I have acquired a ~10 year old Westminster (do they use grade A teak?) teak table and chairs and am now looking to restore to a high quality, starting with the table. I've had a look online for the answer but most advice assumes the teak is unstained.
The table has been previously stained on the upper side. I don't know if teak oil or sealant has been applied - is there a way of finding out?
The table is unstained underneath and has some mildew that seems to come off easily.
From my research the options I see are as follows:
1) Clean with bleach/soap/water mix and soft bristle brush. Apply more stain. This is the easiest solution. Would this have any negative effects other than the appearance of the wood not being the natural one?
2) Sand to remove the stain and restore the natural colour. Then apply a sealant to maintain the colour. Do I need to do anything different with the sanding because of the stain? Does sanding the stain out damage the wood?
3) After cleaning, sand to remove badly applied stain and built up dirt but with no intention to completely remove the stain since this is apparently very difficult. Apply more stain. Is this better than 1) given I will re-apply stain?
Which of these options do you recommend or are there others I haven't considered?