Refinishing a Kitchen Island

[TomInNC]

We have a wooden island in the kitchen. There are a lot of cosmetic blemishes in the finish, and last year weird circles started appearing on the surface. Recently, the finish has become very sticky to the point where objects will stick to it and require light force to be removed. Does the top just need to be refinished, or is there something else going on here? I have attached some pictures as a reference. Also, any ideas on what type of wood, finish, and, if relevant, stain might be on this? We are the third owners, the house is 14 years old, and I have no idea what previous owners may have done to maintain the island.

[wtnhighlander]

Do you cook a lot? Oil mist from cooking can do that, especially of you don't have a good vent hood to remove the atomized oils.

[Chestnut]

So the immediate red flags to me are the fact that the top is framed. If there aren't expansion and contraction issues the top may not be wood, or it's a veneer? I couldn't even tell you what the wood is. The color looks like oak but the grain structure looks closer to walnut. If it's either of those it's been pore filled because it's a smooth surface, the look here makes me think plywood or man made product. The other thing that makes me think that it's some man made product is the wood frame looks significantly different. Can you get a good look at the underside to see what that looks like? If it's a man made product refinishing may not be an option.

I'd make sure it's thoroughly cleaned. I have no idea what the finish may be so i can't even recommend a cleaner. I'd just start with dawn dish soap water and elbow grease. If I was sure of the finish and knew it wouldn't respond to alcohol, i use denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol to remove greasy/waxy films from surfaces.

[Chet]

This is what I use.  Its a good safe product to clean and condition wood surfaces.  You just need a drop or two and you don't need to use it all the time just when things look dried out or have some dirt spots.

Weiman Lemon Oil

[TomInNC]

We do cook a lot, but when we use the stove, we run the vent.

 

Regarding the top, this does appear to be solid wood. The first picture below is a shot from inside the cabinet of the underside of the counter. The second shot is of the lip of the counter as seen from the floor. 

 

 

[Chestnut]

If it's solid and the finish on the inside is the same as the top. Do all your testing and experimentation on the under side.

[Robby W]

Some cleaners will cause finishes to break down, depending on what they are. I would start as Chestnut suggested and give it a good cleaning. If that doesn't do it, you will probably have to strip it and refinish. I would use a finish stripper and then probably go with an oil finish.

[Tom King]

Try a Mr. Clean sponge, and water.  We have a rental house that had 40 years of something sticky on the cabinets, and countertops.  That was the first thing we found that could take it off.  I've also found they're great for cleaning glass.  For glass, wipe after the sponge with microfiber cloth, and it finishes crystal clear.

[TomInNC]

I meant to follow up on this a long time ago. Cleaning didn't seem to fix the issue, so used CitriStrip and a card scraper to get the old stuff off. The edge profile required me to finally learn how to use a gooseneck scraper. The first picture is the bare wood. I don't know what species it is, but it smelled fantastic. Many coats of wipe on poly, we have a shiny (and more importantly, not sticky) kitchen island just in time for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the help!

[Chet]

That looks pretty nice.