SFW: How do I get rid of the stickiness?

Sounds like the coating didn’t cure. Murphy soap may make it even stickier.
Clean the surface with mineral spirits and use a non-metallic scrubber pad, remove scum with a paper towel. Now use a quick dry polyurethane varnish to seal the surface.

@Tropical_Willie I would have to do the whole surface then, right? To have the finish match?

The top would need to be done. The complete top should be cleaned ( mineral spirits ) and a fresh coat of fast drying varnish ( clear not colored ).

I had a similar problem and wound up having a piece of clear glass cut to fit the table. Easy to clean.

Vinegar and water.
Or strip it and start over.

Before you poly it, I recommend sanding it so it’s like brand new wood. You can get a small electric palm sander for about $25 or 30. It’s quick with the electric sander. You can then stain it to match the rest of the table, or just poly if the rest of the table is natural. Glass top is a good idea to prevent this from happening in the future.

@jca and @Pachyderm_In_The_Room I think a glass top on a kitchen table would drive me even more crazy with trying to clean it.

@janbb: So then just do the refinishing and keep it bare, and maybe try to use placemats or something if you eat on it. I think if you get it dirty, instead of wiping it with water, try using something like Windex which will cut the grease. As long as there is polyurethane on it, Windex won’t ruin the wood.

Wet wipes.

I don’t read details