How do I wash and Care for My Woodenware?

This is a common question with a simple answer:

Hand wash with soap and water and allow your woodenware to air dry. 

The best thing for woodenware is regular use—the more you use it, the faster it will develop a patina, which is one of the beauties of using wooden utensils, bowls, cups and so on. They take on a life of their own with use.

Long-term Care

All of my woodenware is finished with a half & half mixture of tung oil and citrus solvent, allowed to dry and cure. This finish should hold up to regular use quite well. 

For ideal long-term care of woodenware, I recommend periodically oiling your items. This is not imperative, but it will insure a faster patina development as well as protect the wood by keeping the fibers nice and strong and protected from moisture and dryness. Simply apply a small amount of oil to the item, cover the entire surface, wipe away the excess, and allow to dry.

I recommend the following oils:

Common Oils

These are readily available in most places and are also used in cooking. Plus they have pleasant aromas and flavors.

Walnut Oil (also makes great salad dressing)

Coconut Oil

Most people have this in their house, and it works quite well. Make sure to do it when the wood is ware so that the oil doesn’t harden before it can be absorbed by the wood.

Uncommon Oils

These are specialty oils, have a bit stronger aromas and take more time to dry and cure

Tung Oil 

*Just like with linseed, only use food grade tung oil!*

This is the produce I use. It is 1/2 tung oil, 1/2 citrus solvent—it smells nice, dries fast, and forms a nice thin finish.

Flax Oil (raw linseed)

*do not use boiled linseed oil, only food safe linseed oil*

You can get that here or here

A note on linseed: some people do not like the smell and flavor of linseed, and it does take a good bit of time to dry/cure. However, it forms a beautiful finish when dried and cured. Just so you know.

Avoid common cooking oils like olive, canola, and so forth—they will turn rancid and become sticky to the touch.