How To Clean A Wooden Spatula?

Washing with soap and hot water

Follow the universal way of cleaning a wooden spatula with dish soap and hot water. You can use a sponge and gently scrub away any food particles sticking onto the spoon and make sure you wash it thoroughly under hot water. This method can be followed right after you are done using the wooden spatula. After washing, wipe the water off the spatula with the help of a towel or a tissue. Make sure it’s dry and free of moisture. If there’s water, it might lead to warp and cracks.

How to remove build-up?

Crusty build-up can happen during cooking, and it is normal. It is also easy to get rid of the stubborn build-up of a wooden spatula. Take a half bowl of water and add an equal amount of vinegar to it. Let your wooden spoon soak in the bowl of solution overnight. By soaking overnight, all the crust and gunk will be separated from the spatula. If they don’t come off easy, then use a scraper to scrape off the build-up.

Treat with mineral oil

Wooden spoons and spatulas tend to expand when it is subjected to moisture. This, in turn, will lead to the cracking of the spoon, inviting the bacteria to come and stay happily. To prevent this and also to make your wooden spatula sleek and shiny, treat them with mineral oil, beeswax compound, walnut oil, or linseed oil. This mineral oil helps in repelling the water and retains the natural sleek and shiny texture of the wooden spatula. Also, remember not to use vegetable oil or olive oil since they tend to produce unpleasant smells to your wooden utensils. 

How to remove the odor?

Suppose you have subjected your wooden spatula to cooking ground beef or chicken pot pie, or pork. In that case, the heavy smell will linger in your wooden spatula for a long time, and especially the oil from the meat can produce an unpleasant odor even though you have washed it with hot water and soap. To get rid of the odor, you can squeeze lemon juice on the wooden spatula and let it sit for 30 minutes to one hour. You can also use yogurt to get rid of the smell. If you have white vinegar, easily you can soak the wooden utensils in the mixture of white vinegar and hot water. This will really help eliminate any unpleasant smell of your wooden utensils, leaving them with a nice lemony odor. 

How to remove stains? 

If you are using your wooden spatula to prepare some nice berry compote and end up staining your wooden utensils, don’t worry. We have a solution for you. There are several ways to get rid of any stains from your wooden spoons. The first method is to take a tsp of baking soda and mix it with a tsp of lemon juice. Apply this paste generously on the wooden spoon. Let it sit for one hour and wash it off with hot water. Some stains are too stubborn to go away easily. This will take time, and regularly cleaning them would make them fade away over time. 

A few tips 

• Remember not to toss your wooden utensils into the dishwasher since it can cause serious irreversible warps and damages.
• Air dry your wooden spatula and spoons after washing, moisture can expand the wood, and it will result in cracking.
• Try to wash your wooden utensils right after cooking. That way, your job is made easier.
• Treat your wooden utensils with mineral oils once in 2-3 months to increase longevity and keep it water repellent. 

The final takeaway 

Wooden utensils are designed in a way that they fit snugly in your hand, and they are heat resistant, scratch resistant to your non-stick pans, and also they are environment-friendly!

It’s always great to use wooden spoons and spatulas for cooking, and they come in different sizes in different varieties. They will add a cute collection to your utensils. I hope you learned how to keep your wooden utensils clean, dry, and with a zingy lemony fresh Odor!