Natural Wood Kitchen Worktops Aftercare Guide

So you’ve had your brand new kitchen installed along with some fantastic natural wood kitchen worktops.

Whether produced from walnut, oak, maple or beech timber, natural wood kitchen worktops look beautiful. So, to maintain their natural beauty and extend their life why not follow our guide to taking care of your natural wood kitchen worktops:

Regular Oiling

One of the best treatments for natural wood worktops is using good quality oil. Once installed your worktops should be treated with oil monthly (for the first six months), and every six months thereafter. If your worktops are used regularly or they are fitted near a sink, then more frequent maintenance will be required.

Water Splashes

If your natural wood kitchen worktops are oiled, then splashes of water will form into globules. However, over time the sheen will ware and water will wet the wooden surface. If this happens it means it’s time to re-oil your kitchen worktop again.

Chopping Boards & Trivets

Using a butcher’s block or chopping board is recommended when chopping food – do not cut directly on the worktop.

It’s extremely important to avoid exposing your new worktops to extreme heat – when taking hot pans of a hob, use a trivet. Also, don’t place rough bases on natural wood, these can cause damage to the wood in the form of scratches.

Moisture barrier

Ensure that your kitchen worktop is oiled from the underside and place a moisture barrier above any appliances.

Chemicals

Clean up any spills immediately. Whether it’s bleach, washing up liquid, cleaning sprays – these must be dealt with instantly.

Move Things Around!

When natural wood worktops are exposed to light they will darken or mellow over time. Placing large items such as bread bins on the worktop for a long period will cause light patches – to avoid this, regularly move items around to allow the wood to darken evenly.

You also have the option of sanding down the surface, but this is costly and it can be messy.

Natural wood is the ideal material for kitchen worktops because it is a solid surface, and one of the main advantages is that it gains character by becoming richer and deeper in colour whereas other work surfaces don’t age as well.

If you’d like to share your natural wood kitchen worktop aftercare tips, why not leave a comment below or tweet us @modernkitchens.