In general, it is incredibly easy to properly care for your wooden kitchenware and utensils. Although it isn’t always as simple as throwing your items in the dishwasher, it can often be just as easy, and even more rewarding to take the proper steps to ensure the health and longevity of your wooden kitchen supplies. In this blog post we will take you through some of the best methods and practices to care for your wooden kitchen items and keep them looking brand new, even after years of use.
One of the questions we get most often asks whether items like wooden spoons should be cleaned in the dishwasher, or by hand. It is always better to wash your wooden supplies by hand with warm water and mild dish soap. Dishwashers get extremely hot, and this heat can sometimes dry out the wood which leads to roughness and cracks. This is why it is always better to simply handwash with a sponge or any another cleaning tool. However, we do advise against using steel and other metal scrubbers. Also try to avoid soaking your wooden kitchen supplies. Prolonged exposure to water can allow moisture and chemicals from the dish soap to break down parts of the wood and hurt the longevity of your kitchenware.
After washing it is important to give your wooden kitchenware time to dry before returning it to drawers and cabinets. Allowing all the excess moisture to dry completely prevents things like mold from growing inside of your plates, bowls, and utensils. For this reason, we suggest blotting dry with a cloth or paper towel immediately after washing, followed by leaving it out for a few hours to airdry completely.
Consistent washing and use may eventually lead to dryness, regardless of the methods. When this happens, it can be remedied with a short and simple fix. Applying mineral oils or beeswax can help return the texture, look, and feel to our wooden kitchen supplies. When applying your oil, it is imperative to begin while the wood is clean and completely dry. If it is still even a little wet, the oil will be unable to penetrate the wood properly and do its job. Generously apply the oil or beeswax with a paper towel, paint brush, or cloth until there is an even layer all over. Then, let your wooden item sit and absorb the mineral oil until it is dry to the touch (depending on the type of wood it can be anywhere from 4-24 hours). Once dry, wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel and your wooden utensil or item will be restored to its original beauty.
One of the more common complaints about cleaning wooden kitchenware, cutting boards specifically, is that they can easily be stained by things like tomato sauce, blueberries, or curry. Some also point out that strong potent flavors or smells like garlic and onion can persist on the board even after washing. Both issues are remedied relatively easily. First, it is important to note that visual stains on your cutting board from foods with lots of pigmentation may affect your board visually, but your cutting board will remain perfectly clean and safe to use with other foods as long as it has been properly washed. Further, these kinds of stains often take care of themselves. Dissipating after just a few more uses and washes. Regarding leftover intense odors and flavors, this can easily be handled by slicing a lemon in half and rubbing the inside of the lemon onto your cutting board. This will help to eliminate the odor and leftover flavors, while also even helping a little with potential stains from foods with high pigmentation.
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