Posts tagged with "wood"

A wooden chopping board will last for years if it gets three things: a quick hand wash, a proper dry and oil at regular intervals. Here is the whole routine, from the sink to the oil bottle.

Paraffin oil (mineral oil) is a non-drying oil that saturates the wood and helps the board keep its qualities. It takes a few minutes of work and a little waiting – here is how to get an even finish that isn't tacky.

Wood moves with moisture. A board that gets wetter on one side than the other can bow or crack. Sometimes it can be improved, sometimes not – here is how to tell.

Onion and garlic leave a smell, beetroot leaves colour. With salt, lemon and a little patience the board freshens up again – and some of the colour simply becomes patina.

The wooden spatula, spoon and tongs get used every day and are gentle on your pots and pans. With a quick hand wash, a proper dry and a little oil now and then, they last for years.

Two or three boards in different sizes make kitchen work easier. The bread stays free of onion, the meat has room, and the cheese can go straight to the table.

A dish brush in beech and horsehair is gentle on pots and pans and looks good by the sink. With a little care the handle lasts for years – and when the bristles wear out, you simply change the head.

After a party the trays are often left with marks from wine, sauce and butter. Ten minutes of care the same evening keeps them looking good for next time.

A soap-washed wooden floor slowly takes on a pale, soft patina. What matters most is the right dilution – and never putting neat soap on dry wood.

Paraffin oil and linseed oil soap sound like two sides of the same coin, but they do very different jobs. One feeds and protects the wood, the other cleans it.

A good brush lifts the soil off gently and often saves you the peeling. Here is how to scrub root vegetables under the tap, clean mushrooms completely dry and make the brushes last.