How to Remove Oak Counter Stains Easily

Here's a fun guest post from Amy Reeves who is a small business owner of LondonCleaners Hanwell. She likes writing articles about organization and cleaning.  All opinions and tips are her own and not of Sabrina at Sabrina's Organizing.  

Is your kitchen counter made of oak? Then you must be very happy because it is really very pretty and in my opinion, it compliments all kinds of kitchens perfectly. I don't think anyone could ever go wrong with an oak counter.

But of course, there must be some risks and unpleasant surprises when it comes to cleaning and stains. Because we all know that sometimes even accidental spills that are quickly cleaned can still leave a trace. And that is where the hard part comes in because wood should be treated and cleaned delicately and with the proper solutions to make sure it is safe and will not make things worse. Oak surfaces even tend to get discolored over time if they are not properly maintained and cleaned.

There are two types of stains – on the surface and deep ones. The deep ones most often require sanding to get rid of. Sorry to say. But, you can do something about the surface stains.  Here are tips on how to clean stains from oak surfaces.

Tip for cleaning water oak counter stains:

• I do not know if you have heard this, I have personally not tried it yet since I have not had the chance to, but I heard that people use Brazil nuts to clean water rings from their oak countertops. Rub a Brazil nut on the stain and it should disappear, so you can try that next time your oak table has a water ring and you have Brazil nuts lying around.
• I know some people sand a layer off their oak counters, but I am personally not a fan, because then you need to do other steps to restore its original look, and I am not just down for that.
• What I do to get rid of water rings on my oak countertop is to iron them! That is right. How it works: Put a towel on the stain and set your iron to medium and on steam. Let the iron warm the towel and after a few seconds and let steam out. Lift the towel to release the warmth and repeat as long as necessary. It will loosen the stain and it will vanish.

Usually, every countertop is a high-traffic area, where it usually gets more stains and wear. Its color also fades a bit. If you do not want to deal with sanding, oiling, and waxing, which are harder and time-consuming to do, you should remember that the key is prevention. But we all know that does not always work, so we need to have a backup plan to help us achieve our goals and keep our oak countertop clean.

Tips for cleaning a variety of other stains on oak counters:

For a variety of stains that are on the surface, there is one way that is considered to be very efficient, and it definitely helped me a few times. Use a fine wire wool and lemon oil to gently scrub the stain and erase it. LondonCleaners Hanwell has used this method and we had to scrub for a while to get it out, but it works.

Some oak counter stains can be rooted in moisture. That is why you should always wipe down and dry your countertop after you are done using it. Again, prevention is the key to success.

But when stains do happen, make sure to try these simple oak countertop cleaning tricks and get it back to its original and flawless state.

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Whether you cook, eat on an oak surface or your kids use it as a crafts area, these methods should help you deal with a variety of stains.

Now it's your turn, do you have oak surfaces in your kitchen?  How do you remove oak counter stains?  Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you. 

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

Visit Sur La Table for Amazing Cookware! (affiliate)