Cleaning up wooden patio table

bluedog

I've hunted around but can't find any threads on this, nor am I sure if it belongs on this forum, but here goes.

I've got a wooden patio table that needs a clean up but don't know where to start really. It's more of a weathering problem than anything in particular, but doesn't look good for food to be served on. Would it be ok to sand it with fine paper and then just apply linseed oil (which I already have!)?

Any help much appreciated.

sandieb

My teak patio table looks like this - I've decided to give in and use a tablecloth!

Nicki

I've just done this job with some wooden patio furniture. I scrubbed it really hard with a hard scrubbing brush and stardrops and water. Let it dry in the sun, scrubbed again, repeated 2 or 3 times, until it looked as clean as it was going to get, then sanded, and oiled several times with some oil for outdoor furniture (don't think it was linseed but not sure what was in it). If I'd had a jet washer, I probably would have tried that to take out the donkey work, but they did even so come up really nicely.

Poppycat

I just did mine last night, we got some teak oil and brushed it on table and chairs. Think it was about £3 for a large bottle from Wilkos.

You can get furniture stain too, see that in Wilkos, haven't tried it myself. But it isnt cheap compared with fence stain about £5-£6 a small tin, but that would do a table, various colours.

paddy's_mum

We do ours every spring with a pressure washer - it gets all the winter gunk off in a trice. Leave to dry and then oil if you wish.

If you don't have a washer yourself, ask friends and neighbours - it isn't difficult to take the table to the washer.

bluedog

Thanks everyone. I've got stardrops and starclens ... why didn't I think of that before !

My friend has a pressure washer if all else fails. The linseed oil was reduced in Wilkinson's last year and was for my wooden wishing well so will use that before buying anything else.

I used Starclens with a scrubbing brush and was horrified at the gunk that came off it the first time, but did a very good job as very little muck left. After a quick sand down and 3 coats of oil, it looks like new! one very happy bunny..