How to Care for Your Wood

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Nigel Hayes | 0 comments

A 9 Point Guide to Essential Wood Care

1. Oil your wooden bowl or utensil on a regular basis. We recommend doing it on a monthly basis.

2. Ideally, we recommend mineral oil. Food grade mineral oil is tasteless and odourless. It does not get sticky and does not become rancid with time. This is available from most local supermarkets & hardware stores. However, many of our artists recommend using Walnut oil or Olive oil as an alternative – both of these are excellent.

3. Rub on generous amounts of the oil (warmed just to room temperature) and allow to soak in. Repeat the process about 6-8 hours later, and repeatedly if necessary, until the oil is no longer being absorbed. Then wipe off any excess that remains on the surface.

4. Wash your wooden utensils without worry after oiling. But...

5. Do not let wood utensils soak, and never wash them in a dishwasher!

6. Dry wooden boards and utensils thoroughly after washing. Wood dries faster than plastic and is less likely to harbour bacteria on its surface.

7. Bowls that you regularly use for salads can just be wiped clean with a paper towel or J cloth. It will soak up any excess oils and be ready for your next salad.

8. Cutting boards should never be used interchangeably with meat (including poultry and fish) and other foods (like bread, salads, etc.), to avoid possible cross contamination from bacteria in uncooked meat products.

9. The USDA recommends that you wash wooden utensils (especially cutting boards and utensils used with uncooked meat products (including fish and poultry) with hot, soapy water, then rinse and dry. If you follow their instructions, first make sure the wood is well oiled before using it, and that the utensils have been at room temperature, not out in the cold. Follow with a generous oiling, since soap will remove much of the surface oil.

You can see many superb wooden bowls, platters & vases – all hand crafted in British Columbia at Side Street Studio’s web site https://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/wood

Posted in arbutus bowls, bowls, Canadian Gifts, garry oak bowls, local crafts, maple bowls, oak bay, salad bowls, shop local, side street studio, wedding gifts, wooden bowls

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About Side Street Studio

The story of Side Street Studio is more than the history
of a business. It is the physical expression of a belief
that real art should be accessible to everyone. It is
also the evolution of a business model supported by
principles of community-building economics.

Here’s how it happened.. read more