Wood After Care simplified; these rules apply to all wood products.

Aftercare for your new wood product

I am trying to simplify instructions for each product. The rules above apply to all food related products where they are washed after use. Additional instructions for each product will follow below.

My finishes are designed to get the products to you in their best condition. Once water is introduced the shine may become dull or disappear, this is normal and you can then use after-care products to make your bowl or board shine again.

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Hard Wax Oil Finish Bowls

If you bought one of my bowls with Hard Wax Oil as a finish you can use that bowl as a display only bowl without having to do much except use a dry tissue/soft cloth to wipe clean or if you want; with a furniture polish cloth every now and again to shine it up & remove household dust. I would recommend washing off the polish before returning it to food use.

 

 

Care of your bowl: To get the most out of your bowl please follow these guidelines.

Wood is a natural product and must be treated with care.

Do not microwave.

Do Not immerse in water or put in a dishwasher or leave in permanently damp conditions.

Keep away from direct sunlight and away from heat sources like radiators and fires.

Avoid dropping the bowl or dropping heavy items into it which could cause dents or cracks.

Do Not allow fruit/food to go bad inside the bowl as it will permanently stain the wood.

For best results, try and keep the bowl in the same condition that it was bought and keep liquids to a minimum.

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To clean: If the bowl is soiled from food, use a soft kitchen cloth and a little warm mild soapy water and gently clean the soiled areas as soon as possible. Pat dry with a soft towel to remove excess water.  Please be aware that washing may alter or remove the initial shine.

At some point you may have to renew the finish to make the bowl shine again. I'm currently working on a Liquid Paraffin and Beeswax non permanent wipe on which will be easier for customers to apply themselves. It may be available in early 2022.

 

No matter what finish you choose to add yourself, please follow the application instructions of the product you buy carefully.

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New Danish Oil Finish Bowls

If you bought one of my bowls with Danish Oil as a finish you can use that bowl as a display only bowl without having to do much except use furniture polish every now and again to shine it up and remove household dust. I would recommend washing off the polish before returning it to food use.

 

Care of your bowl: To get the most out of your bowl please follow these guidelines.

Wood is a natural product and must be treated with care.

Do not microwave.

Do Not immerse in water or put in a dishwasher or leave in permanently damp conditions.

Keep away from direct sunlight and away from heat sources like radiators and fires.

Avoid dropping the bowl or dropping heavy items into it which could cause dents or cracks.

Do Not allow fruit/food to go bad inside the bowl as it will permanently stain the wood.

For best results, try and keep the bowl in the same condition that it was bought and keep liquids to a minimum.

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To clean: If the bowl is soiled from food, use a soft kitchen cloth and a little warm/hot soapy water and gently clean the soiled areas as soon as possible. Pat dry with a soft towel to remove excess water.  Please be aware that washing may alter or remove the initial shine. Danish Oil is a more resilient finish than the Liquid Paraffin versions and will last longer if care is taken.  At some point you may have to renew the finish to make the bowl shine again.  Go to your local hardware store and look for food-safe Danish Oil.  You can look online too and get it delivered.  I use Hampshire Sheen Danish Oil because it can be applied in several coats at  20 minute intervals.  Carefully follow the application instructions of the product you buy.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water

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Liquid Paraffin/ Mineral Oil & Beeswax Bowls

Care of your bowl: To get the most out of your bowl please follow these guidelines.

Wood is a natural product and must be treated with care.

Do not microwave.

Do Not immerse in water or put in a dishwasher or leave in permanently damp conditions.

Keep away from direct sunlight and away from heat sources like radiators and fires.

Avoid dropping the bowl or dropping heavy items into it which could cause dents or cracks.

Do Not allow fruit/food to go bad inside the bowl as it will permanently stain the wood.

For best results, try and keep the bowl in the same condition that it was bought and keep liquids to a minimum.

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To clean: If the bowl is soiled from food, use a soft kitchen cloth and a little warm/hot soapy water and gently clean the soiled areas as soon as possible. Pat dry with a soft towel to remove excess water. Once dry, the food safe coating (Liquid Paraffin or mineral oil) can be re-applied to restore the protective coating and lustre of the wood.  Liquid paraffin can be purchased from any chemist in small bottles and should last you a long time.  Apply generously with a soft dry cloth and leave to soak into the wood fibres.  After about 1 hour or so, any excess can be wiped away with a sheet of kitchen roll (soft tissue paper).  If you don’t use the bowl for food you can still re-apply the Liquid Paraffin a few times a year to re-new the shine and lustre on the wood surface.

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Future: Some slight distortion of the bowl over time is possible due to environmental conditions and how the bowl is treated. This is perfectly normal as wood is a natural product and moves according to how much moisture it soaks in and expels.  It is also possible that the wood fibres will raise up and create a slightly rough surface in some areas but this is easily remedied by using a very fine abrasive wool (0000 grade) or wet/dry sandpaper (1000 grit or higher) sanding in the direction of the running grain. The bowls is highly finished to about 600 grit so any roughness is unlikely.  Wipe away the sanded fibres and re-apply the liquid Paraffin oil. A wood bowl will last many years if treated properly.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water

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I recently had to wash 2 Beech bowls due to oily finger marks from customers at a craft fair and the grain popped up as a result and became rough to touch. This is absolutely normal but as I needed the bowl at it's best I needed to remove the roughness. The best solution I found was to use 2,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper moving in the direction of the grain, wipe away the dust an re-oil with Liquid Paraffin.  In the past many household bowls, cutting boards and rolling pins were left without an oil coating and the wood eventually settled into its natural working state. 

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Handcrafted Egg Cups

 

Finished with a blend of Liquid Paraffin and Beeswax.

To clean: Wipe off any soiled areas with a warm slightly wet cloth and pat it dry with kitchen roll.

Liquid Paraffin (Mineral Oil), available at any Chemist can be used to re-seal the wood once dry.

Apply generously and wipe off excess with tissue paper after a while leaving you with a beautiful shine once again. 

Keep away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water

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Bottle Stoppers Brass

Brass coated Bottle Stoppers With Wood Top

The top is made from fallen Irish Hardwood, turned on a lathe & hand polished. 

It makes a very attractive feature for Wine, Olive oil or any other kitchen bottle. 

Insert it hand tight into the neck of the bottle, do not use too much force or the stopper may be damaged taking it out.

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Clean the metal and rubber part with a cloth and washing liquid but take care not to wet or soak the wood part.

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You may be able to unscrew the metal part from the wood in order to get an easier clean but this may loosen the wood grip on the holding screw.  Save this for only totally necessary cleanings.

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Wood may be cleaned using furniture polish or if heavily soiled using a little warm water on an almost dry soft cloth.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water

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Serving Boards/Chopping Boards

Liquid Paraffin/ Mineral Oil & Beeswax

To clean:

Wipe off any soiled areas with a warm slightly wet cloth and pat it dry with kitchen roll.

Liquid Paraffin (Mineral Oil), available at any Chemist can be used to re-seal the wood once dry.

Apply generously and wipe off excess with tissue paper once most of the Paraffin has soaked in.

Your board should have a low lustre shine when you are finished

Keep away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water

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New Danish Oil Finish Serving Boards

To clean: If the board is soiled from food, use a soft kitchen cloth and a little warm/hot soapy water and gently clean the soiled areas as soon as possible. Pat dry with a soft towel to remove excess water.

Danish Oil is a more resilient finish than the Liquid Paraffin versions and will last longer if care is taken.  At some point you may have to renew the finish to make the bowl shine again.  Go to your local hardware store and look for food-safe Danish Oil.  You can look online too and get it delivered.  I use Hampshire Sheen Danish Oil because it can be applied in several coats at  20 minute intervals.

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Do not put in the dishwasher or immerse in water