How to Oil a Butcher Block Table

Wood is naturally porous and absorbs liquid readily. Oiling your tabletop will reduce the amount of other liquids it can take up. This will help prevent stains and keep it sanitary. Butcher block cutting boards and countertops will eventually show use and abuse, but a well-maintained butcher block tabletop should last many years.

Food grade mineral oil
Soft cloths
Paper towels

Instructions

- 1
  Oil only a clean tabletop made of unfinished wood.
- 2
  Warm the mineral oil to skin temperature. This thins it a little and makes it easier to spread. It's best to do this by standing the bottle in a bowl of hot water.
- 3
  Pour about 3 to 4 tbsp. of warmed oil in the center of the tabletop and use a soft cloth to spread it over the wood, working in the direction of the grain, not across it.
- 4
  Wait at least an hour, then check to see if the oil has been absorbed by wiping the tabletop with a paper towel. If the paper towel shows no oil stains, the oil has been absorbed.
- 5
  Apply another coat of oil. If this is a new table, it may take several applications.
- 6
  When the wood has absorbed all the oil it can and only a slight film of oil remains, wipe the surface dry with a soft cloth.
- 7
  Oil your tabletop as often as it needs it, according to the amount of use it gets, but at least once a month.

Easy DIY Woodworking Tables

How to Build a Drop Leaf

Tables