# Butcher top treatment



## JimSC (Apr 17, 2014)

I just installed a new butch block counter top on a island in my kitchen. What treatment would be best for this top? Where can I purchase…I live in South Carolina south of Charlotte (Tega Cay area). I really don't want to order on line like pick up local.

Ikea (in Charlotte) has BEHANDLA Wood treatment oil, but some people say it isn't safe around food prep.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Jim, one of the best food safe surface treatments is also the least expensive. Mineral oil.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I tend to lean towards no treatment at all. Even beet stains will come out after a couple of wipe ups. The oils don`t prevent stains or resist water all that well so there isn`t a huge advantage to treating them.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Mike said:


> Jim, one of the best food safe surface treatments is also the least expensive. Mineral oil.


yup...
and get it at the drug store...
better grade of and cheaper...


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## john60 (Aug 30, 2014)

Mineral oil


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## rrrun (Jun 17, 2014)

The purpose of treating the wood is to protect it from water. Water will eventually degrade both the wood and the glue holding the counter-top together.

Mineral oil is the best choice for treatment, as it is both FDA-approved and shelf stable. All organic oils will eventually go rancid, and at that point, the only choice is to remove the wood that's been tainted.

Apply the mineral oil whenever the wood feels dry, and the counter-top should give you a very long life. A topcoat of board butter (beeswax/mineral oil) makes a very nice topcoat as well.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I built my own butcher block counter from scratch with white oak. I left it unsealed. clean it with pine oil No one has ever gotten sick


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

A study was done a number of years ago by a midwest US university when butchers were told by Health Authorities to stop using wood and start using plastic boards. Wooden boards have a natural antimicrobial property that plastic boards don`t have and there is some doubt as to which is the healthier choice. Woods high in tannin have greater microbial resistance but most woods have some. I don`t know if using an oil treatment on them tends to defeat this process or not but as I said the oil doesn`t really accomplish much in my opinion. Someone suggested that it helps keep the wood from warping but if you only wipe them down then the amount of water absorbed is going to be fairly minimal and should dry quickly.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> yup...
> and get it at the drug store...
> better grade of and cheaper...


Most definitely because if you buy "Butcher Block Oil" you're getting the same thing for more money.


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Like other Forum members have done, I've used mineral oil on wooden cutting boards for years. Since I've just begun making my own cutting boards I did some research on the web to what other people use to finish their boards. I liked the idea of "spoon butter" which is just a mixture of mineral oil and bees wax. I use food grade mineral oil bought at the local drug store. It's completely safe and you can drink the stuff. If you do, make sure you're near a bathroom.:surprise: Anyway, I use 8 parts mineral oil to 1 part bees wax by weight. I bought 1 Lb of bees wax on the Internet which will last me for years. I heat the mixture in the microwave in a Ball canning jar until the wax dissolves. Once it cools it becomes a paste. I apply several coats letting each coat soak in for a while before wiping it off then buff the final coat. Besides giving the board a nice low luster shine it does help to repel moisture. Water beads on the surface and wipes off easily. When the board starts to dry out I hit again with one coat of the oil/wax mix and it looks like new. I would think this would work on butcher block counter tops too and would be much cheaper than the oils sold in stores and on the internet.


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