You probably have at least a few wooden spoons and spatulas in your kitchen that you’ve had for a few years.
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you → have → years
While you may clean them regularly, you likely also find that some of them just don’t seem to ever truly get clean, particularly if they’re stained from some sort of seasoning or food.
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they → clean → seasoning
While wooden kitchen utensils are a great alternative to toxic black plastic utensils, they require a little more care to help them last.
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they → require → them
I spoke to multiple cleaning experts to learn how to clean wooden kitchen utensils and accessories, like spoons, cutting boards, spatulas and more.
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I → speak → spoons
Below, they share the best methods for getting rid of stains and smells, and how to actually keep your utensils clean over time.
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they → share → time
The best products for cleaning wooden kitchen utensils
Before you can get to the steps for cleaning your utensils, you’ll need to gather your supplies, like the ones below.
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you → clean → ones
The picks on this list are highly reviewed and have at least a four-star rating from 500 or more shoppers on Amazon and/or are direct recommendations from our staff of wooden utensils users.
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picks → review → users
This food-safe mineral oil is free of fragrances or smells and it’s safe to use on kitchen utensils made from all different types of wood, as well as other products made from bamboo, according to the brand.
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it → ’ → brand
While you can use it for many different types of wooden kitchen utensils, the brand recommends it mainly for cleaning and moisturizing wooden cutting boards, butcher blocks and even some non-wooden surfaces like a stainless steel oven or fridge.
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brand → use → oven
Plus, shoppers say that it’s easy to apply (you simply add some of the oil to a kitchen towel and rub into the surface) and doesn’t leave a sticky feeling behind.
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you → say → feeling
If you want an entirely new set of utensils to start with, this set is a great place to start
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set → want → utensils
; each piece is BPA-free and the set includes a mix of spoons and spatulas made from teak wood, as well as a holder to keep them all in one place and a wooden spoon rest for when you’re cooking.
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you → include → place
It also comes with metal hooks so that you can hang them using the small loops on the handles of the spoons and spatulas.
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you → come → spoons
You can get a set with six, eight or 10 pieces, and a popular cutting board set.
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Dawn’s popular Powerwash Dish Spray is one of my most recommended products because it’s so versatile and great for washing dishes of all materials without accidentally overusing the soap.
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it → ’ → soap
This starter kit comes with one spray bottle and three refills.
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kit → come → bottle
It’s great for cleaning wooden kitchen utensils without leaving a strong fragrance (this spray has a nice clean yet not abrasive smell to it).
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spray → ’ → it
Additionally, the brand recommends using it to clean other surfaces like stainless steel appliances and even some clothing.
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brand → recommend → appliances
To clean, dry and oil your wooden kitchen utensils, you should get a set of kitchen cloths or towels like these.
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you → clean → these
The towels are available in several sizes and they have a waffle-like (honeycomb) texture that helps them absorb moisture and dry fast, according to the brand.
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them → have → brand
Shoppers say the towels are absorbent and feel soft.
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towels → say → ?
I love using Scrub Daddy (and Scrub Mommy) sponges to clean all of my dishes, but particularly dishes and utensils that food tends to adhere to a lot.
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food → use → lot
When I use these sponges, they do a great job of wiping crusty food residue from utensils, but they’re also effective at cleaning oil and grease from pans, plates and more.
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they → use → pans
You do have to use a lot of water to make them usable and squeezable, but they also last a long time compared to traditional kitchen sponges.
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they → have → sponges
’s important to make sure that you dry them just as thoroughly as you wash them, according to Robin Murphy, a cleaning expert and chief cleaning officer at home cleaning company Maid Brigade.
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you → ’ → Brigade
“Wash them after use, rinse well, and dry them with a clean towel,” she says.
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she → wash → towel
“Let them air-dry completely before putting them away.
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them → let → them
If the wood starts looking dry, condition it with a little food-grade mineral oil.
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wood → start → oil
Additionally, it’s important to use a brush or sponge to clean wooden kitchen utensils to help clean in between crevices and grooves on wooden surfaces, according to Kadi Dulude, cleaning expert and owner of home cleaning company Wizard of Homes.
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it → ’ → Homes
“Use a little bit of mild dish soap and a sponge/brush to remove all food residue, paying attention to get into grooves and joints too,” she says.
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she → use → grooves
Don’t put them flat on a wet cloth or anywhere air isn’t circulating, or mold and mildew will grow.”
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mold → put → cloth
- Apply warm water and a small amount of mild dish soap, such as Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, to a sponge, soft brush or Scrub Daddy, and use it to gently scrub the surface of your wooden spoon, spatula or cutting board, focusing on the surfaces and ends that touch food.
- Rinse them thoroughly with warm water, pat them dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel, and then place them on a drying rack, so that they’re completely exposed to air and therefore dry as fast as possible (don’t place them flat on a kitchen towel, for example).
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they → apply → example
- For old wooden utensils that are dry and faded, both Murphy and Dulude recommend using a food-grade mineral oil meant for conditioning wooden accessories, such as Kate Naturals Mineral Oil for Wood Cutting Boards.
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Murphy → recommend → Boards
When the wooden utensils are completely dry, apply a small amount of the mineral oil to a cloth and rub the oil onto the surface of it.
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utensils → apply → it
Allow the utensil to dry completely before storing or using it.
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utensil → allow → it
Can you put wooden utensils in the dishwasher?
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you → put → dishwasher
Both Murphy and Dulude recommend not washing wooden kitchen utensils in the dishwasher (even if the label says it’s dishwasher safe) because the process can be very harsh on the surface of the utensils.
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process → recommend → utensils
“The dishwasher gets too hot and it’s not good for wood to sit in a hot humid environment for too long.
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wood → get → environment
It will cause your items to warp or split” says Dulude.
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Dulude → cause → ?
“Some utensils may be safe for the dishwasher, but if you really want to prolong their life, handwash them.”
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you → want → them
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
