How to Protect Eating and Cooking Utensils With Wooden Handles
If you have knives, spoons and other kitchen utensils with wooden handles and metal blades and heads, you should keep them out of the dishwasher. Extreme heat and prolonged soaking can cause the wooden parts to swell, split, splinter or dry out. But even regular washing can stress the wooden handles, which is why it pays to treat them. All you need is some common water sealant to make them last a lifetime. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Make sure that all of the utensils you wish to treat are clean and dry before beginning. You should also empty the kitchen sink of all unwashed dishes, as you will be pouring some water sealant down the drain.
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2
Shake the can of water sealant well. Pour some of the sealant into a tall cup or drinking glass, making sure that the liquid level is at least as deep as your longest utensil handle is long.
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3
Select one utensil and hold it by its head or blade. Slowly lower the wooden handle into the container of water sealant just until the entire wooden section is submerged. Hold the utensil here for approximately 2 minutes.
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4
Pull the utensil straight up out of the sealant after it's soaked for 2 minutes. Let the excess drip back down into the container. When the dripping stops, shake the utensil over the sink to get the rest of the excess sealant off of it.
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5
Lay the utensil down on the edge of the kitchen counter so that the wooden handle is extended over the sink to dry. Place a can of food or some other heavy item on the blade or head of the utensil to hold it in place until it dries.
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Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each of the utensils. When they are all dry, store them in their appropriate places. The handles will now hold up much better to heat and moisture.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're only treating wooden handled knives, you may be able to allow them to finish air drying in a knife block.
Avoid getting water sealant on your utensil blades and kitchen counters, as they may leave stains.
Observe all safety warnings posted on the water sealant canister.
