Steps & Items Needed To Protect A Wood Countertops
Wood countertops can be utilitarian such as the thick, durable butcher's block & decorative, with ornate edges and shiny surfaces. It is necessary to protect your wood countertops in order to extend the lifespan of your countertop. To do this, you need to collect all the necessary items and then follow the given steps to protect your countertop:
Things You'll Need
- Soap, Water, Lemon Juice & Salt
- Hydrogen Peroxide, Cloth & Wood Bleach
- Sandpaper, Mineral Oil & Paper Towel
- Paraffin Wax & Polyurethane
- Trivet & All-Purpose Cleaner
Steps
- Always try to provide protection to your countertop from stains. Simply keep your countertops clean regularly so as to avoid any stain on it because the stains and buildup will result in dullness on the surface of the wood countertop if the countertop is not cleaned regularly.
- Next, you need to season your wood countertop. Simply you need to pour some amount of warm mineral oil on the countertop because the oil will help avert warping & cracking. You need to use your rag to tub the mineral oil into the countertop. Apply the mineral oils according to the grain of the wood and then allow the applied oil to soak into the wood countertop 20 to 30 minutes. Wipe the surface of the wood countertop with a cloth or paper towel to remove any extra oil.
- Then you need to fill in cracks of your wood countertop with the help of wax because the wax will fill in any open pores abrasions and small cracks. Melt beeswax or paraffin wax in your microwave and then add it to mineral oil (1:4 ratio). Next, you need to apply this wax mixture to your wood countertop while the bees or paraffin wax is still warm. Spread this mixture over the surface of your wood countertop with a cloth. Allow the countertop surface to cool and dry, and then rub the cloth over the surface of the countertop again to polish the surface. You also need to re-apply the wax one or two times in a month to maintain the finish of the countertop surface.
- Next, seal your countertop in order to protect it from any type of liquid such as water, cold drink, etc. If the water is left on your countertop then it can damage the wood of your countertop and the other type of liquids and foods can cause stain on the wood. You just need to apply coats of polyurethane to your wood countertop surface because the sealed surface makes your countertop easy to clean but is not suggested for cutting surfaces. Take a urethane (FDA approved) to be sure that the substance is totally safe to be in contact with the wood. Now, you need to apply at least 3 coats to get a good and solid coating.
- You also need to protect your wood countertop from the burns by keeping a potholder or trivet betwixt your countertop and cooking vessels and hot dishes.
- Always try to clean off the harmful bacteria. Wood will kill bacteria naturally and also a good choice for the countertop material. Most of the countertops are made up of hardwoods that do not allow for bacteria incursion. You should clean the wood countertop with the help of an all-purpose cleaner to remove any bacteria from the wood surface.