Kitchen worktops come in a huge variety of materials and styles, from man-made laminate and composite materials to natural materials such as stone, granite, quartz and wood. All of these give a very specific look and feel, and while some worktops can be relatively cheap, others can cost thousands.
One of the more popular kitchen worktop materials, both traditionally and today, is wood. In terms of durability, wood is up there with the best, but unlike stone, slate and granite worktops, it’s less likely to get chipped, lose a corner or suffer from a jagged or damaged edge. Even if it does, repair is usually quicker, easier and cheaper.
When it comes to wooden kitchen worktops, there’s a wide range of woods to choose from, with the more common ones being oak and beech. Other woods such as walnut, iroko and bamboo are also available, as are other more exotic and rare wood types, but these usually come at a higher cost.
Wooden kitchen worktop care
Although wood is a great material for kitchen worktops, it does require some care to keep it looking great and functioning well. Wood oils have been used for centuries to protect and preserve wood, and although the same is true today, new types and blends of oils are more commonly used.
The pros and cons of wooden kitchen worktops
By its nature, wood is porous, meaning that if it’s left untreated, liquids, juices and bacteria from meats and other sources can seep into the surface grain, discolouring and staining the wood. More importantly, the unsealed wood can create the perfect environment for germs and bacteria to collect and breed.
A common issue with poorly maintained kitchen worktops is black mould around taps and sinks. This is usually caused by water damage and mould spores growing in the surface of the timber, encouraged by warm, damp conditions. Although this sounds serious, as long as the worktop hasn’t been varnished, it can usually be remedied by scrubbing the black areas with a mould and mildew cleaner. This will remove the black staining and kill off the bacteria and spores responsible. In severe cases, a second treatment may be required. Once the wood has been successfully treated and cleaned, it’s ready for oiling.
The great news is that wooden worktops can look fabulous, and even if they’ve been neglected and abused, left with stains, marks and discolouration, it’s usually a fairly easy process to get them looking amazing again with little more than a light sanding, some white spirit and the all-important worktop oil.
Why does oiling wooden worktops work?
Simply speaking, oiling wooden worktops works by filling the surface grain of the timber with natural oils and waxes that dry and harden in the surface fibres of the timber. This acts as an effective wood preserver and sealer, helping to prevent moisture and bacteria from entering the wood grain.
Wooden worktop oil – old v new
A question that we’re often asked is “Which is the best oil for wooden worktops?” Wood oils such as tung, linseed and Danish oils have always been used to protect and preserve work surfaces and other types of timber, and are still commonly used today. So why use a modern worktop oil? “Which is best?” we hear you ask. Traditional wood oils and the newer ranges of wooden worktop oil products differ in several ways.
Ease of use – application and drying times
The number of coats can depend on the type and condition of the wood. Many of the traditional oils may require anything from 3 to 7 coats to be effective, and with drying times of around 24 hours between coats, oiling a wooden worktop could take as long as a week. In comparison, most modern top oils require just 2 thin coats and are dry in 4 to 8 hours, depending on the oil brand and environmental conditions.
Worktop durability
In terms of durability, traditional wood oils tend to require maintenance on a more regular basis as they dissipate in the wood and evaporate from the surface of the worktop more quickly than their modern equivalents. Modern purpose-made worktop oils are made from specially formulated blends of waxes and oils that harden in the surface of the wood to form a durable, protective barrier.
Oil penetration in the worktop surface
Modern kitchen worktop oils are highly refined and are blended with solvents to thin them and aid penetration into the surface of the wooden worktop. In many cases, especially on denser woods, traditional wood oils will not penetrate into the wood as well unless they are first thinned with turps.
It’s true to say, however, that even with modern top oils, some are better suited to specific wood types than others, depending on how dense the wood is and how thin the worktop oil is. Some products such as Manns Premier Top Oil and Osmo Extra Thin 1101 are especially great for denser timbers such as beech, bamboo and walnut worktops, while Holzol Worktop Oil is a great all-rounder.
The great thing about oiled wooden worktops is that they look great and are easy to maintain and repair, even if they do become stained, scratched or worn-looking. For more on the subject, we’ve created a great video that shows how easy it is to apply a solid wood worktop oil.
An additional bonus of top oil products is that because they are completely food- and child-safe when dry, they’re perfect for rejuvenating and restoring wooden chopping boards and other wooden kitchen utensils.
Top tip
Applying a top oil to a kitchen worktop will enhance the natural colour, grain and character of the timber. If you’re installing a new worktop or renovating an old one by sanding, wipe over a small section with a slightly damp (not wet) cloth or sponge to get a good indication of how the worktop will look when oiled. See our full range of wooden worktop oils here.
Need help with your wood oil project?
For more information about wood oils and their uses, contact our team of resident experts who are always on hand to help with project advice and product recommendations.
We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing project. If you would like to share your project pictures with us and our followers, you can either send us some photos or share them on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.
86 comments
I have an old school science worktop – not sure what is it, but reading around its probably iroko – that I’m going to use as a utility room worktop. Its not going to be used for food prep and needs to be hard wearing so is a varnish going to be better than oil? The is a sink so there will be water splashed about.
Can you recommend any particular product? We would like to keep the wood as light as possible.
I’ve already sanded it back to bare wood down to a 240 grit sandpaper so any other tips on preparation would be gratefully received also.
Many thanks
Reply to Matt Williams:
Good Afternoon Matt,
It sounds like an interesting project, my concern would be that if it has been used as a science lab table that a wide range of chemicals and substances may have been absorbed into the wood over the years. Test areas will be vital with whatever product you decide to use.
There are a couple of options that you are able to consider and the first, that you have mentioned, is a varnish, Manns Extra Tough Interior Varnish (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-extra-tough-interior-varnish) this is a surface sealer with a long lasting durability. It has anti bacterial properties that make it perfect for kitchen surfaces.
The only down side to a varnish is that should the seal break down at any point and allow moisture under it will peel and flake fairly quickly and can be difficult to repair.
The alternative is and oiled finish, this has the benefit of being a penetrating finish that will not peel and flake over time, it is not as long lasting as a varnish, however is easier to maintain and repair. Used with the Osmo Wood Protector (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-protector) in sink area this will give a well protected moisture repellent finish. This requires application to bare wood that has been sanded to a 120 – 150 grit and so to use this you may need to re sand and open up the grain a little and for Iroko I would recommend the Osmo Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-wax-finish-extra-thin) designed for use on hardwoods such as Iroko.
The oil will highlight more so than the varnish any imperfections that may be in the wood due to its history. I hope this helps some and if you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to get in touch via our contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hi,
I have a large quantity of Osmo Polyx oil left over. Is it OK to use it on wooden kitchen worktops instead of buying a new tin of Top Oil?
Many thanks.
Reply to Jeremy moore:
Good Afternoon Jeremy,
The Polyx Oil will be fine to use on your work tops as long as the wood is ready to accept further coats. Test areas will help to determine this. Osmo Polyx Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-polyx-oil) is food safe once dry and will give as good a protective finish to your work top as the Osmo Top Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-top-oil) will.
I hope that helps but please do not hesitate to get back to me if you have any further questions.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hey. I’ve just had a new kitchen put in with solid oak worktops. I love the natural light colour of them now and am looking for something to protect them with that won’t make them dark or turn them yellow. Can you advise which of your products I should try please? Thank you.
Reply to Elaine Harpur:
Good Afternoon Elaine,
Thank you for coming to Wood Finishes Direct with your question. I can recommend the Osmo Top Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-top-oil) Natural 3068. This protective oil contains a minute amount of white pigments to counteract the darkening you would usually get with a clear oil. It should leave the wood looking as untreated as possible, whilst still offering a moisture repellent and durable finish.
Unfortunately sample sizes are not available in the product range but a very close product you could try if you wanted is the Osmo Polyx Oil Raw (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044) this has a 5ml sample sachet for a test area and I always recommend a test area first as the wood that you are applying to will impact on the colour and finish that will be achieved. if you take a look at this product and feel free to get back to me if you have any questions at all.
Kind regards Samantha.
I have recently brought a Rimforsa kitchen island from IKEA which has a wooden worktop, which I have since found out is bamboo. What are the best products to seal this natural wood and for food preparation.
Many thanks
Reply to John Rye:
Good Afternoon John,
If the worktop does not currently have a finish applied then I would recommend the Osmo Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-wax-finish-extra-thin) this is an interior wood oil that is ideal for tight grained wood or woods that are naturally high in oil content. Bamboo is a naturally dense wood that will accept an oil but will have a low uptake, two very thin coats are all that is required and I would recommend a test area first to ensure you like the finish that will be achieved.
If you need any further advice we have a great team on hand to answer any questions on 01303 213 838 or via our contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.
All the best Samantha.
Hi,
We have solid oak kitcheb bench, it has become water damaged around sink area, i managed to sand out the dark marks, but then as soon as i apply the danish oil it clings to the previous parts that were water damaged and looks even worse?
Is there any reason this would happen or what can i use?
Reply to Cara Talbot:
Good Afternoon Cara,
Water stains can penetrate quite deep and you may need to do further sanding to restore the wood. There are a lots of suggestions when you google this subject that include , scrubbing with toothpaste, Salt paste or vasoline left on over night, whether any of these work I couldn’t tell you and how deep you ,may have to sand is again one that I could not predict. But once you have been able to remove the stain I would strongly recommend a product such as the Osmo Wood Protector (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-protector) to be apply to the bare wood first, this is very moisture repellent protective finish specifically for areas that are exposed to moisture ingress.
And then follow this with a more durable oil than the Danish such as the Osmo Polyx Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-polyx-oil) or the Fiddes Hard Wax Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/fiddes-hard-wax-oil)
I hope that helps and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch via our contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.
Kind regards Samantha