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The wooden bowl has been used for ages. One of the oldest bowls is about 2,000 years old. There’s no doubt the wooden bowl is beloved, which is the reason folks fall in love with their wooden bowls.
The only problem is figuring out how to care for that bowl because that’s the key to making sure it lasts. The following will help you figure out how to clean a wooden salad bowl and care for it so that you can pass it on to others.
How to Clean and Care for Wooden Salad Bowls
Cleaning and caring for wooden bowls is a little different from caring for bowls made of modern materials, such as glass or even steel.
It may seem like a lot to deal with, but caring for your wooden salad bowls should feel pretty good. Special things are worth the work it takes to care for them.
Usage
The first thing you should keep in mind is that wooden bowls can be used as often as you’d like. Sometimes, people make the mistake of thinking these bowls are delicate when they aren’t. You can use them as much as you’d like as long as you care for them well.
Scratches
A high-quality bowl should last a long time. Yes, this statement holds true even when you use sharp knives or when you pick at it with a fork. Now, this doesn’t mean your salad bowl won’t ever get a scratch, but the good thing is it can be easily restored. All you need to do is rub a walnut on the scratch and watch it go away.
Microwave
As a general rule, don’t place your wooden bowl in a microwave. The heat a microwave generates can damage the wood. You don’t want to say goodbye to your wooden salad bowl prematurely. This is a salad bowl, so the chances of you doing this are low, but it has to be mentioned nonetheless.
Cleaning Your Bowl
Here is where things get a little more complex. There are a couple of things you need to remember when you are cleaning your wooden salad bowl. You should know the following:
- The importance of cleaning routinely.
- How to remove any strange smells.
- How to clean if raw meat was in the bowl.
- How to get rid of oil residue.
Cleaning a Neglected Bowl
If the bowl hasn’t been cleaned in some time, some stuff may be stuck on your wooden bowl. Do not fret about this. You can easily restore your bowl by using steel wool to clean all that stuff off.
By using this type of brush or sponge, you will also be able to get rid of little imperfections that might be on your bowl. You could also use sandpaper; just make sure it’s abrasive enough to get rid of the stuff stuck on your bowl.
Getting Rid of Smells
The next thing people sometimes have to deal with are smells that don’t seem to go away. Do not worry about those either because all you need is some salt and lemon to get rid of the smell.
Salt the bowl, and be sure to sprinkle the bowl with enough salt. Cut your lemon in half, and rub the salt around your bowl using that lemon. Use the other half of your lemon if you feel like the smell is still there. Once you are done, you can rinse your bowl and dry it.
Raw Meat Cleaning
To clean your bowl after putting raw meat in it, all you need is a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. This is a salad bowl, so the likelihood of needing this solution is low, but it’s good to know. Just rub the solution on your bowl, and then, wash it like you normally would.
Everyday Cleaning
You’ve found the best wooden salad bowl you could find, and now you want to know how to clean it after each use. All you need is mild dish soap and regular water. Once it is washed, go ahead and dry it because letting it air dry might damage the wood.
Oil Residue Cleaning
A wooden salad bowl is going to deal with this issue every so often. All you need to do is place the bowl in the oven and let the heat melt the oil away. Heat up your oven to 275 degrees. Then, you can turn it off.
Place the bowl inside, and let it sit there for one to two hours. The residue should come off, but you will need to re-season it. To do this, rub a little mineral oil around, and let it stand for 15 minutes before wiping it clean.
Hopefully, this information helps you clean your bowl well and keep it in your family for a long time.
