How to Sanitize Wooden Utensils

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Natural solutions for deep cleaning wooden spoons, spatulas, and more

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Cleaning After Each Use

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Natural Disinfectants

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Utensil Care

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Q&A

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Tips

Wooden spoons are useful and beautiful tools for any kitchen. Cleaning them carefully right after you use them will help prevent them from accumulating bacteria. There are a variety of home remedies to further ensure your wooden utensils are clean and stain free, whether you use them daily or just found an old spoon packed away somewhere. Conditioning and maintaining your woodenware will keep them clean, sanitized, and beautiful for years or even decades.

Things You Should Know

Rinse and scrub your utensils with mild dish soap immediately after using them.
Remove stains and odors by covering the utensil with baking soda and lemon juice. Use your fingers to mix the ingredients into a paste and work it into the wood.
Disinfect utensils by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide or equal parts water and vinegar for several minutes to half an hour.^{[1]XResearch source}

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Wooden Spoons After Use

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After using a wooden spoon, first rinse it under warm water. Don’t soak it in dishwater, since dishwater can harbor bacteria that can get absorbed by the wood. Soaking can also cause wooden kitchenware to split or crack.^{[2]XResearch source}
Use a mild dish detergent and warm water for everyday washing. Scrub with your fingers, a sponge, or other dish cleaning pad. Never wash woodenware in the dishwasher, as the rapid drying can cause damage, and dishwashing cleaner ages wooden surfaces.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Thoroughly rinse away any suds. Use a clean towel to immediately dry off the wooden spoon, then let it sit out before storing it. Don't let wooden utensils air dry alone, as the leftover moisture could cause warping or cracking.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Home Remedies to Disinfect and Remove Odors

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If you’re trying to salvage an old wooden spoon you’ve found packed away, using a very mild bleach solution can be an effective disinfectant. However, before cleaning with bleach and other potential skin irritants, you should put on a pair of rubber gloves.
2
Get rid of food stains using baking soda and lemon juice. Pour a small amount of baking soda onto the spoon. A teaspoon or so should cover it, depending on its size. Squeeze enough lemon juice to cover the spoon on its surface to make a paste with the baking soda. Use a cloth or your fingers to work it through the wood, and try to work in the direction of its grain.
- Rinse thoroughly with water when finished, and repeat if necessary.
- Add a coarse salt to the mixture for more abrasion.
3
Disinfect using hydrogen peroxide. Place your wooden spoon in a basin, pan, or sink. Pour hydrogen peroxide over the utensil. Use your hands or a clean sponge to work it all around the spoon. Let it stand for a few minutes so it can fizz, soak in, and kill germs.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Rinse using warm water and either your hands or a clean sponge.
- Repeat as needed or if desired.
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Melanie Garcia
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Melanie Garcia is the Co-Owner of Oranges & Lemons, a small, family cleaning business based in Downtown Los Angeles, California (DTLA) in operation for over 40 years. Oranges & Lemons operates while partnering with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Hand in Hand: Domestic Employers Network.
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Another option to disinfect is using water and vinegar. Fill a spray bottle with water and vinegar or even just vinegar. Lay down the utensils on a paper towel and spray them with the mixture. Let the tools air dry.
4
Soak wooden spoons in vinegar to remove odors. Mix equal parts hot water and vinegar in a basin or bowl that’ll fit the spoon to create a diluted solution. Place the spoon into the solution and soak for up to a half hour. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and towel dry immediately.
- You can add a teaspoon of lemon juice to help cut the vinegar smell.
- You don’t want to soak wooden utensils often, but it’s good to periodically soak and disinfect them, or to treat odors or any suspected mold growth by soaking.
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Soak in a mild bleach solution. Place a small amount of bleach into a soaking tub, such as a sink, large bowl, or dishpan. Fill the remainder with hot water. Use a ratio of one part bleach to 20 parts water.^{[5]XResearch source} Place the utensil in the solution and soak for several minutes.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Rinse with hot water and soak for a few more minutes to remove any residual bleach.
- Towel dry the spoon then let it sit and air out.
- Bleach is best used on utensils that have been packed up or out of use for a long time and might have picked up mold or germs.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Conditioning and Maintaining Wooden Utensils

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1
Inspect your spoon periodically for signs of wear, stains, or grease. Examine your wooden utensils for any signs of warping, cracking, or splitting. Check for any fuzziness that develops from the grains swelling as they get wet over time. Notice any discoloration, such as stains left by cooking with turmeric.
- Create a routine “check-up” for your wooden utensils and extend their lifespans by treating stains, sanding rough surfaces, and conditioning the wood.
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Use steel wool or sandpaper to smooth surfaces. If it feels fuzzy, it is probably because the grain of the wood has been raised from the soaking. If it’s just a little fuzzy, take a fine grit sandpaper to gently smooth the utensil. For rougher patches, you should to begin with a coarser grain sand paper and finish with a finer grit.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Keep a supply of 100, 200, and 400 grit sandpapers on hand just in case.
- If you opt to work from a coarser grit to a finer grit sandpaper, wet the spoon in between sanding sessions. Give it a rinse in hot water, then towel dry and let it sit to further air dry for a half hour or so.
- When you sand with the finest grit sandpaper for the final time, wet the paper and the spoon for best results.^{[8]XResearch source}
3
Oil wooden spoons periodically to renew and retain vibrancy. Conditioning a wooden spoon using one of a variety of options will help extend its life. You can use a paper towel or a small piece of clean cloth to administer the oil to the utensil. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wipe thoroughly with a clean, unoiled cloth. You can use a variety of oils:
- Mineral oil, a food safe oil that is commonly used by restaurants to increase the longevity of wooden utensils.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Coconut oil, preferably that’s not been processed by high heat.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Vegetable or canola oil will work in a pinch.
- You can purchase a specialty non-toxic oil from a cook’s warehouse or restaurant equipment store.
- Oil your wooden spoons when they start to look dry.

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How do you disinfect plastic bowls?
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Try to use the disinfectant soap. If that doesn't work, use the wipes and soap.
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I have a old wooden salad spoon set that has been in storage for the last 20 years. they were clean when they were packed up, can i just sanitize them as you described? i'd just replace them, but they're unique and hand carved from africa.
Community Answer
Make sure the wood isn't soft for moldy. You should be able to disinfect them using a mild bleach solution, at 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. If they're hand-carved and of sentimental value, consider using them for display purposes and make sure they're meant to be cooked with in the first place.
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I have new wooden cookie mold that must be oiled with each cookie. I had to throw it away because it smelled rancid after storing. I could not get rid of the smell. How should I store it?
Community Answer
When using wood in a kitchen it is important to keep it clean, sealed with oil, and away from moisture. After using it, clean it well with a very mild soap. Then let it dry, very well. Leaving it in the sun will help to disinfect it well, if not, leave it overnight or even dry it in the oven at a very low temp. The key is making sure there is no moisture because if there is, bacteria will live there. Next make sure to seal it so moisture doesn't seal in, using cooking oil does a fine job, there is also wood sealing oil. Either way, oil it twice a week, unless you use it often, then oil it every week. Just like any wood, you are treating it to keep it healthy.
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Tips

Hard wood utensils are the easiest to sanitize, and they also last the longest. The tight grains in the wood make for a less porous and more rigid construction.
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