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
we have ‘inherited’ a tired and neglected oak floor in a kitchen- diner, which needs re-sanding and treating.
it was previously lacquered and that has worn right through in places, which makes me tend towards choosing an oil finish, despite the fact that it takes longer to dry.
can you advise in a few words the downsides and advantages of lacquer and oil finishing.
Thanks
Reply to ellen:
Good Afternoon Ellen,
Both have the Pros and Cons for sure. If we start with a varnish, this is a surface sealer that is certainly more durable, longer lasting and hard wearing. It sits on the surface of the wood and can be compared to a plastic like finish, however many of the modern varnishes now also give a more natural look and come in a range of sheens. The downside to varnish is that it is harder to repair or change down the line, scratches are difficult to hide or repair. It can be easier to apply and has a quicker drying time.
Oils although still very durable and hard wearing will not last as long as a varnish, they have a far more natural look and feel and many people prefer this and only require two very thin coats applied, so a little goes a long way. The benefit of having an oil is that it is far easier to maintain and repair over time. So if a scratch or accident marks the oil the you can lightly sand the effected area and re oil, it will blend well and nearly always look as good as new. When it starts to fade you can simply clean the floor and reapply the oil with out the new to strip.
My advice would be to sand back the floor and if you are unsure of which route you want to take, both varnishes and oils are available in sample sizes on our website and it is important to try the products on your wood as the type, age and condition of the wood will all impact on the finish that will be achieved.
Manns Extra Tough Floor Varnish (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-extra-tough-floor-varnish)
Fiddes Hard Wax Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/fiddes-hard-wax-oil)
I hope that helps and if you need any further advice please do not hesitate to get in touch via our contact page.
All the Best Samantha.
We have a lovely maple kitchen that was installed in 1984 and still looks good overall. The work surfaces have been oiled occasionally but not recently and are beginning to look a bit grubby in places. We used a Ronseal worktop oil last time. What would you recommend we use this time and what steps should I take to prepare before application? Do I need to sand down the surfaces – there are a few water stains near the sink but the rest is just slightly grimy mixed with old oil I think? I understand oil sealants are much improved recently. What is the best one for maple? You advice will be much appreciated.
Kind regards
David
Reply to David:
Hello David,
Thank you for your questions. For the best result you can remove all the existing finish by sanding, removing all the previous oil and wiping down with White Spirit (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-white-spirit) once clean and dry the wood is ready for fresh treatment and to start with I would recommend the Osmo Wood Protector (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-protector) this is particularly good for areas exposed to a fair amount of moisture and temperature changes. It will help prevent damage to the wood.
You can then follow this with a top coat of Osmo Top Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-top-oil) which will make the moisture and stain repellent and is a very durable and hard wearing finish. I do strongly recommend test areas with both products as they can and will darken the wood very slightly and you will need to ensure you like the finish to be achieved.
If you take a look and feel free to get back to me if you have any questions.
Kind Regards Samantha.
Hi Samantha,
We are buying walnut worktops. I’ve had a wide range of advice on how to look after them from oiling them every day for the first two weeks (underneath/ ends and top before fitting them) through to oiling them once and then every six months after. I’ve also had Woca oil recommended as a good option for walnut.
It would be great if you could let me know:
- for the first ever application – how many coats should I put on and should I cover the whole worktop (top, bottom and sides/ends) before we fit it?
- to create a matt / satin finish with as much protection as possible which oil would you recommend? I’ve seen Osmo wood wax finish extra thin 1101, Manns premier top oil and holzol recommended on your website.
- if you recommend the Osmo – is it an oil and wax mix?
- your thoughts on Woca oil.
Many thanks,
Eleanor
Reply to Eleanor Martin:
Hi Eleanor,
How much oil to apply comes down to the type of oil used. It’s true to say that using a traditional oil such as ‘Danish oil’ would require more coats and on a more regular basis. Hard Wax Oils like those supplied by Manns, Osmo, Holzol and Woca are made from a blend of oils, waxes and resins. The benefit of these is that they offer exceptional durability, are very easy to apply and maintain, require minimal maintenance and in most cases require just 2 thin coats.
As Walnut is a dense hardwood, the top, bottom, sides and ends will only require 2 thin coats of a hard wax oil. It’s likely that the wood will not take any more than this and if over applied, the oil will likely leave a sticky residue on the surface that could take days or longer to dry. When applying its important to work the oil into the surface of the wood grain and wipe off any excess oil with a clean, lint-free cloth.
All the brands mentioned are excellent and although they all have their own unique formulations, they all offer excellent protection on kitchen worktops. For further information about each product, please feel free to contact one of our resident wood experts (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) who are on hand and happy to answer any questions you may have.
Hi
I have a nice American oak dining table which had a Matt finish to it
It has a few stains on it due to children’s ink( red)
I would like to re treat it- and indeed remove some of the stains. What application would you recommend?
We also have an iroko island unit worktop which I have tried several times to treat with polyeurethane but it get white marks when cleaned with damp cloths and is not hard wearing. Any best ideas for this surface too
Thanks
Reply to Jules:
Good Afternoon Jules,
Are you able to tell me what the current finish is on the table, varnish or oil ? Or are you planning to strip back to bare wood ?
In regards to the Iroko Island, it could be in relation to a high oil content in the Iroko, being a tropical hard wood it has a tight grain and a naturally high oil content and this could be impacting on the polyurethane. If you are planning to remove the treatment and bring the Iroko back to bare wood I would recommend, firstly wiping over with Barrettine Methylated Spirits (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-meths) to remove the natural oil from the surface.
And then you could have a look at the Osmo Wood Wax Finish Extra Thin (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-wood-wax-finish-extra-thin) this is an extra thin oil suited for use with tropical hard wood such as Iroko. It will absorb better and only two thin coats are required for this.
If you have a look at the products recommended and feel free to get back to me with any questions via our contact us (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact) page.
Kind Regards Samantha.
We have light oak kitchen work surfaces which need re surfacing, the kitchen fitters used Dovetail Oil, a natural wood treatment but I would prefer a lighter, bleached or limed oak effect to go with neutral greys in our kitchen / living area.
Any suggestions please ?
Kind regards, Pauline
Reply to Pauline Barker:
Hello Pauline,
You could have a look at the Bona Craft Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/bona-craft-oil-2k) which has a couple of paler colours in the range. Applying a lighter colour on to a darker wood does not always give the desired colour and so I would recommend test area first to ensure that you like the finish to be achieved, the wood that you are applying to will impact on the over all colour to be achieved. This product does not come in a sample size unfortunately.
So for an alternate that does have a sample size you could have a look at Osmo Polyx Oil Tints (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-colour-foundation). There is a white in this range it is quite a subtle white and may be enough to highlight the grain. Test areas are the key to getting the look you want.
I hope this helps and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/pages/contact).
Kind regards Samantha.