How to Care for Wooden Kitchenware So It Lasts for Years

A wooden spoon can last thirty years or crack in six months. The difference is not the price you paid, it is what happens in the ten minutes after you use it. Here is how to keep wooden kitchenware in good shape, based on what actually goes wrong.

The single biggest mistake: soaking

Leaving a wooden spoon or bowl sitting in a sink full of water is what ruins most wooden kitchenware. Wood absorbs water, swells, then shrinks as it dries. Do that repeatedly and the fibres separate, which is what causes the rough, greyish, splitting surface you see on old spoons.

Wash wooden items by hand, straight after use, and dry them immediately with a cloth. Not later. Straight away.

Never use the dishwasher

A dishwasher combines everything wood hates: prolonged soaking, high heat and harsh detergent. One cycle may look fine. Ten cycles will leave you with a cracked, faded piece. There is no wooden item that belongs in a dishwasher, however sturdy it looks.

How to wash properly

1. Rinse with warm, not boiling, water
2. Use a little mild dish soap and a soft sponge, never steel wool
3. Rinse quickly and thoroughly
4. Dry with a cloth at once
5. Leave it standing upright to air out before putting it away

Oil it once a month

This is the step most people skip, and it matters more than anything else. Wood dries out over time, and dry wood cracks.

Use a food-safe oil: mineral oil is the standard choice, and coconut oil works well and is easy to find. Pour a little onto a cloth, rub it into the wood along the grain, leave it an hour, then wipe off any excess. The colour will deepen and the grain will come back.

Avoid cooking oils such as olive or sunflower on items used with food, as they can turn rancid over time.

Dealing with smells and stains

Garlic, onion and turmeric all leave their mark. For smells, rub the surface with half a lemon and a little coarse salt, leave it fifteen minutes, then rinse and dry. For stains, the same trick usually lifts most of it. Turmeric may leave a faint yellow tint permanently, which is cosmetic rather than a problem.

Is wood hygienic?

Yes. Studies on wooden cutting boards have found that wood does not harbour bacteria the way scratched plastic does, because the fibres draw moisture away from the surface. A clean, dry wooden board is a perfectly safe surface to work on.

Where to keep it

Store wooden items away from the stove and out of direct sunlight. Heat and sun dry wood out faster than anything else in the kitchen. A drawer, a stand on the counter, or a wall hanging rack all work, as long as the piece is fully dry before it goes away.

When to retire a piece

A deep crack that goes right through, or a surface that stays rough after sanding and oiling, means it is time to replace it. Light surface marks and colour changes are normal and do not affect use.

Our wooden spoons, bowls and cutting boards are made from solid sheesham, a dense hardwood that stands up to daily kitchen use. Treat them the way described above and they will outlast most of what else is in your kitchen.

See our wooden spoons and cutting boards or browse the bowls.