Hey woodies,

I’m not a woodworker by any means, but figured it could be here to ask about my question. I love and own some wooden kitchen utensils and cutlery, but want to it to last as long as possible. I never put it in the dishwasher, always wash by hand. However I have heard its possible to oil wooden utensils and such to make it last longer, I assume it prevents the water from deteriorating the wood(?)

So my questions are:

  • What oil should I use?
  • Do I use cheap oil?
  • How do I oil them? Apply with paper, or let them sit in oil over time?

Appreciate any tips or tricks to this!

Have a wonderful day 🌻

Edit, thanks for all the answers and advice, I’ll research properly before buying either type of oil.

  • user134450@feddit.de
    0·
    7 months ago

    you can use food grade white mineral oil like skydd from Ikea. It has the advantage of being completely odourless and transparent. but it will only last until the utensils are rinsed in hot water for a certain time because it is not a hardening oil and will be extracted from the wood again.

    the altenative is to use a food grade hardening oil which is a bit more complicated to apply but will last a long time. options include boiled linseed oil or tung oil.

    you have to make extra sure that you use pure oil without any hardeners included because the hardeners are often cobalt based and are harmful when swallowed. this is indicated on the packaging but can be easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for. also without any hardener it takes ages to completely harden through – plan for a week of curing at ideal temperatures to be on the safe side. hardened linseed oil should not be sticky anymore when you touch it and it usually develops a slight “frosted” texture if you apply a thick layer.