Teak wood stain

[Todd Reese]

I am in the process of refinishing the exterior teak of our boat with cetol. There are stains on some of the peices that are yellow/white in color.  I've attempted to sand these stained areas to no avail in effort to pull the natural color back out.  Does anyone have any tips to fix/remove the stains?  I don't want to replace the entire piece of teak.

[Ron Hill]

Todd : What you need is some teak cleaner and brightener, not stain.  The cleaner and then the brightener will restore the teak to it's natural color.   

[Todd Reese]

Ron: I had taken the teak down to the bare wood and even tried a 50/50 bleach mix to try to take it out. I have not tried the restorer cleaner. This stain is not like a mold but almost a bleached effect. I'll try the restorer/cleaner. Thanks for your help!

[Ken Krawford]

Todd, I can't tell for sure from your picture but it appears that your teak is varnished.  If so, then the "stain" that you are seeing is from moisture that has gotten underneath the varnish.  The screw that is adjacent to the stain would be the culprit.  The only way to restore this is to sand back to bare wood and re-varnish. 

[Roc]

Have you tried a pressure washer to spot clean those areas?  I've used a pressure washer in the past on exterior teak and it will blast out imbedded dirt and stains.  Just be careful and not hold it in one spot too long or the wood might disintegrate.

[Todd Reese]

I am heading to the lake this weekend to open up the boat for the season and am loaded with sandpaper power washer and teak cleaner. I will take it step by step and try all the options. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again for all of your input!