Golden Care has a full range of products to help you care for your teak outdoor furniture. No matter what color you would like your teak furniture to be, there is a Golden Care teak product to meet your needs. But first, before reviewing each of their individual products, it will be helpful to understand the natural weathering process of the teak wood that we are working with here.
Teak is a very dense and heavy hardwood that grows in tropical areas of Southeast Asia. The wood is full of natural oil that protects it from water, fungus, and pests, making it an ideal wood for outdoor furniture.
When it is new, teak wood has a warm honey-colored appearance. As it is exposed to the air, however, the color will fade to become a silver-grey patina. This classic silver color of aged teak looks excellent if it is cared for well. However, over time the color can change again to a dark greenish-grey with uneven blotches. It will take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to first notice the color fading from new teak depending on the climate conditions of where you live.
Don’t make the Teak Oil mistake
Many people make the mistake of applying teak oil to their outdoor teak furniture without knowing any better. They just assume it’s the thing to do.
In reality, applying teak oil is a very short term solution to the natural color fade process occurring in teak wood. Far from protecting the wood or replenishing its oils, teak oil can actually do more harm than good. So called “teak oil” (which is actually made from linseed oil) contains solvents that will deplete the natural oil that was in your teak wood to begin with.
Moreover, the effect on the color of the wood will be short-lived. After several weeks it will begin to fade, and so you’ll have to constantly reapply oil. Additionally, if you’re not very careful with the application, excess oil on the surface of the wood provides food for the growth of various types of fungus. You would be much better off using one of Golden Care’s teak protecting products instead of an oil.
Golden Care developed their products with a variety of customers in mind. So the first decision you need to make is what color you want your teak to be. Your primary choice is between maintaining the golden-brown color of new teak or the attractive silver-grey color of finely aged teak.
Golden Care Teak Protector
In order to preserve the golden color of new teak, you should use Golden Care Teak Protector. Before using their teak protector for the first time with new furniture, you should allow the furniture to sit out in the air for a week or two until the surface doesn’t feel oily to the touch. Make sure to use a sheet of plastic or something similar placed underneath the furniture to protect the grass or pavement from possible discoloration from the teak protector. You can use a very fine-grained sandpaper to smooth over any rough areas on your furniture. Be certain there is no dust on your furniture before you start. This can be done using a damp cloth to wipe the surface. Then make sure you give the furniture time to completely dry.
You need to shake the bottle of Golden Care Teak Protector thoroughly for a minute before using it to make sure you’ll get an even color. Using a lint-free cloth you should apply the teak protector with the thinnest layer of coating possible. This is a case where less equals more. As you apply, you should rub the cloth in the direction of the wood grain. After you’ve coated the entire piece of furniture, wait 30 minutes for it to dry and then begin applying a second coat. You can use your furniture after waiting one day for the protector to dry fully. For best results you should treat your patio furniture with the teak protector once a year.
Golden Care recommends using their Teak Cleaner every 2 or 3 years on furniture that has been treated regularly with their Teak Protector. Also, if your teak furniture has already faded to a grey color you will need to use a teak cleaner before applying the protector.
Golden Care Teak Instant Grey (Patinizer)
If you want to maintain the attractive silver-grey color of aged teak, you should use Golden Care Instant Grey (Teak Patinizer). This is a special product that is designed to protect teak from mildew and mold, while preventing dirt from penetrating as well. The patinizer will help prevent the silver-grey color from slipping into the dark greenish-grey of neglected teak. If you decide to use Instant Grey, you need to first be patient and give your furniture a couple months to fade to a grey color in the first place. The Instant Grey (Patinizer) should be applied in the same way as the Teak Protector, however, you should allow 4 hours between the first and second coats. For best results, you should apply Instant Grey (Patinizer) at least once a year.
Golden Care Teak Whitener
Another option is to use Golden Care Teak Whitener. This will give your teak furniture a pale silver-white color, which can look look very stunning. The steps for applying Teak Whitener are identical to those used for the Teak Patinizer. So if you decide to go this route, you’ll need to allow your teak furniture a few months to fade to a grey color beforehand. The exact amount of time it will take for new teak to fade to a grey color depends largely on the humidity level of the area in which you live. If, on the other hand, your teak furniture is not new, then all you’d have to do is clean it properly before applying the patinizer or whitener. An easy way to do this is using the teak cleaner made by Golden Care.
Golden Care Teak Cleaner
Golden Care Teak Cleaner is a superb cleaning and brightening product that should be used annually for untreated teak furniture. It is also recommended to use teak cleaner every 2 or 3 years on furniture that has been treated regularly with one of Golden Care’s protectors before applying the protector again. If you have old, weathered teak that you’ve neglected, Teak Cleaner will restore it to a beauty.
After cleaning, you can use one of Golden Care’s other products depending on the finial color you wish to achieve:
Teak Protector for a golden brown
Teak Instant Grey (Patinizer) for a silver-grey
Teak Whitener for a silver-white
Golden Care has produced this very helpful education video to demonstrate the correct way to use their various products in order to get the desired results:
Golden Care Teak Shield
It is very important to not use any of the Golden Care Protector products on wood that has been treated with teak oil unless you first use their Teak Cleaner. The reason for this is that the oil and protector can react and leave an unpredictable appearance. However, the teak cleaner will remove any oil from the outer surface of the wood, so you can apply any treatment you wish after cleaning your teak.
All of Golden Care’s teak care products come highly recommended. Again, you’ll have to decide which color you want your teak furniture to turn out in deciding which care products to purchase. The one essential product that you should get no matter which color you want to end up with is Teak Cleaner. Even if you decide not to treat your furniture afterwards with any of the other products, regular cleaning with Golden Care Teak Cleaner will help your teak patio furniture look beautiful for many years.