How to Clean Wooden Utensils: The Complete Food-Safe Guide (That Actually Works and Won’t Ruin Your Spoons)

Wooden spoons, spatulas, and cutting boards are kitchen MVPs — they’re gentle on nonstick pans, naturally antimicrobial, and just feel right in your hand. But if you’ve ever pulled a gray, rough, slightly funky-smelling wooden spoon out of the drawer and wondered if it’s secretly plotting against you, this guide is for you. No more feeling like you are cooking with driftwood!

Here’s exactly how to safely clean wooden utensils properly, disinfect them deeply without harsh chemicals, and restore them so they look (and feel) brand new — all while keeping everything 100 % food-safe.

Daily Cleaning: Do This Every Single Time You Cook

(Yes, really — skip this and you’re asking for cracks and stains)

1. Rinse immediately under hot water to get food off before it dries.
2. Wash gently with hot water + a few drops of mild, unscented dish soap. Use a soft sponge or brush — never steel wool or the scratchy side of a sponge.
3. Rinse thoroughly — soap residue is the #1 cause of sticky, rancid wood over time.
4. Stand them upright in a dish rack and let them air-dry completely (this can take 24–48 hours if they got really wet). Do NOT towel-dry aggressively or stack them damp.

Never put wooden utensils in the dishwasher, soak them overnight, or boil them. Heat + prolonged water exposure = warping, cracking, and sadness.

Deep Disinfection: The Best Food-Safe Method (Backed by Science)

When your spoons have been through a garlic-heavy pasta sauce marathon or you just want peace of mind, use the vinegar + hydrogen peroxide combo. This sequential spray method was tested on wooden cutting boards in food-safety studies and kills bacteria, viruses, and mold far better than either liquid alone — without leaving chemical residue or damaging the wood.

What You Need

• Plain white distilled vinegar (5 %) vinegar
• 3 % hydrogen peroxide (the brown bottle from any pharmacy or grocery store)
• Two spray bottles or small bowls

Step-by-Step

1. Do the normal wash + full dry first.
2. Spray or wipe the utensils generously with vinegar. Let sit 5–10 minutes.
3. Without rinsing, spray or wipe with hydrogen peroxide. Let sit another 5–10 minutes. (You can also do peroxide first, then vinegar — same result. Just never pre-mix them in one bottle.)
4. Rinse very thoroughly with hot water.
5. Air-dry completely again (stand upright; be patient).

That’s it. No bleach smell, no raised grain, no risk to the wood.

Quick Alternatives (Still Excellent)

• Hydrogen peroxide solo — wipe on, wait 10 minutes, rinse.
• Straight white vinegar soak — 5–10 minutes max, then rinse.
• Lemon + coarse salt scrub for odors/stains — cut a lemon in half, dip in kosher salt, scrub, rinse well. Great for garlic hands too.

Restoration: Bring Dry, Rough Wood Back to Life

Once your utensils are perfectly clean and 100 % dry (touch them — if they feel even slightly cool, wait longer), it’s longer), it’s oil time. This step is non-negotiable if you want your spoons to stay smooth and crack-free for decades.

What to Use

Food-grade mineral oil or a mineral oil + beeswax blend (“board butter”). Never olive/vegetable/coconut oil — they go rancid and make everything smell like old fries. Some experts have recently been recommending fractionated coconut oil as a natural alterntive.

How to Do It

1. Warm the oil slightly (run the bottle under hot water or sit it in a bowl of warm water — never microwave).
2. Rub a generous amount into the wood with a lint-free cloth or paper towel. Get every surface, including handles and crevices.
3. Let it soak in for 6+ hours or overnight.
4. Wipe off excess with a clean cloth.
5. Repeat 2–3 times if the wood drinks it up instantly (very dry wood will).
6. Add a board butter or conditioner as an extra layer of protection and make it more non-stick.

Do this monthly with heavy use, or whenever the wood starts looking matte instead of slightly glossy.

Final Thoughts

Treat your wooden utensils like the kitchen heirlooms they are: quick gentle wash, occasional deep disinfect with vinegar + peroxide, and regular oiling. Follow this routine and they’ll easily outlast every trendy silicone spatula you’ve ever bought.

Got a favorite wooden spoon that’s been neglected for years? Try this method — the transformation is honestly satisfying. Drop a photo in the comments if you bring one back from the brink!

Happy cooking (and cleaning)! 🥄