How do I look after a wooden worktop?

Oiling, protecting and repairing solid wood surfaces so they last decades rather than years.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 1 hr
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Oil it regularly — monthly at first, then a few times a year — and never leave standing water on it, particularly around the sink. Wooden worktops are repairable, which is their real advantage, but only if water has not got into the joints.

Wood moves with moisture. A well-oiled worktop repels water long enough to wipe it away; a dry one absorbs it, swells, and eventually blackens and splits. The maintenance is genuinely simple, but it is not optional.

What you'll need

Worktop oil
Lint-free cloths
Fine sandpaper (optional)

Step by step

Oil a new worktop generously before use.Several coats, including the underside and all cut edges. Cut edges around a sink are where water gets in, and they are routinely missed.
Re-oil monthly for the first six months.New wood absorbs a lot. After that, two or three times a year is usually enough.
Apply oil thinly and wipe off the excess.Thin coats absorb; thick ones stay sticky on the surface and attract dirt. Wipe off anything not absorbed after twenty minutes.
Wipe up spills immediately, especially around the sink.Standing water is the main cause of damage. Around a sink and hob it needs wiping every time.
Never cut directly on it.Cuts break the oil seal and let water into the wood fibres. Use a board, always.
Use trivets for hot pans.Heat scorches and can crack the surface. Wood does not recover from scorching the way it recovers from wear.
Sand out marks and re-oil rather than replacing.Fine sandpaper along the grain, dust off, re-oil. This is the great advantage of solid wood over laminate — most damage is genuinely repairable.
Test whether it needs oiling with water.Drop water on it. Beading means the finish is intact; soaking in means it needs oiling now.

Tips

Black marks mean water has reached the wood. Sanding and oiling fixes shallow ones; deep black staining may need oxalic acid or replacement of that section.
Keep the offcut from installation. It is useful for testing finishes and for a repair if a section is ever damaged.
Use a metal or silicone draining area beside the sink. That spot is where wooden worktops most often fail.

Common mistakes

Not oiling the underside and cut edges — Wood absorbs moisture from below and from cut ends, and unsealed edges around a sink swell and rot.
Leaving standing water around the sink — It is the single most common cause of damage — black staining, swelling and eventually splitting.
Applying oil thickly — Excess sits on the surface, stays tacky and attracts dirt. Thin coats, wiped back, is the correct method.

Questions people ask

How often should I oil a wooden worktop?

Monthly for the first six months while the wood is absorbing, then two or three times a year. Test with a drop of water — if it soaks in rather than beading, it needs oiling.

How do I remove black marks from a wooden worktop?

Sand along the grain with fine paper and re-oil. Deeper black staining is water damage in the fibres and may need a specialist treatment such as oxalic acid.