Wooden Worktops - what am I doing wrong?

[PeterPipersPepper]

Wooden kitchen worktops installed by previous owner. Lots of stains etc so I sanded them down.

I then did three coats of Ronseal Antibacterial Worktop Oil. I did four coats around the sink.

Even if we place a wet cup down for a few seconds it will leave a mark - this can’t be right? Might it be the type of oil I used? It was recommended to me by someone else with wooden worktops.

On other threads people are saying they only have to re-oil every year but I have got a different mark almost every day since I sanded and re-oiled - like the example I have posted.

is there another type of product I can use that will offer more protection?

Change it to quartz. Sorry 😣

Teak worktops care very hard-wearing. They used to floor underground carriages with it. We use olive oil now. Cake tins and similar always cause stains in wooden tops and they are difficult to remove without sanding. We always stand them on loose tiles.

Sorry. Maple. Not teak.

That worktop looks “thirsty” to me - water should be forming beads on the surface. It needs more oil.

That water mark also looks like you have left a wet cup or something with water trapped under it on the worktop for a while. You just can’t do that with wood, you have to wipe up the water once you are done. We have a tray under our draining rack, or I put stuff on top of a clean teatowel to dry.

That worktop looks “thirsty” to me - water should be forming beads on the surface. It needs more oil.

This from @Saschka

Unless water forms in beads on the surface when dropped on, you haven't put enough oil on.

Mine is osmo oiled. 14 years and pretty good. It was osmo oiled originally and I occasionally do a coat of normal vegetable oil.

Tung oil works well for me on the work surfaces, used in a similar way to kernow54, but only repeat once or twice. Once it's done you can scrub it pretty well to remove any dirt and if it eventually needs it sand a little bit and reoil in damaged areas or sand the whole work surface down and reoil. A friend has marble which is much more difficult.

Thank you! Sounds like I haven’t put enough oil on. It said 3-4 coats on the tin but from the above advice it seems like I need to keep going. Another coat going on tonight…

We have oak worktops- in a house used as a holiday let for the last 4 years.
Lots of coats of Rustin's Danish oil. Applied in a thin layer with a lint free cloth. We re-do it at the start of each season: light sanding , then a couple of coats, allow to dry overnight between coats.

The only things that mark this is neat bleach and oven cleaner Thankyou guests from hell and putting a red hot pan down without a mat. We have successfully removed all marks and it looks as good as new.

On a related note - what cleaning product are people using on their wood worktops? Thank you

They're really not with the right protection. We use Osmo - designed for floors but works perfectly. Just two coats to protect the wood then about once a year I give them a sand to remove the rest of the product and recoat. It's very easy.

Black rings can be removed with oxalic acid. Barkeeper's Friend contains oxalic acid. Make a paste of the granules and water and apply just to the mark. Check after 20 minutes and reapply if needed. Check and reapply until the mark has gone. Clean off and allow to dry then sand and re-finish the work top. Black marks can be caused by water and by putting tin cans on the wood especially if they're wet.

We just use flash with kitchen roll or flash wipes. We try to avoid anything wet on worktops and put in sink / on draining board / on cooker / on tiles.

Just hot, soapy water. I never use anything stronger apart from when preparing to recoat the Osmo - after sanding and wiping down, I wipe with meths to remove any grease/oils before reapplying the Osmo.

We had solid oak worktops in old house for 12 years before sold and were fine at the end - we initially used clear varnish, after about 5 years (with toddlers / infant school children) I lightly sanded them and revarnished them and fine again and we did it again 7 years later pre selling. Have just had more put in here, this time its Osmo oil and we've been told lots of coats. I wanted varnish again but DH said Osmo and online seemed to come out for osmo so will see. Yours do look dry in places though maybe use more oil in your coats as well.

I love wooden worktops and the product that makes them viable is Osmo Hardwax oil, we only re-sand and re-coat the every two to three years. They look fantastic.

Sorry to jump on your post @PeterPipersPepper but I have bought some Gilboys hard wax oil to use on some untreated pine shelves and it hasn't got the finish I thought it would have. Do I need to sand between layers? Only the tutorial I watched and the tin say to just put the oil on in thin layers and then it's a lovely satin finish.

@longtompot what is not satisfactory about the finish? Too matt, too sticky, too rough?
I have found pine does "drink" the Osmo and you get a fairly low sheen finish. If it's dry and smooth you can buff it up maybe with a bit of furniture wax and it will develop a more satin finish. It will still be durable and protected.

OP did you say what timber your worktops are - they look dark for oak. Walnut or teak?

@NotMeNoNo its too rough. I think it has brought up the grain. I love the sheen as it's not too shiny

@NotMeNoNo i don’t know I’m afraid! Not installed by us. I think they might be walnut. They’re looking less “dry” as pointed out by PP after another coat overnight - let’s see how we get on.

I just ask because dense dark woods absorb less oil and in terms of Osmo there is a thinner consistency product recommended (Wood wax finish clear extra thin).
What is marking might just be the layer of Ronseal that hasn't soaked into the wood but is sitting on top. The dark hardwoods should be really durable if finished properly.

Same. What on earth is the point of having a worktop that needs this much care and maintenance? Kitchens need to be functional spaces.

I have quartz, and it looks pretty much as good as it did when it was first put in, with zero maintenance. We use trivets for hot pans, and the sealant at the edges will need redoing at some point, but that's it.

They're really not with the right protection. We use Osmo - designed for floors but works perfectly. Just two coats to protect the wood then about once a year I give them a sand to remove the rest of the product and recoat. It's very easy.

But what you're describing is a lot of maintenance. Sanding and resealing every bloody year?!

It would probably be cheaper in terms of money and time to get the worktops redone in a hardwearing inexpensive manmade material.

Some friends of mine moved into a home with this problem and while they did clean, (sand?), and oil it when they moved in, they then mostly just wiped it down a lot, and accepted the marks and rings, and changed the worktops as soon as they had the money and energy to do so. And delcared how relieved they were once that was done.

Wooden worktops are unhygienic - if they are 'still absorbing oil' then they are absorbing everything else too. Yuck.

Next time, get them untreated and use sadolin pv 64 clear varnish, designed for pub bar tops and hall floors. Ours have been in 9 years, not a single ring or black mark - one revarnishing after 8.5 years.