How to Cleaning Tips for a Sharpening Stone

You use it to sharpen your knife, but what do you do when the sharpener needs it's own TLC? Here are some simple steps to cleaning a sharpening stone...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. DETERMINE THE TYPE OF SHARPENING STONE YOU OWN: There are a variety of different stones. Ceramic and diamond stones are a few examples. Some stones work better if oiled, some with just water, so determine the type of stone that you own before cleaning.

2. CLEAN YOUR STONE: Using a scouring pad and common abrasive cleaning solution such as Ajax or Comet to clean the surface of the stone. You can tell the stone needs cleaning with an abrasive cleaner if you see a green or black buildup on your stone. It is recommended that aluminum oxide and Arkansas stones be cleaned with paint thinner.

3. OIL YOUR STONE: When using your stone, be sure to lubricate it with oil, kerosene, or water. Water being your last choice as a lubricant.

4. TROUBLESHOOTING: If your stone still does not sharpen well, it could be because the pores have been improperly lubricated. The stone can be cleaned by soaking the stone in kerosene, than scrubbing the stone with a brush that has been dipped in kerosene. If your stone is sharpening too rapidly, soak the stone in hot petroleum jelly. This allows the pores to fill up.

Resources

• Cleaning Sharpening Stones

[rosie96778]

on 9/23/2008 thanks for this article will share with my husband aloha

[Gardengates]

on 9/14/2008 I knew about the oil but not the rest. Thank you for the info!

[LCM323444]

on 8/23/2008 Five Stars.