Spoons and Eating Bowls
- Wash with warm water and mild dish soap.
- Never soak or run through the dishwasher.
- Over time, spoons and bowls will develop a rich patina of use. This is perfectly normal and part of the unique aesthetic that distinguishes woodenware.
- If you wish to renew the finish, apply a food safe, curing oil such as raw linseed oil (you can purchase in small quantities as flaxseed oil from health food stores) or walnut oil.
All of my spoons and eating bowls are finished with raw linseed oil, which is a food safe oil pressed from flax seeds (and not to be confused with “boiled” linseed oil you may find at the hardware store, which contains metallic drying agents). Paint is either milk paint — totally non-toxic, biodegradable, and eco friendly (more info here) — or traditional artists’ oil paint.
Fruit/Serving Bowls
- Wash with cool water and mild dish soap.
- Never soak or run through the dishwasher.
- If you wish to renew the finish, apply a food safe oil and beeswax mix, such as butcher block conditioner (like this product).
My large, carved bowls are first coated with raw linseed oil, which is a food safe oil pressed from flax seeds (and not to be confused with “boiled” linseed oil you may find at the hardware store, which contains metallic drying agents). Once the oil has cured, the bowls are finished with a homemade linseed oil and beeswax paste and buffed to a shine. It is best to avoid using these bowls for hot liquids as the wax can melt. Paint is either milk paint — totally non-toxic, biodegradable, and eco friendly (more info here) — or traditional artists’ oil paint.
Quaichs
Quaichs are traditional Scottish whiskey cups, often used at weddings or celebrations, and meant to be shared — hence the two handles.
- Quick rinse with cool water (after all, whiskey is self-disinfecting)
- Never soak or run through the dishwasher.
My quaichs are dipped in pure melted beeswax and buffed to a sheen. Since alcohol is an effective solvent for most oils, there is no oil finish on my quaichs and I do not recommend refinishing them with anything other than hot beeswax. They should not be used with hot liquids (for obvious reasons).