# Diesel Stain in Teak Veneer



## vikinglady (May 11, 2001)

For years I have been trying to draw the oil from a diesel fuel overflow that stained the vertical surface adjacent to the tank on my boat. I have tried profuse showers of acetone, vinegar (acetic acid), clorox bleach, baby powder and most of the teak one part and two part cleaners. I asked my friends with teak decks what they do when this happens but they don''t seem to have any remedy other than they think in sunlight and on a horizontal surface the sun seems to solve their problem. This is not an option for me. Any suggestions?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

This may sound like a smart alex comment but isn''t intended to be.....are you positive the stain is diesel fuel? Teak veneer is quite thin...if others have attempted to remove the stain as well as yourself, you may actually be seeing an underlying ply of wood. (i.e. can you still see the teak grain or has it disappeared?)
My experience has been that it doesn''t take much to "go through" the thin layer of teak... Just a thought. 
I''ve had good luck with TSP in cleaning up teak that has darkened over the years because of old teak oil. A strong solution may remove some of the softer grain in the teak if you brush it to much or use a stiff bristle brush, but the TSP pulls out the oil.


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