Care & Maintenance for your Wood Treasure
INTRODUCTION
Food safe wood products are ironically, easy to maintain and easy to neglect. Below is some basic guidance on what TO DO to maintain the beauty of your food safe wood product and what NOT TO DO to avoid damaging the natural beauty that your wood product brings into your home.
We begin with the NOT TO DO guidance to avoid unnecessary damage and then address the TO DO guidance, which is actually much simpler.
DO NOT!
DISHWASHERS — never put your precious wood products in the dishwasher. It will damage if not destroy the finish and integrity of your treasure!
SOAKING — never leave your precious wood product soaking in water. Soaking will compromise your finish and invite further long term damage!
HARSH ABRASIVES — never use harsh abrasives to clean your precious wood product. Abrasives act like sand paper to remove the essential food safe finish that protects wood. Sponges, dish brushes and fine scouring pads are all you need to clean and preserve your food safe wood product. Excessive rubbing/brushing will degrade the finish.
STRONG SOLUTIONS — never use strong cleaning solutions (e.g., bleach or harsh soaps) to clean your precious wood product. Mild soap (e.g. Dawn) is all you need to clean and preserve the finish on your food safe product.
EXCESSIVELY HOT WATER — never boil or use excessively hot water to clean your food safe wood product. Excessively hot water will strip wax finish protections and degrade oil finish beneath. Water comfortably warm for your hands is also comfortable for your wood treasure.
STANDING WATER — do not leave standing water on the surface of your food safe wood product. Dry your precious wood product immediately after washing. Standing water is akin to soaking - it gives water an opportunity to compromise your food safe wood finish. Dry your cutting boards and bowls and they will reward you over time!
SANDING/SCRAPING — do not sand or aggressively scrape your food safe finish unless you are prepared to apply a new food safe finish. Sanding and scraping will compromise/destroy the finish and allow water to penetrate the finish.
MICROWAVES — never use your precious wood product in the microwave!
INSTEAD PLEASE
CLEAN BY HAND— always clean your precious food safe wood product by hand (no dishwashers!). Mild soap and warm to moderately hot water with a sponge/kitchen brush and mild soap (e.g. Dawn) is all you need!
PROMPTLY DRY — promptly towel-dry the surface of your food safe wood product after washing to avoid permitting any standing water the opportunity to find ways to compromise your treasure!
BUFF — after your treasure is fully air dried, a light buffing (simple rubbing of the surface) with a towel or paper towel will add luster to your food safe finish. Buffing adds depth and evenness to the finish.
APPLY WAX AS NEEDED — if the sheen of your finish fades or water ceases to beed on the surface, a quick waxing will rejuvenate your finish and protect your precious food safe wood product. Bees Wax works great. Wax cannot damage your treasure, so don’t be shy about applying it to show your appreciation!
APPLY OIL AS NEEDED — ordinary use of food safe finishes can cut through the wax protection and compromise the oil finish beneath. This is particularly true of cutting boards that endure the impact of knives. Mineral oil (available in supermarkets) can be applied to cutting boards and utensils. Bowl finishes can vary (and do not rely upon mineral oils). Our bowls are finished with food safe boiled linseed oil and tung oil.
USE THEM AND LOVE THEM EVERY DAY — use and proper maintenance will create a beautiful patina that will last for generations!