Yo dudes, any of you guys have an Ikea outdoor patio table, or any sort of wooden outdoor patio furniture for that matter, that has seen better days? Well I have something to tell you about, I figured out a way to give life back to that old wood patio set!
After bringing my Ikea Vino patio set (made from Acacia wood) of out of storage last week and seeing what it looked like after 3 seasons I almost stopped setting it up and considered moving it out next to the trash. It looked so bad. I was super disappointed to see how worn it looked after 3 years even with seasonal washing, oiling and maintenance. I was coming to terms with the death of a $350 patio set. I mean, did I think it was really going to last longer than that?
What’s a girl to do? I thought about it for a few days, did some research, consulted some of my favorite blogs (Manhattan-Nest & The Brick House), and checked out a few choice YouTube vids. Then I settled on a solution for my patio table problem.
My table was dirty—dirtier than your normal indoor furniture, obviously—and it needed a lot of washing. Even though I took care of the table, it still had been pounded on by rain, sleet, hail, July sunshine, and yes, even snow. Getting this thing clean was the key to the success of trying to restore it to its former glory.
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Supply List Murphy’s Oil Soap Teak Oil Bucket Water Scrub Brush Howard’s Furniture Wax Lint Free Cloth 150 Grit Sandpaper Sponge Brush |
The first two steps involve scrubbing the living shit out of your table with hot water and dish soap, (I’m serious about scrubbing. If your furniture is dirty like mine, you will get blisters. Be warned.) then rinse and repeat with Murphy’s and water. The above photo should help illustrate how crucial scrubbing your table is. This was shot just halfway through the first pass of step one. Not gonna lie, it took a ton of lady power and the realization that my body is gettin’ old, but the results are so worth it.
Once your furniture is all nice and clean, dried and lightly sanded with your fine 150 grit sandpaper, it’s going to look a little sad. Don’t worry, we’ll fix that. This is the best part: instant gratification is the name of the game. Grab your teak oil, your sponge brush (or rag) and start laying it on. You’ll be amazed how that wood sucks up that oil. It’s thirsty! Your furniture will start to look like what it looked like when you left your favorite Swedish store.
You may have to repeat the process of applying the teak oil, letting it sit, and then wiping off the excess a few times. I gave my furniture 3 good applications of the teak oil before I felt like it was where it needed to be.
I let the teak oil dry overnight. When I was sure it was good and dry I added a coat of Howards Feed & Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner with a rag. I let it sit for 20 minutes and then used a lint-free cloth to buff and polish the table and chairs.
The furniture looks incredible now, and guess what the best part is? It’s gonna be 70º today here in Minneapolis (finally!) and we’re gonna dine out on that table all weekend! I’m so happy to see that this old table was able to come back to life with some good old crazy lady (aka won’t give up till it’s better) determination.
Wow! That is a fantastic transformation. My husband and I rent a duplex that came with a beautiful deck that’s perfect for grilling and parties but was pre-furnished with a disgustingly dirty wood table and chairs that look a lot like yours. We didn’t want to spend a ton of money on a replacement set, but a few bucks for supplies and some elbow grease might do the trick. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yeah!, you should try it. You don’t have much to lose when it’s an inherited rental table, plus I think that you will find that it will be quite the transformation. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and good luck!!
Enjoyed the post! So,I have to scrub my patio table? I never thought about doing that. Only 3 years of grime on that puppy… I guess I know what I’m doing this weekend.
You had some great lines in this post. “The first two steps involve scrubbing the living shit out of your table.” Funny, and a breath of fresh air when your read too many blogs that are so Martha-Stewarty about this sort of thing. I like a blog that says what you really think. I also like “lady power.”
Enjoy the sun!
Ha, yeah, you have to actually scrub your table.
Thanks for commenting on the swears, I think if I was truly talking in my own voice there would be f-bombs all over this piece. I keep those out just so I don’t burn any unsuspecting readers eyeballs.
Have a great weekend, this already feels so good!!!
I scrubbed my table, but one hour before guests wasn’t enough to actually get it clean. Mine will take a few rounds. Table cloths amend a multitude of sins.
I know what you mean re: the profanity. A little well-placed salt is funny and effective, but a genuine stream of consciousness during blister-inducing dirty work could come off like the sorority girl rant: http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/04/greatest-sorority-freak-out-e-mail-ever.html
I have to say twilight is an amazing colour, especially next to that teak coloured wood!
So glad you got the weather you were craving. It’s beautiful here (Victoria B.C.) as well.
I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I am not sure
whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble.
You’re incredible! Thanks!
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You clearly know what youre talking about, why
waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something
informative to read?
Such great job done by you .. you make this furniture like new again . The take care of you furniture always increase it’s durability . The tips and process you added is also easy for anyone to try at home . Thank you for this . I will soon try this at my garden furniture .
Hey I am so glad I found your website, I really found you by
error, while I was searching on Aol for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would
just like to say many thanks for a fantastic post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design),
I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have
time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the
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I am so happy I found your blog. I have Ikea lounge chairs that look awful! I’m wondering if pressure washing it all then using an electric hand sander would be too hard on that acacia wood? I can do it by hand but if it can save me some time then I say why not, right? I love how nice your dining set turned out. It looks so inviting.
Hi, Joann! I just cleaned up my patio furniture the other day for this season and I used my mouse sander and 100 grit sandpaper this time around. Everything turned out just fine – so give it a try if you want to save a little time. As far as the pressure washer goes, I’m not so sure, but you could always give it a whirl on one chair and see how it does. Hope that helps!
Great timing! I have this exact table which currently looks like total sh*t. Thanks for such a great post!
So the set is made of teak? Not acacia?
Hey Nancy, No it’s made of Acacia, you can use teak oil on other wood besides teak, it has worked great for me. I’ve also used linseed oil and tongue oil in the past, but I find the linseed leaves quite a bit of sticky residue. Hope that helps clear things up.
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Wife walked in today with two acacia rockers – floor samples from last season – that were a little beat up & weathered from being carried in & out for a year. A little sanding &, as always with wood, a washing with Murphy’s Oil Soap. But then what? Though I had Old English furniture oil I admit the Teak Oil was better for this dense wood. And your readers comment/warning against Linseed Oil was spot on: linseed oil will remain tacky for long periods. And the danger of linseed oil soaked rags cannot be overstated; spontaneous combustion a hazard if not disposed of properly!
PS Also loved your firepit blog post. Mine is also made of reclaimed brick, a circle above ground with an old Webber Grill (legless) in the center. With grown kids & alcohol involved most nights the top goes on at nights end & the fire’s safe. Cleanup is a little messy & I go through a couple bottom grates yearly. But I sleep soundly knowing nothing is going to burn down in the middle of the night.
Hey Tim! Glad this helped! Nice find on the acacia rockers! I need to find new grates for my pit too, but I agree, it’s nice to be able to throw a top on and not worry about it.
Thanks for the step-by-step. I will be pulling my ikea table out this week to give it the treatment!
Jе vais terminer de regɑrder toyt cela plu tard
just what I was looking for, thanks!
Many wood restoration projects look great when first completed. The true worth of a restoration methodology must be judged a couple of seasons later. Can you comment on (photos would be awesome) how the patio set has endured these last couple years in the harsh Minneapolis climate? Thanks!
Hey Michael, The set is just fine, I do the same treatment to it every year – it only takes an afternoon – and it holds up to the elements for the entire summer.
iS SANDING NECESSARY EVERY YEAR?
This looks great! I love what you did with it. The color is awesome, but how long will it last? I’m aure it would last longer with a good sealant. Did you use one?
Like congrats performed by means of an individual.. an individual makes pieces of furniture just like brand-new all over again. The particular care for an individual pieces of furniture usually increase it’s sturdiness. The particular points along with practice an individual included can also be feasible for one to look at at your home. Thank you due to this. I most certainly will quickly accomplish this within my patio furniture.
I have to say my experience with restoring Ikea Acacia outdoor furniture has not been as positive as yours.
I own the Kvarno set, which is very similar in style. I live in So. Cal. where the problem is not snow, but relentless hot sun and urban air pollution. Just cleaning does not do the trick. I have sand a off a lot of the wood and have to do this at least twice a year. I do not like the Watco teak oil as much as the oil that Ikea supplied when I bought the set. The Watco oil stays tacky for a long time and perhaps for this reason seems to attract the grime in the air. It is difficult to clean up because it contains a varnish like substance and it outgasses toxins. Id you get it on the aluminum, it is very difficult to get off. Unfortunately, you cannot see that there is any on the aluminum until ir dries and ages a bit. I am looking for an alternative and welcome suggestions.
Well, you have something to tell you about, I figured out a way to give life back to that old wood patio set! Thank you dude give me such good advise it really works and I am totally clean all my furniture and I am really thank to you. I appreciate your hard work and advise. Please brother keep writing awesome blog like this. thank you ones again.
Just started this afternoon. We’re about to buy a house and we have no money for outdoor furniture. I found this page and am so excited to make our old furniture look like new again. Thanks for sharing.
I’m just starting my summer projects and need to restore my teak furniture on my terrace. Was looking for a good step-by-step plan – this seems to be it. I will let you know how the furniture turns out.
Thank you for your post–I followed your lead and brought my acacia wood patio furniture back to life. It looks great! It’s raining today, and it’s nice to see the water bead up on the wood. So glad I found your blog!
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information…Such great job done by you .. you make this furniture like new again .
hey, beautiful job with the outdoor dining set makeover. I have a question: where do you store your acacia furniture in the winter? I’m inches away from buying an acacia wood outdoor dining table, but concerned that the website advises to store indoors in winter (not happening). I’m not sure if covering it would be adequate or if it needs a heated space to prevent wood from cracking. Thanks for any info. Great site!
I’m using your method to refresh my acacia wood furniture. Curious if the teak oil and he feed and wax will protect my furniture from the elements? I just put my first coat of teak oil on and it looks great right now. Has yours held up over time? Mine sits on my deck with no cover.
Hi. I just scored a free dining set from our community page. Teak tabletop and teak armrests on metal chairs. My friend lent me here pressure washer. It was clean in 30 minutes! Might help with step 1.
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I just got my first Ikea acacia wood table and was thinking a coat of teak oil before I even assemble it might not hurt. Thoughts? Your reno is AMAZING. So much better than tossing stuff, right?
Thanks!
I am about to receive a new Acacia Wood Table for our outdoor deck in Florida. What is the best method to preserve the natural new color of the new Acacia wood table in Florida? Many thanks.
I literally just bought this same exact set on FB for $40! Such a steal…anyhow I was looking up how to restore it, what are the odds I’d find EXACTLY what I was looking for! lol
Im just starting out cleaning it now, but was debating painting the metal. Did you do that by any chance? I’m in Florida so the salt water is rusting it, esp the bottom of the chairs. You don’t happen to know the name of this furniture do you, wanted to look up some specs if possible.
I can’t find the article! It doesn’t populate when I hit “read more”. Can you email me the text??? I’m about to purchase one of these tables and want to make sure we keep up on the maintenance before it gets bad
A good alternative to the Ikea VARDA stain is PPG Cetol-SRD Mahogany – matches the Varda color perfectly