What is the best oil to protect your wooden worktop?

Last Updated on September 12, 2024

Nothing can replace the feeling of having a freshly designed wooden worktop fitted into your kitchen, providing your home with a natural, earthy centrepiece for you, your friends and family to use and admire.

However, fitting a new kitchen worktop may be one thing, but keeping it well maintained is another thing entirely, with many people often left asking questions about what they should or shouldn’t be doing when working in the kitchen.

One of the biggest questions we often get asked here at the House of Worktops centres around the oils that are available to protect wooden worktops with.

From Osmo to teak to Danish, there are several to choose between, after all, with each offering its own various advantages and disadvantages. So, how can you know which oil is right for you?

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In this article, we will run through each of the most popular options, highlighting which types of oil we think you should ideally be using to best protect your wooden worktop.

Danish Oil

By far the most popular choice of oils to treat wooden worktops with, Danish oil is highly effective at penetrating the pores of the wood, accentuating the worktop’s colours and grain pattern.

What’s more, it also provides a durable protective barrier that is both food and child-safe – but only when sufficiently coated.

Therefore, in order to reap the benefits out of using Danish oil, you will need to apply multiple coatings (typically eight or nine) when it comes to re-oiling your worktops once every two to three months.

Osmo Oil

A personal favourite of ours here at House of Worktops, Osmo oil is a microporous natural hard wax oil that will provide your wooden worktop with an extremely tough and hard-wearing surface.

While it may take longer to dry than some of the other types of oil available, your worktop will only need re-oiling once a year using Osmo oil, with minimal maintenance required in the meantime.

Plus, with only three coats, you will be able to achieve an extremely durable protective barrier that not only seals your worktop but allows it to look fantastic at the same time as well. 

Teak Oil

Contrary to what you might believe, ‘teak’ oils are actually designed to be used on teak products rather than because they contain teak oil within them.

Providing a relatively strong and durable protective barrier, using teak oil will provide your wooden worktop with more of a glossy finish that is less likely to accentuate the beauty of your worktop.

As such, they are generally a better choice for woods that are slightly darker in colour, or for kitchens looking to achieve a sleeker, showier design.

Final thoughts…

Protecting your wooden worktop is imperative for keeping it looking newer for longer and lasting for years rather than months.

Check back for further hints and tips on how to prevent your worktops from being affected by stains, spillages, burns or scratches, as we regularly update our blog to cover these topics. Alternatively, please feel free to contact our team with any questions or queries you might have, and we’d be more than happy to help.