Tips for Maintaining Wood Countertops – Infographic

Kitchen countertops tend to easily degrade over the course of time. This is not a surprising fact considering that countertops are used as the main working area in the kitchen. This is also why choosing the right material for that busy (and sometimes even messy) surface is crucial for maintaining a kitchen’s functionality.

One of the most common materials used in countertops today is fine wood. Aside from providing natural beauty and unique aesthetic quality, wood is a cheap or cost-effective material that when regularly well-maintained, could last longer for many years.

However, keeping it in tip-top condition might prove to be very tricky. They can be susceptible to long term damages such as stain, elbow grease, and worse of all, scratches caused by blunt and sharp kitchen tools.

So, if you already have a wood countertop installed on your kitchen, you should check out these tips on maintaining it:

• Apply wax on cracked areas

No matter how hard you try, avoiding some minor cracks on noticeable parts of your wood countertops is virtually impossible. However, this problem can be easily fixed by filling them with wax. The wax must be properly prepared though. Below is a simple process of making the wax that can be used for your countertops:

Step 1: Let beeswax or a paraffin wax be heated on a microwave. You can add some mineral oil if you want.

Step 2: Make sure to put it on the affected area of the countertop as soon as it leaves your microwave. Use a clean cloth to spread them over.

Step 3: Give it some time to dry, and you can use the same cloth for additional polishing.

It is highly recommended to repeat this process at least once a month.

• Cleaning it regularly

Cleaning is obviously the universal way of maintaining the usability of almost everything. Your wood countertop is not an exception either. While being microbe-repellant is one of the properties of wood that makes it worthy of being one of the leading countertop materials, you should still spend some time to clean it using an all-purpose cleaner.

• Always use cutting boards for chopping

Cutting boards are also typically made up of wood, so neglecting to use them just because you already have a wooden countertop is a well-known misconception. This is definitely a good idea if you really want that countertop to look better and stay a lot longer. Marks made by knives and other blunt objects are a major contributor for the deterioration of your once shiny and blemish-free wood countertop.

• Put some mineral oil on it

Oiling your countertop is a great way to provide a liquid-based seal that can repulse wearing and tearing. Simply spread the mineral oil around its surface, until the wood absorbs most of the oil. It helps in improving the countertops durability.

• Removing the stains as early as possible

Stains would gain their strength if they stayed on a specific place for longer periods of time. And as for wooden countertops, they can be tougher to manage when you just let them be. Always remove any spills and food scraps around the countertop’s surface every time. You can also use lemon juice as they are pretty much effective with dealing these annoying pigments that ruin the look of the wood.

Maintaining your wooden countertop is not an easy task, but it’s not impossible either. Use these five easy ways to ensure it will always look good and new!

Looking for ways of remodeling your old kitchen? Contact us today at (714) 961-1900 or visit our website www.mrcabinetcare.com/