Oak dining table - how practical and how to keep it clean with kids?

[StrawberryShortcake01]

We currently have an old, ugly dining table so always have a table cloth on. Easy with the kids.

We’d like a new table and ideally a wooden one. There’s an oak one we like. And we would like not to have to put a table cloth on as it doesn’t look as nice.

Do you think it is realistic to think we can have an oak table without a table cloth on? Is it going to be ruined straight away? Are we going to be able to keep it clean and remove the food stains without damaging it?

We’ve never had a wooden table so I hope my question isn’t too silly! Thanks

Hopeful bump!

I have an oak table and it does take a bit of a battering but looks good as new. My top tips for cleaning are if you get curry stains use flash with bleach, spray on leave for a few mins then wipe. Repeat as necessary. Any water stains dollop of mayo leave to soak in for as long as necessary and wipe away. No more water mark!

Easy to clean and you can get oil or wood balm to use to nourish the wood. I try to this every few months.

Hope that helps.

When we married our present to each other was an oak table, made to our exact specification by a traditional furniture maker. It's a longish rectangle, can comfortably seat ten.

It is very slightly battered after over 30 years of daily use but DH oils and cleans it regularly and it is still in excellent condition. I suspect both DC would like to inherit it 😀

Thanks both!

I eventually got fed up of scrubbing and beeswaxing my oak table and gave it a coat of clear matt varnish so that it would wipe clean. Never regretted it.

We put a glass top on ours.

So did we,😂😂

We have covered our pine table with a heat resistant mat and then a waterproof tablecloth. When last DC leaves home we might uncover it again. Too much stress having it uncovered.

Pine is different to oak - much softer.
I have an oak table which is unsealed. I occasionally scrub it with a diluted bleach solution. It has a few dinks in it but that’s part of the charm. It’s Victorian and was originally stained really dark. I had it dipped about 20 years ago.
It all depends on your style. Glass top would work but that defeats the point of a wooden table. I do use mats on mine at mealtimes.

If it’s solid you can sand off the top layer every few years to clean it up. Depends if you mind living with marks in the meantime though.

Varnish will protect it but doesn’t look the same as raw or waxed.

If you varnish use matt and afterwards go over with fine wire wool. Ours is in the garage at our downsizing home it's still useful. It has all the dinks and memories still 💗

Thanks everyone. We’ll think about it…