Teak trim cleaning.

[Arc]

I have a bit of cabin teak that need some attention. It mostly in very good condition, just getting a bit dark in places. I have to clean it in place and don’t want a water mess inside the boat. Can anyone recommend a cleaner that I can use without a lot of washing?

 

[Maerin]

Murphy Oil Soap is probably the most recommended, they make a spray cleaner that would work with less water, but I'm guessing you'd end up with a bucket with water and oil soap anyway. Maybe a combination of the two would be less mess than the whole bucket and sponge drill.



I'm guessing you'll not find a magical way to avoid the elbow grease factor.

 

[Arc]

I guess I was thinking about something that was a paste. So it might stay put. Then wash off with a sponge. I don’t know if it exists

 

[C lectric]

Oxalic acid bought as crystals and then diluted is often used as a teak bleach. THe catch is it needs to be weak enough to work slowly enough to not go overboard on the lightening. It can be done as a paste. Then must be neutralized.

Try the washing first with the Murphy's Oil Soap. A good rag, microfleece and some work should help. Once dried see if the lightening was enough.
Personally I like the variations in colour but if it is just dirt the Murphys should help.

 

[BruceK]

Why has it darkened in some areas? Is it a dirt build up? A good wax applied using furniture grade steel wool,as is done with antique furniture, might work to clean the surface. Cleaning the same way using what we call "mineral turpentine", a kind of conventional paint thinner might help, but try an inconspicuous area first.

 

[koliver]

I guess I was thinking about something that was a paste. So it might stay put. Then wash off with a sponge. I don’t know if it exists

In using Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner to remove the yellow "mustache" from my bow, I inadvertently slopped some on the exposed teak portion of the guard, 20" above the waterline. The teak came up cleaner, so I applied some more Lysol along its full length. It all came up cleaner. Though not as hash as the two part chemical cleaners, the toilet bowl acid took off a lot of the stains and most of the dirt. Especially nice to remove diesel stains, as the vents from my tanks will dribble onto the guard when filling, and nothing else has made much of a difference getting rid of that stain.
As the Lysol is carried in a gel-like liquid, it may be just what you need. Try a small area first, of course.

 

[Tator]

I would definitely not use oxalic acid or the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner on any finished interior/exterior wood. I am not sure what exactly you mean by the wood darkening. I use a blue Costco sponge with dawn and warm water to clean our varnished interior wood. Anything that doesn't come off with that, I would try alcohol. Perhaps a picture of the darkened wood would help?

Tator