Last week I noticed red permanent marker on my dining table. Mineral spirits removed it. Test it on your table in an inconspicuous spot. It should remove the oil spots. As for the scratch, pick up a touch-up stain pen in a dark color. Your table has a distressed finish so this will simply look like it was part of the distressing.

You're gonna ruin that dining table in no time. It ain't meant for use as a kitchen table. Either get used to patina and embrace it, or buy something else. Generations used sturdy, grainy, oak to let the kids color on and do their science projects. For a reason. It hides life a lot better than something that shouldn't be used except for formal occasions.

A lot of serving pieces, bowls, plates, mugs etc. do not have a very smooth underside that contacts a surface. Especially some of the hand crafted pottery pieces. If they are dragged across the table, you will surely have scratches.

Wow , why on earth would you use nail polish remover at your table? I can’t see that being covered by any warranty, you were already warned about the body oils so not that either . IMO you need a piece of glass ASAP to protect this investment. The scratches can be fixed with a wood crayon

No one in the furniture store told us this was only a dining room set. In fact, it was displayed with a *bench* so that screamed casual to my husband and I.
I used nail polish remover because I've done my nails at the kitchen table for 30+ years.

Lisa, just ignore Sophie. There is no such thing as a "kitchen table" vs "dining table". Certain materials and finishes are more durable than others but they're all called dining tables...tables for dining at.

You can touch up the scratch, but never have I ever heard of (or seen) body oils leeching into a table...I would get a refund and find a different table if at all possible. The oily spot should wipe up with a cloth or something I'd think...if it's a new table and the oil isn't able to be wiped up I would question the quality of the finish on the table.

And of course, no more nail polish remover on the table! ;)

Glass will also scratch - I wouldn't do that. Just use large placemats under everything when you use the table. The style is already rustic and distressed, so don't worry about other minor issues. A wood filler pen can fix the scratches you already have.

@calidesign What kind of placemats do you suggest? I've only had the plastic wipe off ones for easy cleaning. I'm looking on Pier1 and they have nice woven ones. But since this will be our kitchen table and we will be eating dinner on it, what's a good type for eating on regularly?

I wouldn't use plastic or woven. Try cotton fabric placemats. They will protect the table and you can throw them in the washer when you get spills. You can find them everywhere. We just keep ours in a buffet drawer, pull them out for dining, and put them away when done.

We've been using the same set of Pimpernel cork-backed board placemats for over 20 years with zero problems. Here's the link: http://www.pimpernelinternational.com/sale/placemats-only-40.html

Glass is impractical because: A) you have a leaf, B) liquid spills will go right over the edge and get stuck between the glass and the table and C) its enormous size would make it very difficult to remove for cleaning.

And a word of caution about applying waxes and other finishes: Read the protection plan very carefully. It most likely states that any alterations made to the finish will void the warranty.

Sammy is so right about NO glass...it is impossible to keep clean underneath! You can find fabric placemats anywhere: Pottery Barn, Home Goods, Crate and Barrel, Target, etc.

Ask any true wood flooring professional and they will tell you that Orange Glop is one of the absolute worst products on the market. Any type of oil product, such as oils soaps, will damage the finish of the wood eventually, and cause you to need a complete sand down to bare wood and start over. But, if the Glop gets into the spaces between the planks where the sander can't reach, any new finish's adhesion will have issues. Instead of having a wonderful surface that can last 4-5 sandings and over 100 years, Glop turns it into a single use disposable product.