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
Very useful videos and info, thanks.
We have had just brand new light oak, full stave worktops fitted to our new kitchen. The colouring is very important to the whole aesthetic – matching the grey panted cabinet doors and our light oak engineered flooring. So we want to avoid applying any protective oils etc. that may change the colour in any significant way.
Do you have any ideas about what might be the best coating we could apply to retain the colour as much as possible.
Thanks in advance
Clare
Reply to Clare Newby:
Good morning Clare,
Many clear products will change the wood very slightly, darkening a little or highlighting the grain and natural tones of the wood. As you are looking to treat a worktop it needs to be a durable finish and so I would recommend the Osmo Polyx Oil Raw.
This is a durable and hard wearing product that is moisture and dirt resistant. It is easy to apply and food safe once dry. It requires two thin coats applied to bare wood and because it has a minute amount of white pigment in it, this counteracts the darkening effect you get with the clear products. There is a sample size available and I would recommend a test area first.
I hope that helps and if you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to get in touch (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/osmo-polyx-oil-raw-3044).
Kind Regards Samantha.
We are having our kitchen redone. Our old wooden worktop was finished with Danish Oil and while this looked good,it is too dark for what we now have in mind. I also found the Danish Oil wasn’t so hard wearing in the areas of high traffic.
This time we are hoping for a more ‘scrubbed’ look. We would like to keep the wood as blonde as possible. Can you recommend anything colourless and non shiney that will be durable and resilient?
Reply to LilFrank:
Hello,
Yes I can recommend a product for your worktops. The Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Natural (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/fiddes-hard-wax-oil-oak-lightening). This is a much more durable and hard wearing oil than the Danish oil. It requires just two thin coats for application and because it contains a minute amount of white pigment it will leave the wood looking as unchanged as possible.
I would recommend removing the remaining Danish Oil form the wood by wiping down with White Spirit (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/barrettine-white-spirit) or sanding back. A test area is always recommended and if you have any further questions I am happy to help.
Kind regards Samantha.
Hi, we have solid walnut worktops that are in need of oiling. I used Danish oil the last time i did it and the result wasn’t brilliant. The worktop was left a bit streaky. Recently the wortop has become tacky to the touch ( hence this post!)
I contacted our kitchen suppler who advised that a product with a hardener would be a good idea and a more permanent treatment. I’m vary of undertaking this as I don’t want to permanently affect the look of the worktop if i do it wrong.
I was hoping that you might advise on an appropriate product? From reading the other posts Work Top Oil would seem a good option, does this have hardener in the product?
How should I prepare the surface as it already has several coats of Danish oil applied?
What application method do you find gives the best results?
Thanks
Ultan
Reply to Ultan:
Good Afternoon Ultan,
Thank you for getting in touch. The Holzol Worktop Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/collections/worktop-oil) is definitely a good option and will be more durable than the Danish Oil. I would recommend removing the Danish Oil first however, as the worktop oil requires very thin application to bare wood, any oil already applied will reduce the saturation levels and impact on how of the work top oil will be absorbed effectively.
Once applied the finish should last for a year minimum but potentially longer depending on use. And then you can simply re apply a fresh coat when you feel the wood needs it. Feel free to get back to me if you have any further questions.
Kind Regards Samantha.
Good afternoon,
We’ve not long since moved into a house with lovely wooden work-surfaces in the kitchen, but there are places appearing where some re-oiling is required. This feels like a daft question, but do I need to sand before I re-apply the oil? If yes, how much sanding is required – i.e. am I trying to get back to the bare wood, or is the aim simply to roughen the surface a bit?
Your advice would be very welcome.
Many thanks MH
Reply to Mark:
Hello Mark,
For re oiling a surface it may not be necessary to sand back although it will benefit from a denib with a Finishing Pad (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/woodleys-finishing-pads). This will help to improve any finish. It will depend on the condition of the surface. We do have some very helpful videos on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-tgwbsUxm73aVnAjLGHRA) with hints and tips for application.
Do you know what oil you have on the surface? I will be able to offer a suggestion of an oil should you need to purchase one.
Kind Regards Samantha
Hi,
I have a Howdens oak worktop which I have been treating with the “oil” (more like a varnish) from a yellow tin they supplied and have been treating for the last 10 years. The last treatment (done over a year ago) is a bit sticky in places. I like the idea of trying something new, but don’t want to go to the trouble of stripping back to bare wood – have you any suggestions as what I could use?
Thanks
Reply to Nick:
Hello Nick,
You may find that the tacky/stickiness that you have is the result of the wood being saturated with oil. Oil soaks into a very thin layer of the the surface of the wood and there will be a point where it accepts no further oil and so any subsequent applications will sit on the surface and be ineffective.
My best advice, although I know it not what you want to do, is to sand back to bare wood and start again with a product such as Manns Premier Top Oil (https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/products/manns-premier-top-oil). This is a long lasting oil that dries hard and gives a water repellent protective finish, which should only need a top up coat very two to three years depending on use of the worktop.
I hope that helps and always try a test area first.
Kind Regards Samantha.