How to Refinish Wood Kitchen Counters

Clean your wooden countertop. Scrape off any debris with a paint scraper. Avoid gouging or digging the corners of the scraper into the surface of the wood. Wipe off the loosened debris with a towel. Spray a general-purpose kitchen cleaner over the wooden surface. Use a soft sponge to clean the wood, removing grease and surface stains. Rinse with fresh water, and let the wood dry.

Go over the countertop with 50-grit sandpaper. Using your hands or a power sander, work in the direction of the grain. Wipe off the wood dust with a towel. Examine the exposed surface, and sand down any remaining stains or uneven areas with your coarse sandpaper. Switch to a finer-grade sandpaper to remove roughness. Finish with a sandpaper grade of about 100. Wipe your countertop with a tack cloth to remove all traces of lint and dust.

Apply a light layer of mineral oil to the prepared wooden surface. Dip a clean paintbrush into your mineral oil, and apply it to your countertop, brushing with the grain of the wood. Coat the entire surface. Wipe up any drips or spills. Let the mineral oil absorb into your wood for about 10 minutes. Use a soft, clean rag to massage the oil into the wood. Remove excess mineral oil with a dry cloth.

Buff the the countertop with a piece of chamois cloth. Use small circular motions, creating an even sheen.

Keep your refinished wood looking its best by oiling it once every two to three months. Determine when it requires oiling by dripping water on the wood. If the water beads up and remains on the surface, you can wait to apply mineral oil. But if the wood absorbs the water, it is time for another coat of oil.