How to Clean Solid Wood Worktops?

Last Updated on June 20, 2023

Being a natural material, solid wood worktops are quite different compared to your usual laminates and marble worktop. They require a fair bit of maintenance and care but give back generously by transforming your kitchen into a warm and cozy environment.

When weighing down the pros and cons of hardwood countertops, the biggest advantage is the fact that they can be continuously repaired and rejuvenated back to pristine condition. Below is the lifecycle of a timber worktop after installation: 

Phase 1. Sanding and Oiling

Time needed: 3-4 Days to sand and re-apply 3-4 coats of Osmo/Danish Oil. 

Phase 2. Maintenance

Time needed: One day every 5-6 months and use best maintenance practices.

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Check out our Oak worktops

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Phase 3. Cleaning – That is what we will cover in this guide!

Time needed: On a daily basis, use simple best practices.

Please note: If you follow the best practices, you can cycle between Maintenance (Phase 2) and Cleaning (Phase 3) for many years before you even need to re-sand your worktop to repair any damages or stains. 

Phase 4.

When stained, damaged or scratched, go back to step 1, repair and repeat.

How do we clean Solid Wood Worktops?

The risk with Wooden Worktops is that they have a porous surface. So we need to make sure we clean the worktop and do not allow any bacteria growth, but at the same time, do not use strong chemical cleaners as that will destroy the oiling protection on the surface. 

To begin with, it is worth mentioning that wood worktops are naturally antibacterial, so the probability of rapid bacterial growth within the pores of your wood worktop is significantly lower compared to the rest of Kitchen Worktop types. Which means that using simple cleaning practices will be sufficient to ensure that even the few remaining microbes are cleaned. 

There are two phases to cleaning your wood worktops:

Phase 1: Thoroughly cleaning the worktop from any solid dirty patches with warm soapy water and a lint-free cloth.

Phase 2: Disinfecting the worktop and killing all forms of bacteria with an inexpensive solution of vinegar, water and soap.

Removing Dirty Patches

This is where the main cleaning happens! Use a damp microfiber cloth and a warm soapy solution to clean the surface to thoroughly clean the worktop.

Avoid using bleach and multi-purpose detergents, as the harsh chemicals will clean the worktop from all stains, but it will also clean your worktop from any oil protection left on the surface! 

Disinfecting your Worktop

Once the worktop is thoroughly cleaned, you can now focus on keeping your worktop free of any recurring bacteria and germs with a simple mixture of vinegar, water and soap.

All you need:

• + Clean Spray Bottle
• 4 Cups of Water
• ½ Cup of Vinegar (any vinegar will do)
• Two Tablespoons of Washing Up Liquid

Here how its done:

• Prepare the mixture outlined above
• Spray onto the surface
• Leave for 5-10 minutes (That should be enough to kill over 90% of all bacteria)
• Wipe off the solution with a clean lint-free cloth
• Completely dry the surface with a paper towel

Does vinegar really kill germs and bacteria? 

Yes, it does. UK researchers found that vinegar, much like bleach and washing up liquid, can rapidly exterminate bacteria, germs and even flu virus. 

Whilst cleaning the worktop, you should also observe the way water is sitting on your worktop. If the water sits flat, you should give your worktop an additional coat of oil to make sure it is well protected.
Properly maintaining and cleaning your kitchen will make sure you have timber worktops that last for generations!

If you have any questions about anything worktop related, please do not hesitate to
get in touch with us!

You can find us at 01727260688 or [email protected] 
https://houseofworktops.co.uk/

Enjoy your kitchen and wood worktops!

For additional topics please check the links below:
1) Care & Maintenance Guide for Wood Worktops
2) How to apply Danish Oil on your worktop?
3) How to Oil Your Worktops with Osmo?
4) A comprehensive comparison of all Wood Worktop Oils.
5) How to measure a radius corner easily?
7) How to Store Wood Worktops?
8) Worktop Installation Guide
9) How to repair a scratch on a Wooden Worktop?