How to Clean Hardwood Worktops: A Worktop Express® Nutshell Guide

According to the International Scientific Forum On Home Hygiene (a group formed by some of the world’s leading experts in virology, microbiology and infectious disease), the average kitchen worktop is second only to a used kitchen cloth as one of the most commonly contaminated areas of the house.

It is, therefore, especially important to ensure that porous kitchen surfaces such as wood are regularly re-oiled and cleaned with a warm, slightly soapy solution to ensure that bacteria get as little chance to grow and colonise as possible. It is worth noting that some species of wood such as our iroko worktops, have natural antibiotic properties, so whilst the surface may be more porous than some man-made surfaces, even when dirty it is often home to fewer microbes.

Cleaning kitchen worktops with a quality natural disinfectant will kill all forms of bacteria that build up during food preparation, but may not entirely remove dirty solids that become the home for bacterial colonies, so it’s wise to always start by cleaning the worktop by hand with a micro-fibre cloth and a tepid, soapy solution.

After a thorough initial clean, you can keep your wooden worktop free of reoccurring bacterial growth with a simple, natural solution that can easily be made using store-cupboard essentials.

You will need:

• 2 small cups of water.
• 1/4 a cup of white vinegar.
• A tablespoon of washing-up liquid.

Cleaning Your Wooden Worktops

1. Decant the mixture into a clean spray bottle and cover your worktop with a light misting
2. Leave the solution to settle for a few moments, then wipe away with a damp cloth.
3. After cleaning, make sure you dry the surface thoroughly so that no watermarks occur. The liquid must not be left to pool on the surface.

If you would prefer, you can use a small amount of lemon juice rather than vinegar for a more pleasant-smelling solution, though the solution itself is usually not as ‘clean’.