How to care for and maintain your dining table
How to care for and maintain your dining table
Your dining table is one of the most used pieces of furniture in your home. It's where breakfast and dinner are eaten, coffee is drunk, and everyday life unfolds. Therefore, a dining table will naturally show signs of wear over time. A solid oak dining table is easy to maintain, and it’s easy to keep it looking beautiful throughout its life.
- Gently clean with a well-wrung cloth with or without mild soap for daily use.
- Refresh the table with a maintenance oil when the surface starts to look dry or dull.
- Small marks and stains can often be removed with some simple care products, keeping the table beautiful for many years.
- If you have a scratch on the table, you can sand the area where the scratch is and apply oil – either to the sanded spot or to the entire table.
A solid wood dining table can withstand daily use
A solid wood dining table lives and changes over time. That's one of the beautiful things about wood. At the same time, wood is a material that can fortunately also be maintained and refreshed if it starts to need it.
“A solid oak dining table continues to feel pleasant to touch and live with.”
Wood naturally changes over time
A wooden dining table will almost always change slightly over the years. This applies both when it is used and when it is exposed to daylight. The tabletop may become slightly lighter or change tone (more golden) over time, especially if it is often in the sun or receives a lot of daylight from the same side.
This doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the table. It's just part of having a natural material in your home. Often, the surface actually becomes more beautiful and calmer over time, especially if the table is regularly cared for.
Daily care is fortunately quite simple
On a daily basis, it's mostly about treating the table in a calm and normal way.
- wipe up spills relatively quickly
- use coasters under hot items such as pots, dishes, and cups
- wipe the table with a soft, well-wrung cloth.
- avoid harsh and unnecessarily strong cleaning agents
When does the table need a refresh?
The most common question is often when to re-oil the table. The short answer is that it depends on how much the table is used. Typically, it will be once every six months or annually.
If the table starts to look a bit dry, dull, or more susceptible to stains, it's often a sign that it's time for a refresh. Sometimes, a refreshing maintenance product like Rubio Monocoat's Refresh Eco is enough. Other times, it makes the most sense to give the table a coat of oil.
We recommend Rubio Monocoat's products for our tables because they are well-suited for oil-treated surfaces and make ongoing table maintenance easy. When you receive a new dining table from us, you always get a maintenance oil included.
What to do about rings, stains, and marks?
It's often the same types of marks that appear repeatedly on a solid wood dining table. Fortunately, you can easily maintain your table to keep it beautiful for its entire life.
White rings
Typically from glasses, cups, or hard water. Start with mild cleaning and move on to a targeted solution if the mark persists.
Black tannin stains
Often comes from moisture, metal, cans, or pots on oak. A tannin remover is often more effective here than regular wiping.
Red wine and colored liquids
The most important thing is to react quickly. Blot immediately and then assess if the stain requires more than ordinary cleaning.
Grease and food residues
Butter, oil, and dressing often require a little more than water. Use gentle cleaning first, then an appropriate stain remover if necessary.
White rings and watermarks
White marks can come from glasses, cups, or water. These are typically light marks from liquid or hard water that has been allowed to sit on the surface for too long.
It's best to address them as early as possible. Start with gentle cleaning and a soft cloth. If the mark persists, a more targeted solution for limescale or watermarks on oil-treated wood can be used. Ultimately, you can always sand the spot and re-apply oil.
We recommend Limespot Remover from Rubio Monocoat, which removes stubborn limescale deposits and is quick and easy to use.
Black stains and tannin extraction in oak
On oak, you may sometimes notice dark or almost black marks. This typically happens when moisture reacts with the wood's tannins—for example, from a damp can, a plant pot, metal, or prolonged water exposure.
Ordinary wiping rarely helps enough here. Instead, a more targeted stain remover for tannin marks is often needed. If the stain disappears but the area then appears a bit drier or lighter, you can refresh it with oil again.
We recommend Tannin Remover from Rubio Monocoat, which is quick and easy to use. You spray, wait a couple of minutes, and then wipe off.
Red wine stains
Red wine is one of the stains many fear most. The most important thing is still to react quickly: blot immediately, wipe afterwards, and then assess if more than ordinary cleaning is needed. Again, you can always sand the spot and re-apply oil.
Deeper scratches and wear marks
Small signs of wear are part of a dining table's life, but if the table has deeper scratches or distinct marks, it can often be improved again. If the damage has penetrated too deeply, the area can often be lightly sanded and re-oiled locally. This is one of the great advantages of solid wood.
If you are unsure what to do?
- Dry or dull surface: refresh
- White rings or limescale marks: limescale or watermark remover
- Black or dark stains in oak: tannin remover
- Deeper marks or color loss: local sanding and re-oiling
If you don't use the same products, the most important thing is to choose something suitable for oil-treated wooden surfaces and not too harsh. However, the safest and most consistent result is usually achieved by using products that match the treatment the table has already received.
In short
- refresh the table when the surface starts to look dry or dull
- use targeted stain remover for white rings, tannin, or grease stains as needed
- if you get a scratch, you can sand with 120-grit sandpaper, wipe away the dust, and apply the original oil it received.
Explore the collection and see our dining tables in solid oak, reclaimed oak, and with options for extension leaves.
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