Cleaning Wooden Spoons
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Wooden spoons, in daily cooking, are as indispensable as our knives. They range from: regular, flat edge, flat-slotted, etc. and each has their own special use. You will have noticed, though, that with use over and time, their tips (edges that make contact with the bottom of the pot or pan) have darkened. They could have seen a few too many sauces and have discoloured, or have simply been burned and blackened. But, do you throw them away, or, do you keep on using them in their condition?
Here's a possible solution on how to restore them to their almost original state. If, though, you simply can't restore them, you can always recycle them by using them for odd jobs in and around the house: painting, plastering, gardening, etc.
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Preliminary Sanding |
| Soaking |
| Final Sanding |
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See also:
Types of Wooden Spoons
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Preliminary Sanding
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Take a small block of wood, such as kindling wood, or even an old hockey stick. Cut it down to size, to about 3 - 5 inches, enough to handle. Get some 60 grit sandpaper and cut it into a rectangle to go around the paper 1 1/2 times.
This type of sandpaper has large grains of sand (spread loosely on the paper) and gouges the spoon to expose the wood grain.
Fold over 1/2 an inch of the last end of the sandpaper, so that when folded lastly, the edge of the sandpaper will grab on to the larger area of the sandpaper and things won't unravel.
Hold the block firmly and begin sanding in a back and forth motion, going along the grain of the wood. If the blackened areas are too tough to sand, then go in the opposite direction of the grain. You don't necessarily want to sand too much, to the point that you end up with a toothpick; but just enough to where you can start seeing lightness in colour.
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Fold paper over block of wood.
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Folded edge.
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Soaking
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Halfway fill a container, large enough to hold the part of the spoon that needs cleaning, with hot water. Add in about 1/4 cup of bleach and a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Drop in the spoon and soak for a few hours or overnight. After soaking, check the spoon and see if it needs a few more hours; otherwise remove from solution - neither rinse, nor dry the spoon. Place the spoon outdoor (on a surface that won't be ruined by bleach) and allow it to dry under the sun, know as: "Sun Bleaching"; otherwise, rinse the spoon with warm water and allow it to dry completely, which might take a few hours. Sun bleaching is best done during the hottest hour of the day. If, however, the spoon still has a darkened edge, you can repeat soaking in bleach and sun bleaching, a few more times. If not, then it's time to reconsider recycling the spoon.
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Final Sanding
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Sand the spoon using a finer sandpaper (150 grits), in the same manner. Then take a close look at the spoon and sand where necessary, giving it a smooth touch. If the spoon smells like bleach, which it might, then wipe it with a dampened paper towel, to which a few drops of clear vanilla have been added. Allow the wood to soak up the water in the towel and then allow the spoon to dry.
There's no sense in throwing away something, because it needs cleaning, or because it has lost its "shine". You paid for it, so you might as well make as much use of it, as you can.
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