Hey woodies,
I'm not a woodworker by any means, but figured it could be here to ask about my question. I love and own some wooden kitchen utensils and cutlery, but want to it to last as long as possible. I never put it in the dishwasher, always wash by hand. However I have heard its possible to oil wooden utensils and such to make it last longer, I assume it prevents the water from deteriorating the wood(?)
So my questions are:
- What oil should I use?
- Do I use cheap oil?
- How do I oil them? Apply with paper, or let them sit in oil over time?
Appreciate any tips or tricks to this!
Have a wonderful day ๐ป
Edit, thanks for all the answers and advice, I'll research properly before buying either type of oil.
Do not just go to the hardware store and buy linseed oil. It is not food safe cause it is just meant as a wood finish, and has additives to make it dry quickly. You can buy linseed (aka flaxseed) oil that is meant to be eaten, but I've only seen it in small bottles for a lot of money.
Mineral oil can be purchased from a pharmacy for very cheap; it's actually sold as a laxative if you intentionally consume a bunch of it. That is what any wooden spoons or cutting boards you buy would be treated with. Some people mix it with melted beeswax, which gives a nice finish. You can also just buy it premixed and sold as " butcher block conditioner". It's a little pricy, though, and I think it's easiest to just use the mineral oil
Boiled linseed oil is not food safe because it isn't actually boiled. The chemicals you're talking about are added to achieve the same change that boiling normally achieves, but it is a cheaper process so corporations lobbied for the right to called chemically treated linseed oil "boiled", even though it's objectively false.
It's a great example of a corporate conspiracy.