How to Sanitize Wooden Spoons Naturally
Let’s talk about things we don’t like, like germs. So, not in a paranoid “scrub everything with bleach” way, but let’s talk about the real deal: wooden spoons? As we all know, wooden spoons come into contact with all our food items in the kitchen. Pasta sauce, raw eggs, desserts, overflowing soup… The first thing we do after cooking and preparing other dishes is to rinse them.
I always had questions in my mind while doing these processes. To erase these question marks, I did the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind. I found myself searching for how to disinfect wooden spoons on search engines because, let’s face it, wooden spoons deserve more attention than a quick rinse under warm water.
Before I start researching, I made a mistake and you should never do it. What should you not do? Do not boil wooden spoons. I made this mistake once and guess what? the wooden spoon cracked in the middle and my eyes filled with tears. I must say that I did a completely amateur move. As I warned, don’t do this.
Here’s what really works (and I promise, it’s not complicated).
The first thing we’ll do is grab some white vinegar. Vinegar is usually found at home, but if you don’t have any, you can order it from the store or take a stroll and pick some up 🙂 If you’re interested in cleaning and hygiene, you probably keep baking soda at home. We’ll need baking soda too.
Once you have the baking soda and vinegar ready, we can move on to the next step. Our next step will be to fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and warm water. An important detail: it should be warm water from the tap, not high-temperature water. In the next step, soak your wooden spoons in the water for about 5-10 minutes. It’s that simple. Due to its nature, vinegar is known as a natural antibacterial agent and won’t damage wooden spoons like boiling water would.
read more: Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Carbon Steel Wok: A Beginner’s Guide (edited)
After you’ve finished these steps, if your wooden spoons smell like vinegar, the next thing to do is rinse them thoroughly. After rinsing, leave them out to dry completely. I like to lean my spoon against the wall near the window – the sunlight also helps to kill any remaining bacteria (and it also makes me feel like I’m doing something Pinterest-worthy).
From time to time during the cleaning process, after disinfecting, I prefer to rub a little lemon juice on the spoon. I do this to get rid of the smell. This is entirely up to your preference. But it feels like you’re giving your spoon a mini spa day, you know?
Last Word For Me
Also, remember that wood is porous, which is both a blessing and a curse. It absorbs flavors and holds onto memories (I swear some of mine still smell like chili), but it also doesn’t love being oversaturated. So once you sanitize, let it dry thoroughly. No damp drawers. No stuffing it back in the utensil jar while it’s still wet.
So yeah, if someone asks you how to sanitize wooden spoons, you don’t need to break out the bleach or buy anything new. Just vinegar, hot water, a little patience, and maybe a lemon if you’re feeling fancy.
And honestly? They’ll last you years if you treat them right. Kind of like old friends. Wooden, soup-stirring friends.
