The most beautiful outdoor patio and deck furniture is commonly made from wood, including eucalyptus. But like all outdoor furniture, it requires proper care and maintenance to ensure a long life. Luckily, you can restore eucalyptus outdoor furniture in just a few simple steps and have your outdoor furniture looking like new. Today I’m sharing how I restored my weathered eucalyptus patio table (and for not a lot of money!).
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Backstory
Early in the 2020 pandemic my husband and daughters took advantage of a beautiful May day and worked or played on the back deck. Suddenly a freak gust of wind came along and shook the patio umbrella so hard that it shattered the tempered glass patio table.
It was a complete mess. Shards of glass everywhere.
Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. Just a few minor cuts.
We needed to replace the table and I was nervous about another tempered glass table. So we decided to try wood. And we found this amazing eucalyptus wood table with unique curvy legs for a decent price.
Fast forward to less than a year later (spring 2021), and as we pulled the table out from the basement we noticed that our table isn’t as pretty as it was last year. In fact, the tabletop looked quite worn and weathered with a grey patina.
Yikes! So disappointing! (I recognize that this table didn’t cost much, but I was surprised at how fast it weathered!)
I did some research and realized that we made a newbie mistake of owning eucalyptus patio and deck furniture (or any hardwood outdoor furniture). We were supposed to apply a hardwood protector or sealant to slow weathering.
Whoops.
Now that we recognize our mistake, it’s time to restore this table back to its original pretty state, and then protect it for the upcoming summer.
Note
Upfront I’m going to warn you that while this method restored our table, the resulting color was different from the original. Originally the table had a reddish hue. Using this method and these products, our table turned to a more brown-ish color. We were OK with that, in fact we preferred it since our chairs were brown wicker.
Why is Eucalyptus Wood So Popular for Patio and Deck Furniture?
Eucalyptus is a dense hardwood that is perfect for outdoor patio and deck furniture for a variety of reasons:
- Naturally repels water and moisture: Eucalyptus naturally contains a protective oil that lubricates the wood, which results in naturally rot- and decay-resistant outdoor furniture.
- Low maintenance: While all outdoor furniture requires maintenance, eucalyptus is easier to maintain than other materials
- Sustainable and Renewable: Eucalyptus is a fast-growing dense hardwood. It is plantation-grown, sustainably harvested and in plentiful supply, making it a perfect choice for eco-conscious consumers.
- Long Lifespan: If properly maintained, eucalyptus outdoor furniture will last around 25 years
- Budget-friendly: eucalyptus has similar color and wood grain of the often-sought-after teak, but usually less than half the price!
Why Does Eucalyptus Patio Furniture Turn Gray?
Outdoor hardwood furniture, like eucalyptus, will begin to fade and dry out when exposed to the elements. The eucalyptus wood gradually changes color to a grey or silvery patina. The graying process occurs when the naturally protective oils in eucalyptus wood evaporates from the other surface. (For you science geeks out there, I believe it’s technically due to oxidation).
This process is natural and unavoidable. However, with annual maintenance (such as cleaning, sanding and protecting) you can keep your eucalyptus outdoor furniture looking like new and extend its lifespan.
Some folks prefer the grey patina to which distinguishes finely aged, outdoor teak. Personally, I prefer the honey-brown color to grey patina.
Luckily this change in color is merely a cosmetic problem, and is reversible. Whew!
So this weekend I learned how to restore eucalyptus outdoor furniture to its original beautiful hardwood color. I was a bit nervous that I might not restore it correctly, but it worked wonders!
Before starting this tutorial, be sure to first remove any cobwebs, dirt and other general outdoor ick on your furniture. Don’t forget to clean crevices and underneath the furniture!
Speaking of cleaning…..
Should You Power Wash Eucalyptus Outdoor Furniture?
The online experts don’t seem to agree with whether or not its safe to use a power washer on your eucalyptus outdoor furniture. Personally, I’d recommend that if your patio or deck is old to stay away from power washing. The force could cause damage. But if you do decide to power wash you outdoor furniture, check out these tips.
3 Steps to Restore Eucalyptus Outdoor Furniture
This tutorial will show you how to restore eucalyptus outdoor furniture to its original hue in 3 easy steps:
- Step 1: Clean and Brighten
- Step 2: Sand
- Step 3: Protect
Remember that furniture quality and reaction to sanding and oiling vary, so you may not get the same results. Please proceed with caution! Considering trying this technique on a hidden part of furniture to ensure desired results.
Supplies (Shopping Links here)
- Teak Cleaner and Brightener
- Scrub brush
- Rubber gloves
- Garden hose
- Electric sander
- Sandpaper (I used 150-grit)
- Tack or soft cloths (at least 3)
- Teak Oil
I already had everything I needed already in my workshop except two items: Teak Cleaner and Brightener, and Teak Oil. These were available at my local Home Depot.
Wait, what? Teak? You might be asking yourself “Why is she using teak cleaner?”
Is it OK to use Teak Oil on Eucalyptus?
Bottom line – I couldn’t find specific eucalyptus cleaner. But eucalyptus is a tropical hardwood like teak and has several similarities.
Based on a recommendation from a teak outdoor furniture website, I decided to use Star brite teak products. They offer both a 1) Teak Cleaner and Brightener and 2) Teak Oil perfect for restoring eucalyptus outdoor furniture.
You Might Not Need to Do all These Steps….
Note that depending on the condition of your eucalyptus outdoor furniture, you might not need to do all 3 steps. Here’s my recommendation. If you have:
- Severely weathered furniture: If your furniture has seen a few seasons and look weathered and discolored, first Sand (Step 2), followed by Clean and Brighten (Step 1), and then Protect with Teak Soil (Step 3).
- New furniture: If you just bought your furniture it is important that you immediately protect it for the future! (If I had known that last year, I wouldn’t be in my current situation….) Skip straight to Protect with Teak Oil (Step 3).
- Lightly weathered furniture: If your furniture is overall in good shape, or you aren’t sure if you need to sand, follow this tutorial as presented.
For my eucayltpus outdoor table, the legs were in great shape, but the table top looked somewhat weathered. I was unsure if I needed to sand my table, so I first cleaned and brightened hoping that would be enough to restore the table (it wasn’t…)
STEP 1: CLEAN AND BRIGHTEN EUCALYPTUS WOOD
Wood cleaners and brighteners are designed to restore the original color. It cleans the wood, removing dirt & grime, leaving the eucalyptus ready for oiling.
Follow the directions on the bottle for the particular Teak Cleaner and Brightener that you’ve bought.
My product (Star brite) is fairly easy to use.
- For badly weathered furniture, apply clean and brightener directly to dry wood. For lightly weathered teak, wet wood with fresh water first.
- Liberally spread cleaner and brightener with sponge or brush. For hard to reach places, use a spray bottle.
- Let it sit for a few minutes to allow deep-cleaning action to work.
- Using a stiff-bristle brush, scrub in the direction of wood grain to ensure deep cleaning before thoroughly rinsing wood with fresh water.
Some parts of your furniture may be more weathered (or more grey) than others. If so, focus more cleaner and brightener or give an extra scrub (I used a regular stiff-bristled brush but Star brite recommends a teak scrub brush) to even out the color.
Rinse the furniture down using a garden hose and let the eucalyptus outdoor furniture fully dry. I know, I know, patience isn’t the easier this in home improvement. As I was cleaning my patio furniture, I was two steps ahead thinking about having dinner and a glass of wine on it.
And I’m glad I was patient. Because in my case while the top of the table was greatly improved after cleaning, the wood was still VERY blotchy. I needed to sand.
STEP 2: SAND WEATHERED GREY PATINA
Whenever I’m presented with a project that requires sanding, I always debate: power or hand sand? And for eucalyptus outdoor furniture, the experts seem to disagree. Some believe that power sanding generates extra heat and creates black marks on the wood. Others maintain that using a sander won’t damage your furniture.
I’ll also mention that experts also disagree with the appropriate grit size for eucalyptus wood. Some started with 80-grit, while others were using 320-grit.
(Geez Louise experts! A gal needs some clear guidance!)
Perhaps you want to test out power sanding and various grits of sandpaper on a small area underneath the patio furniture that nobody sees.
I decided to use my palm electric sander to lightly sand the tabletop using 150-grit sandpaper. And I was pleased with the results – no discoloration, and a soft surface smooth to the touch.
If you do power sand, your table will probably have various spots that the sander couldn’t hit. Sanding blocks and sanding wedges get into hard-to-reach areas, especially in corners. For corners, I just folded up a piece of sandpaper and manually sanded.
Sanding Tips
- Be sure to move in the direction of the grain. If you sand across the grain, you may leave marks on the wood.
- Lightly sand! The goals isn’t to sand through the grey patina, but to smooth out color unevenness.
Next, run a tack or soft cloth or sponge to remove generated sawdust. Using a tack or soft cloth, wipe excess dust off the from sanding.
At this point, go back to Step 1 (Cleaning and Brightening) for this newly exposed wood. Admittedly, I didn’t (time constraint). But I was still thrilled with how my table turned out.
STEP 3: PROTECT WITH TEAK OIL
Applying teak oil will help protect your teak furniture and prevent against premature silver patina and aging of the wood.
Note that teak oil is not to be confused with the natural oils from the teak wood itself. It is actually a linseed oil compound.
There is a lot of different “teak oils” on the market. Based on a recommendation, I decided to try Star brite Premium Golden Teak Oil. Apparently the color lasts longer than its competitors.
Follow the directions on the bottle, but in general the directions include:
- Coat your dried eucalyptus outdoor furniture with teak oil using a soft cloth or foam brush.
- Rub the oil in the direction of the wood grain.
- Let the oil sit at a designated time (my product was 5 minutes) then wipe off excess with a fresh cloth.
You will probably need two coats. Let the furniture sit awhile (or even overnight).
Come back the next day, and repeat the steps to give it a second coat. Allow this to dry for about 24 hours, then wah-lah! Time to sit down and enjoy.
Application Tips
- When buying teak oil, be cognizant that some oils contain pigment, which can change the appearance (which could be a good or bad thing depending on your goal)
- Test the oil on the underside or hidden area of furniture to ensure you like the look
- Apply consistently on the surface of your furniture. If applied unevenly, the furniture will weather differently, results in splotches.
- Do not apply teak oil, or let the furniture dry in direct sunlight (note that I put down the umbrella in some of my photos to better show the process)
Restored Eucalyptus Outdoor Furniture
Here’s my table after! As you can see, a little elbow grease and 2 products that cost about the same as Saturday ight takeout made the gray wood beautiful once again!
Look how beautiful that golden hue of teak looks! (admittedly, I think it was more red before, but I’m ok with that). Learning how to restore eucalyptus furniture isn’t hard!
Now I just have to remember to protect my eucalyptus patio table with oil at least once a year to help maintain the wood’s health and prolong the life of the furniture!
Shopping List
Still having some issues restoring portions of your outdoor furniture back to its original color? Here’s some common issues (with easy solutions!) from Sengerson used on her teak table that should help you restore your eucalyptus outdoor furniture.
Note that I did NOT try any of these techniques since the stains and blemishes that irked me were removed via sanding. I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of these techniques.
Watermarks on Eucalytpus
Lay a dry towel over the water stain. Set your iron to a low or medium setting to prevent any new damage. Iron over the towel slowly and carefully. Check on your progress by removing the towel to see if the stain is removed.
Mold Spots on Eucalyptus
To kill the mold spores, mix one gallon of warm water with one cup of bleach. Scrub with a stiff brush and allow the patio furniture to fully dry in the sun.
Grease Stains on Eucalyptus
Grease stains tend to be hard stains to remove, but the recommended method is a light sanding followed by cleaner (preferably one with oxalic acid) over those areas.
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