A cute toddler covered in jelly from eating it off of a handmade wood spoon

How to Care for Your Wooden Spoons

How to Care for Your Wooden Spoons

You cooked a big dinner of your favorite recipes for your family and friends. Of course, your treasured handmade wooden spoons were an important part of the food prep, serving and making the day special. A good time was had by all. Now it’s time to clean up. How do you care for your wooden spoons properly so they can last for many years, if not generations? 

Follow these 4 easy tips on how to care for your wooden spoons:

1. Never put your wooden spoons in the dishwasher.

While the saying may go “never say never,” this is one time that it makes sense to use it. The detergent, heat and soaking water in the dishwasher may be great for conquering the rest of your dinner mess. But it’s a no-no for when you care for your wooden spoons. It will cause them to crack and warp and generally ruin the finish!

2. Wash them by hand with soap and warm water.

It only takes a minute to clean your wooden spoons in the sink with a little dish soap and warm water. Use any sponge or gentle scrubber before the food dries on. Avoid having to soak them. Soaking is the enemy.

3. Towel dry.

Pat down your wooden spoons with a clean soft towel to give them proper care, then let them air dry before putting them away. Better yet, don’t put them away. Display your beautiful spoons out on the counter so you can enjoy them in between meal prep and let them get some fresh air. If any odors remain, we find that a quick rub down with a slice of lemon works wonders.

4. Oil your spoons once a month.

When you care for your wooden spoons, give them a rub down with some food grade mineral oil about once a month, depending how often you use them. We use a clean dry towel to rub it in. In addition to preserving your wooden spoons, it will also help to keep food from sticking to them.

(Do not use olive oil or other cooking oils on your spoons. They may spoil and cause bacteria or cause the wood to deteriorate.)

    Better yet...try our Original Fabulous Spoon Butta and Carving Board Conditioner. It’s made from the perfect combination of natural ingredients to keep your wooden spoons at their best.  

    A jar of wooden spoon butter resting in the middle of two handmade wooden utensils

    Whether you're working to care for your wooden spoons, spatulas, forks, cutting boards, serving platters or other wooden kitchen utensils, you can make sure they remain beautiful and useful in your kitchen for many years. Follow our easy tips on how to care for them and they can even last for generations to become treasured family heirlooms.

    Check out our collection of unique handmade wooden spoons. They're hand carved by Artisans from wood that is sustainably harvested from local land. In a variety of woods, including urban wood, wild cherry and black walnut, these spoons, spatulas and other utensils will be a joy to use and you'll love finding new uses for them every day. They also make memorable gifts for your favorite chef.

    LocalWe helps people discover unique goods handmade by local Artisans and small businesses in the USA. Every purchase supports good jobs and communities. We are a socially responsible business and we give back a portion of our time and profits to help kids in need to reach their full potential. We offer an alternative to buying mass produced products through the big retailers. Thanks for visiting us.

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