How to Oil Wood Worktops

In order to ensure your wood worktops remain in top condition, it’s essential that you perform regular maintenance, so read on for our guide on how to oil a wood worktop.

The Importance of Properly Oiling Your Worktop

It’s important to oil your wooden worktops for both aesthetics and durability reasons. This is because wood is porous, which means that bacteria can easily find ways into your wooden worktops. If this goes untreated and is left to fester, your wood will most likely rot or become damaged over time.

You want to avoid rotting wood in your home as best you can because this will cause serious damage to the structural integrity of your worktops. It may cause your worktops to crack and crumble as well as create unpleasant smells of dampness and must.

Oiling your wooden worktops helps to fill in the gaps in the grain as well as harden it. This will stop bacteria from entering through the pores as well as form a protective water-resistant barrier.

Oiling your wooden worktops also keeps them looking great. It enhances the natural colours of the wood grain without making it appear too shiny and inauthentic. It lends a rich patina to your wood as well.

How to Oil Your Wood Worktop

If you want to learn how to oil wood worktops yourself, follow the steps below:

1. Clean the worktop: Ensure you sand the surface up to a 120–150 grit and remove any old finish if the worktop is already treated. If your worktops are a little worse for wear, use wood glue to repair any chips. Then prepare the surface with our Cleaner, which removes fine sanding dust.
2. Apply the oil: Once the surface is clean, pour a small amount of Oil Plus 2C onto a beige scrubby pad and rub it onto the worktop in the direction of the wood grain. One coat is enough, unlike other wood oils that require multiple coats. Wait 3–5 minutes, then remove any excess oil with a white scrubby pad.
3. Buff and wipe down the surface: Once all the oil has been applied and is completely dry, buff the surface with a clean, lint-free cloth. Apply light pressure to work the oil into the grain for a smooth finish.

How Often to Oil Wood Worktops

When it comes to how often to oil wooden worktops, there is some general advice to follow. If your worktop is brand new, make sure it is sanded and oiled properly. Because of Oil Plus 2C’s longevity, only one coat is necessary. However, to ensure your finish lasts indefinitely, we recommend using Universal Maintenance Oil 2 Mix every 12–18 months.

For everyday cleaning, we’d recommend our All Natural Wood Cleaner, and for stain removal, our Stain Remover Set, which removes dark rings and water marks.

Which Oil is Best for Worktops?

When choosing which oil to use on your wooden worktops, it’s best to select something that aids its purpose. Worktops, especially in kitchens or bathrooms, are exposed to water and heat, so they need to be hard-wearing and durable.

A great example is our Oil Plus 2C, which is both water and heat resistant while enhancing the natural colours of your wooden worktops for a beautiful finish.