no you can't "seal it once and be done with it". opt for something more suitable such as Formica. wood works for vertical surfaces (cabinets), but if it's going to get wet, you don't want to use it for horizontal surfaces unless you plan on a lot of annoying refinishing. makes no sense to use wood.

why would the countertops get wet? Around the sink maybe but other than that....

fine. do what u want.

Does anyone else have experience with wood counters in the laundry room?

Miffy, try the kitchen forum...quite a few there have beautiful wood countertops, and have dealt with the potential of water in various ways. We just got our wood (sapele) for kitchen countertops and will seal it with Waterlox. No doubt there will be some maintenance down the line (light sand and recoat?), but it has a great reputation for sealing out the water.

In a previous kitchen, we made maple countertops and sealed with polyurethane, and that worked just fine as well.

In our current laundry room (which doesn't have a sink) we used the most affordable countertop of all...Ikea's butcher block, oiled once when new. When it gets soiled, especially from liquid detergent spills, I scrub it with Seventh Generation All-Purpose spray cleaner, and it comes completely clean. Ideally, you'd oil it from time to time, though I haven't and after 8 years of light use it looks like new. In a kitchen, you would oil it at least annually, I think.

If you coat with polyurethane or Waterlox, I suspect your finish will last for many years. My dining table was finished with polyurethane probably 30 years ago, and only recently, after heavy use for all meals, crafts, and homework, have I started considering refinishing. To me, that's heavier use than my laundry counter gets.

thank you islandlife
I was looking at the ikea butcher block. Is there a reason that you oiled it instead of waterlox or polyurethane as you suggested?

We were in a hurry to get moved in with our toddlers and that was my husband's quick solution...never went back to do something different. In our new house, if I make countertops over the w/d, I will probably use the Ikea butcherblock again, and polyurethane. (Our new w/d's are so tall I'm not sure I'll have countertops...maybe I'm too short! I'll live with them a bit and see.)

I was also considering Ikea wood countertop for my LR, but since I often hang up wet clothes to dry, and clothes will hang above coutertop, I was thinking it might not be the best choice for me. I am not sure if the other ready to go countertops at ikea (not special order) can be easily cut. I have some angles.

The off the rack laminate counters available at HD & Lowes are so ugly. Does anyone know of another place that sells ready made countertops?

I am planning on putting a hanging bar for drying over the sink so hopefully the counters will stay dry.

I have an island in my kitchen made of a woodshop bench counter. It is hard wood. Originally we planned to sand it down more than we had and seal it. We never did because it just gets more interesting as it ages. It has been reoiled a few times but that's it. I don't use it for food prep but it does get wiped down daily. No problems. I think you will have no issues in the laundry room.