Wood Care Instructions
Why Butter Your Wood?
Although the tree that the wood comes from is dead, the wood is still “alive” in a way that the wood moves and changes with the moisture around it. Wood is very porous and easily absorbs water from the air and surroundings. Sealing the pores of the wood with a finish can help control this wood movement and prevent it from absorbing unwanted liquids. Wood Butter is a great way to finish your wooden kitchen tools like cutting boards, charcuterie boards and spoons. It is a food safe finish which means it is safe to use on food-related products.
It’s important to oil and/or butter your wood products regularly to keep them healthy and happy. How often you butter your wood depends on how often you use and wash the item. If you use something every day like a cutting board, it’s recommended you oil/butter it once a month. If done more regularly this process will only take a few minutes and will eventually become part of your care routine. If avoided too long your wood products will end up taking a lot longer to bring back to a health, they will get dry and eventually damaged by warping or cracking.
Benefits of Buttering your Wood
Maintaining the natural beauty of the wood.
Protects the surface of the wood from bacteria penetrating its pores.
Prevents the wood from drying out which can lead to warping and cracking.
Where can I get some Wood Butter?
Here at Treetop Custom Woodworking we make our own Wood Butter with food grade Mineral Oil and Organic Bees Wax. We choose to use white bees wax instead of the traditional yellow because it doesn’t taint the colour of your wood grain. You can also add some carnuba wax to the mixture, which is also food safe and adds a little extra shine to the finish.We will be selling some carnuba wax butter soon so stay tuned for shop updates!
You can find food grade mineral oil at most pharmacies as well as butcher block oil (the same thing) at most hardware stores.
Washing your Wood
Instructions:
Scrub wood with hot soapy water.
Wipe it dry with a cloth
Let dry standing upright to allow airflow on both sides
Do Not…
-Soak wood boards or spoons! (The wood will soak up water and eventually warp)
-Put wood in the dishwasher! (The excess heat and water can make it warp)
-Lay a board flat to dry! (If the board dries unevenly it can warp)
How to Butter your Wood
These instructions are for wood products that have been maintained on a fairly regular basis. If your board is very dry and needs some extra TLC see the Deep Repair Instructions below!
You will need:
Mineral Oil and/or Wood Butter
Parchment Paper
A clean dry cloth or brush
Instructions:
Make sure your board or spoon is clean and completely dry.
Cut a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger than the board and put it down on the counter. This will help contain the oil.
Generously coat the board in mineral oil or wood butter on all sides.
Let the oil soak into the wood for as long as possible. You can leave it for a few hours or even overnight!
Wipe any excess oil off the board with a dry cloth and Voila! Your wood is healthy and happy again!
Deep Repair Instructions:
The truth is, we’ve all been there where we let our wood products go too long without properly maintaining them. If this is the case with your wood products it might not be too late! As long as your board or spoon hasn’t warped or cracked, with a little extra tender loving care it can be back in good health again! Below you will find two different methods to help you bring your wood back to good health.
You will need:
-Mineral Oil and/or Wood Butter
-Parchment Paper
-A clean dry cloth or brush
-Container that fits your board (Optional)
Coating Method:
Make sure your board or spoon is clean and completely dry.
Cut a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger than the board and put it down on the counter. This will help contain the oil.
Generously coat the board in mineral oil or wood butter on all sides making sure to wipe it in the direction of the wood grain.
Let the board sit and absorb the oil for an hour or two. You will notice the board absorbing the oil over time.
Re-apply more oil and repeat the process at least 2-3 times.
Once you’ve oiled the board 2-3 times you can wipe off any excess oil.
*For a more protective finish apply a coat of Wood Butter to help seal the wood poresWipe the wood butter on the board with a cloth in the direction of the grain.
Let sit a couple minutes, then wipe off any excess butter.
Soaking Method:
Make sure your board or spoon is clean and completely dry.
Place wood product in container.
Poor mineral oil in container until half or fully submerged.
Let sit overnight (If half submerged turn board over after a few hours and submerge other side).
In the morning, remove board from container and wipe off any remaining oil.
*For a more protective finish apply a coat of Wood Butter to help seal the wood pores.
Wipe the wood butter on the board with a cloth in the direction of the grain.
Let sit a couple minutes then wipe off any excess butter.
Did you know?
If you don’t maintain the oil finish, your board can warp or crack!
Following the few steps listed above can save you a lot of heartache. You don’t want your favourite kitchen piece to be ruined when it could have been prevented with a little TLC (tender loving care).
Epoxy is NOT good for your cutting boards and kitchen knives!
Epoxy is very beautiful and if used properly can be a neat detail for most woodworking projects. Please note that cutting on epoxy can lead to small pieces of epoxy in your food! Epoxy is food safe once cured but is not meant to be ingested in any way! Epoxy will also dull your knives very quickly so also keep that in mind.
Epoxy is great for a charcuterie board because it is used for serving food not cutting. The occasional cheese knife won’t do it any harm!