Teak Question - Cleaning With Salt Water

[Ducati]

Further questions on how to deal with maintaining my teak seats on our sailboat...

I got some feedback regarding the benefits of using a daily rinse using sea water.

Question? Our water is brackish (lower salt content) I assume that I can mix my own bucket of salt water and sponge it on that way? Also, what if I cannot get to my boat every day for the daily routine, will a couple of times a week do the job? Will using a stronger salt content do damage to the teak?

Thanks

 

[RAD]

I've been cleaning my teak with plain ol West Marine boat soap and it comes pretty clean

 

[DougM]

I am in freshwater and I use a bucket with about a half cup of pickling salt in a bucket of water. I apply it with a scrub brush, scrub it, let it soak for a few minutes and flush it off thoroughly with a hose, not letting the salt solution dry on the surface.
I do this about twice a season and the teak retains its natural color.
The nice thing about it is that a 2 pound box only costs about a buck at the grocery store.

 

[zeehag]

it doesnt hurt to sprinkle the salt on the teak deck. rain water will not then hurt the teak --was done in bilges of fresh water wooden boats back in the day.

 

[Ducati]

Will The Salt Damage The Gelcoat?

Quote:it doesnt hurt to sprinkle the salt on the teak deck. rain water will not then hurt the teak --was done in bilges of fresh water wooden boats back in the day.

When I wash my teak cockpit seats, will the salt be an issue with the gelcoat?

Ducati

 

[woodster]

it doesnt hurt to sprinkle the salt on the teak deck. rain water will not then hurt the teak --was done in bilges of fresh water wooden boats back in the day.

unless i am misinformed..(came from an old timer)..the salt was put there to prevent the fresh water form rotting the wood ....salt water pickles the wood ....fresh water rotts the wood

just wish some would have done that to mine when it was sitting on the salvage yard ..i would not be replaceing the main bulkhead and some of the floor structure.....

regards

woody

 

[zeehag]

salt and salt water will in no way hurt the gelcoat. the chemicals used by those desirous of blonde shiny wood are harmful to gelcoat, big time, but going the way of the old salts in boat care is not just going green, is less harmful to the boat than the varnishing and oxalic acid routine.

yes, the salt was placed in the bilges to prevent the fresh water from rotting the wood, and keeps the planks swollen so they dont leak and sink boat.

 

[Joe]

The guys I've known with teak decked boats sprinkle rock salt on the deck with water and simply swirl and sweep it over the surface as it dissolves. They don't scrub. It's more like mopping. (Swab the deck, matey) Of course, the old timers used holystone to scrub the oak decks... not sure about that with teak.

 

[Ducati]

Salt Wash Twice A Week

QUOTE: it doesnt hurt to sprinkle the salt on the teak deck. rain water will not then hurt the teak --was done in bilges of fresh water wooden boats back in the day.

OK, so I'm willing to try washing the teak seats with salt water.

I mixed a super concentrated batch of salt/water and rubbed it in (across the grain) with a 3M pad. A three days later I sprinkled sea salt will a very small amount of water and did the 3M scrub again. Let it sit for 15 minutes and washed it off. I'm not leaving salt all over the place because it will corrode all of the metal fittings.

I will repeat the this process for the next month and report back on my results.

Cheers