How to Clean Wooden Serving Bowls

Cleanliness is one of the best attributes of your utensils. Cleaning different kinds of utensils need different methods. Others need cleaning by wiping; others by dipping in hot water first while others even can be cleaned by scrubbing.

Wooden bowls cleaning is not an ordinary work too. Given its color, it may hold on to some food without you noticing. It can also attract and hold on to fats too. It is cleaning many not need you to soak in water because wood is a good absorbent of water. If it absorbs water for some time, it may become loose and break down easily. It can also breed fungus when wet. Soaking it shortens its useful life so much.

How do you do the cleaning?

There could be more than one way of doing the cleaning. It depends on one’s choice and preference. You will follow the following steps.

Do the washing by hand, using moderately hot, soapy water

Warm water can dissolve off all the fatty content from food in your bowl. Take a sponge; add some little drops of dish soap to make it soapy. You can also rub the solid soap on the sponge. Drop the sponge into the water for a second to soak it. Wipe the bowl using the sponge until you are satisfied that it has become cleaner. At no point in this process should you soak the bowl. The reason is that it easily absorbs the water. Do not scrub your bowl with a hard scrubbing pad. You can only scrub it gently when the bowl has a tough buildup of foods.

Rinse it with moderately warm water

Again, do not put it inside the water because it will absorb it. Thoroughly splash some water using your hand until all the soap and fats are gone. Alternatively, put the bowl under a running tap of hot water. Do not rinse for a long time, five to ten seconds are okay. Submerging it in water will reduce the lifespan of your bowl. If you leave some soap in the bowl, it will make it scummy.

Dry the bowl

Once done, do not let your wooden bowl rest with water. Take a clean towel and wipe off all the water. Any water that remains on its surface will have seeped into the bowl. It then causes damages to your bowl. For best results, the towel that you use to wipe should be dry too. If it is wet, it is likely not to absorb all the water. It may not be clean as well because moist clothing attracts fungus and other foreign material. If wiping cannot get off all the water, gently press the towel against the bowel. It has the capability of seeping extra moisture from the wooden bowl.

Place your wooden bowl on a rack

To complete the drying process, place your bowl in a drying rack. This rack should at least be set where the bowl can be exposed to a little sunshine. If there is no sunshine, keep it in a warm place such as a drying room. This will cause all the water in the bowl to evaporate and dry completely. Do not forget that any trace of moisture in your wooden bowl is disastrous. In can add some poison to food when serving it. It weakens your bowl too, reducing its life significantly.

Transfer your bowl to the storage cupboard

When it is fully dried, you can’t leave your wooden bowl on the rack. The more it says in the rack after fully drying up, the more it becomes worn out. This is because it will with time absorb water, moisture, and dust from the environment. In the end, it will start exhibiting signs like that of rust or rot. It is, however, important to transfer it to a dry environment, free of dust and moisture. This place is a cupboard or other suitable storage place in your house. Clean your cupboard occasionally too.

Conclusion

Wooden serving bowls, as much as they are made of strong material, they can be as delicate as ceramic or glass material. Handling them carefully is of the essence. When cleaning them, you have to exercise extra care if you want them to serve you for long. The most important thing to note is that do not dip a wooden bowl into the water. It will sip the water and that is where the damage begins. Always clean as per the laid down procedures.