area and got immediate results. Decided not to go further though, without asking someone out there with more experience than I. Will this harm the wood? I used only a small amount on a rag then dabbed it on. The teak immediately turned bright. Looks good but would like experienced opinions before advancing. Thanks to all who reply.

demers@sgi.com

[Mac Taylor]

Bill,

I plan on cleaning the teak on Hanalei this Spring and then using the original Armada(not the 2000 stuff) to protect it. Will the bleach solution you describe take out the little black stains that appear to be in the grain of the wood? I would prefer to sand as little as possible, as the teak was completely sanded two years ago. I have only used oil since then to protect the teak, with not acceptable results.

Would appreciate your comments...

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

Dave, Just wanted to let you know that ALL of the gray areas and black spots on the small areas that I bleached brightened immediately. As for the sanding I tried a little experiment. First I bleached an area then applied a coat of Armada MC2000. The area , after coating appeared a white or off white color. Second I bleached another area then SANDED before coating with the MC2000. The results were excellent. Ended up with a nice honey/natural teak color with glossy finish which is what I prefer. I am concerned,due to Larry's input, about the possibility of the finish being eaten from the inside due to the bleach. So, I plan to use the same methodology but clean the areas well before applying any poly. I also tried a one part teak cleaner. Was not impressed, so I turned to the bleach for better results with hardly any effort, I might add.



Mtaylor673@aol.com

[Jeff Funston]

Whats the best concentrations, or are you-all using 100%?

[Larry DeMers]

No, a 5 -10% solution of clorox to water is all I use. It may take a stronger mixture if the greying is real bad, but do not forget that this clorox has to be neutralized before it dries..and the more concentrated the clorox is, the more water needed to get the surface free of clorox. Give it say 20 minutes to take effect fully..

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Whats the best concentrations, or are you-all using 100%?

demers@sgi.com

[Larry DeMers]

Just dilute the clorox left on the surface with water, rinse it well, and dry. That should take the clorox off. But you can confound the problem considerably by using a high strength dosage of clorox rather than dilluting it first. Once it has been rinsed, there should be little or no clorox odor, or feel (that squishy, slimy feeling when water/clorox combo is rubbed between fingers). Allow to dry thoroughly, then put on 1 coat and allow to dry. Now you will be good until the following weekend..but protect the wood from rain if you can..until the full coarse of finishes are applied.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Bill,

I plan on cleaning the teak on Hanalei this Spring and then using the original Armada(not the 2000 stuff) to protect it. Will the bleach solution you describe take out the little black stains that appear to be in the grain of the wood? I would prefer to sand as little as possible, as the teak was completely sanded two years ago. I have only used oil since then to protect the teak, with not acceptable results.

Would appreciate your comments...

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

Dave, Just wanted to let you know that ALL of the gray areas and black spots on the small areas that I bleached brightened immediately. As for the sanding I tried a little experiment. First I bleached an area then applied a coat of Armada MC2000. The area , after coating appeared a white or off white color. Second I bleached another area then SANDED before coating with the MC2000. The results were excellent. Ended up with a nice honey/natural teak color with glossy finish which is what I prefer. I am concerned,due to Larry's input, about the possibility of the finish being eaten from the inside due to the bleach. So, I plan to use the same methodology but clean the areas well before applying any poly. I also tried a one part teak cleaner. Was not impressed, so I turned to the bleach for better results with hardly any effort, I might add.

demers@sgi.com

[Fred]

What you need: a bottle of bleach, a bucket, liquid laundry soap, rubber gloves, maroon scotch pads, and water.

Mix about 25% bleach with water and a shot of soap, after soaking the teak with a hose, start scrubbing.. then rinse.

It works as well as the two part systems for cleaning teak do, but doesn't damage the wood. A big plus is that it's cheap too



fred@hotsheet.com