Wood Care Instructions

Caring for your wooden ware - salad bowls, cutting boards, spoons and utensils - is simple.  Wash by hand for the best results.  Towel dry.  Apply our Iddo Kimball's Wood Rub when the wood looks dry or feels rough to the touch, and voila!  Your fine woodenware will last for years.  That's why we call them "Heirlooms in the Making."

Here are the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions.  If you have others, please feel free to call or email.  We are always happy to talk about how best to care for wood products and how to use our wood rub and preserver.

How Do I Care for a New Wood Item?

Wash in warm, not hot, soapy water using a mild dishwashing detergent. Towel dry. Apply a light coating of food quality (FDA approved) mineral oil or, better yet, Iddo Kimball Wood Rub.   Whichever you use, let absorb into the wood for 5 -20 minutes or so and gently rub off the excess using a lint free cloth or microfiber.  Mineral oil is great for quick touch ups. The beeswax in our Wood Rub adds an extra layer of protection and can be buffed to a light sheen. 

A brand new bowl, board or utensil may want to be treated with Wood Rub every week or so, for a month. And then, about once a month thereafter depending on use.

We do NOT recommend using olive oil or other fine oils, no matter the quality.  Over time, there is a danger of yucky build up or of the cooking oils going rancid, but more importantly we like the moisturizing and protective properties of mineral oil and beeswax best.

How Do I Remove Stains from My Wooden Ware?

To clean and remove stains, apply salt to the stain and rub with a cut lemon or lime using a damp sponge or Scotch Brite pad. Lemon and lime also clean and disinfect.

How Do I Deep Clean My Wood Cutting Bowl, Board, Utensil or Spoon?

To clean and disinfect woodenware, apply a 50-50 solution of water and white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) using a clean cloth and let stand for 5 minutes. Wash and towel dry.

If your wooden ware feels sticky to the touch, wash your woodenware in hot, soapy water and use the abrasive side of a sponge, kitchen brush or Scotch Brite pad to scrub away at the dirt and oily residue. Also try a paste of salt and lemon juice.

If you've stripped away the natural finish, apply Wood Rub and follow the instructions.

How Do I Remove Sticky Build Up?

If you have stubborn built-up residue, after washing and scrubbing your woodenware with a kitchen brush or Scotch Brite pad, let dry completely. Then, following the grain of the wood, use a fine sandpaper or fine - medium steel wool pad, lightly apply pressure to the area needing cleaning. Apply more pressure as needed as you go along, but lightly feather the edges of the cleaned area to blend into the untreated area of the wood. Only sand the entire item if you must.

How Do I Remove Scratches?

If you are removing scratches from a bowl, butcher block or board, do consider that the “scars” of honest use and everyday wear and tear add character! Start with a medium grit sandpaper, try to follow the grain of the wood and sand the scratched area, being careful not to go too deeply into the wood. Move to a lighter grade sandpaper, medium steel wool pad and lastly to a fine steel wood pad (00, 0 or 1). For a superfine finish, use a Scotch Brite pad.

How Do I Apply Iddo Kimball's Wood Rub?

Using a lint free cloth or microfiber cloth, apply a thick application of Wood Rub. Let the Rub absorb into the wood surface for 20 minutes or more (no harm in letting the excess Rub sit on your wood item), and remove any excess by rubbing with a microfiber or clean lint free cloth until you have a slight sheen. Reapply about once a month or when your woodenware looks or feels dry to the touch.

Cautions

Beware standing water and bright light! Do not let woodenware sit in water, do not clean in the dishwasher and do not let wet ingredients sit on the wood overnight. Water will over-moisturize wooden items and this can lead to splintering or splitting along the grain.

Direct sunlight will dry out and may also lighten wood. Wood is best stored in a cool, dry cupboard or on a shelf or counter away from bright light.