How to Care for Ipe Wood
Get the IPE Wood Easy Care Guide
Ipe wood, though a natural material, is durable and easy to care for. Read the following instructions to learn how to protect, clean, restore and refinish your Ipe wood furniture.
Restoration expert, Jim Sullick explains how to easily restore your Ipe wood furniture.
Level 1: Protect
Protect new and newly cleaned Ipe furniture.
When You First Bring Your Furniture Home
- In a ventilated area, apply Wood Shield as directed on the can to all clean Ipe surfaces to further protect against water and food stains, then enjoy your new set outside.
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Wood Shield$85.00
Level 2: Clean
Clean up spills, dirt, or dust.
If Spills, Dirt, or Dust Occur
- Wash your Ipe wood surfaces with a nylon bristle brush or soft towel and Penofin® Pro-Tech Wood Cleaner to remove surface dirt, scrubbing in the same directions as the grain of the wood, then rinse off with water. Once complete allow to dry.
- In a pinch, you may use mild dish soap, then rinse clean with water. Once complete, allow to dry.
Level 3: Restore
Restore your furniture’s ‘as new’ appearance.
Easy Ipe Color Restoration
Restore The Deep Chocolate-Brown ‘As New’ Finish
Ipe naturally develops an elegant silver patina over time when exposed to the elements. However, if desired, Ipe can be restored to its ‘as new’ chocolate brown finish at any time through our simple color-restoration process:
- To prepare Ipe for a UV-protective coat of Penofin® Verde Oil Finish, use Penofin® Pro-Tech Wood Cleanerwith a nylon bristle brush to remove surface dirt, then rinse off with water.
- To brighten and re-establish the pH balance of Ipe wood to best accept the Penofin® Verde Oil Finish, use Penofin® Pro-Tech Wood Brightener, then rinse off with water and allow to dry completely.
- Apply Penofin® Verde Oil Finish as directed on the can, letting it penetrate for 30 minutes.
- To remove excess oil finish that hasn’t been absorbed by the wood, rub the Ipe surface with smooth rags until dry to the touch. Dispose of rags in a metal bucket of water to avoid spontaneous combustion.
- After completely dry, apply Wood Shield to timber to provide additional protection against water and food stains.
The Penofin® Ipe Aftercare Kit contains Penofin® Pro-Tech Wood Brightener and Penofin® Verde Oil Finish all in one kit. Pairs with Penofin® Pro-Tech Wood Cleaner sold separately.
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Penofin® Verde Oil Finish$90.00 -
Penofin® Ipe Restoration Kit$210.00
Care Cases
Specific instructions to care for your furniture.
Winter Storage
Ipe furniture withstands the cold temperatures of winter just fine. You can leave your furniture uncovered outdoors and simply restore to an ‘as new’ finish with the steps above when the weather warms again. See cushion care for cushion winter storage tips.
About Ipe Wood
Ipe (pronounced “EE-pay”) is a hardwood timber prized for its beauty and long-lasting durability in any environment.
Ipe timber exhibits a deep chocolate-brown grain when new that may be allowed to naturally age to an elegant silver patina or brought back to an as new finish at any time.
Jensen Outdoor’s Ipe furniture comes pre-stained with an exclusive color of Penofin Verde oil which protects and conditions the wood to prevent cracking and drying while allowing the wood to naturally gray over time.
Although Ipe is naturally stable, small checks in the surface (minuscule openings of the wood grain at the ends) may appear if the furniture is placed in a very dry or sunny environment. Superficial checking in no way affects the structural integrity and longevity of the furniture and will in fact disappear when the environment becomes moist.
Helpful Hints
Do not apply Penofin products when wood is hot to the touch or close to freezing.
Always perform maintenance in a well ventilated area and allow Ipe wood to dry completely between steps.
Rub off residue of care products before they are allowed to dry on the Ipe surface and become ‘tacky’.
Protect the metal or woven surfaces during Ipe-specific cleaning.
Prepare the area by dampening surrounding vegetation with water.
Do not blend or thin Penofin products with other products unless explicitly instructed on the packaging.
Wood Shield helps to seal in existing color / state of the wood and protects against fading or stains from spills.
Penofin Verde is an oil based wood stain that brings out the deep-chocolate hue of Ipe. To keep an ‘as-new’ finish reapply 1x year.
Cleaning the wood is an as-needed procedure, it is not the same as brightening the wood which is done to prepare the wood to best retain in the Penofin Verde oil stain.
Refinishing/stripping Ipe wood should only be done if an inappropriate oil stain was applied or in other extreme cases.
Dispose of used rags in accordance with local regulations.
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