The most practical solution for maintaining your teak furniture care, especially your patio teak furniture, is four units of laundry detergent or dishwasher soap and one part bleach. Use this mixture with a gentle bristled brush for the best results. A special teak cleaner will actually reduce the silver gray petina that teak will naturally display over time. If you happen to get scratches in your teak furniture, use a fine grit sandpaper to remove them. If you leave your teak bare and do not sand it, it will, over time, fade to a natural silver gray color. This metamorphosis affects the color of the wood only and does not, in any way, affect the sturdiness or durability of the wood or of the teak furniture.