	Sticks Object Art - Furniture

Home :

Caring for Handcrafted Pieces

Wood Kitchen Items Care"Do Nots"

1. Do not soak wood spoons, bowls or boards in water for more than 10 minutes,
2. Do not store it in your oven if it has a pilot light,
3. Do not leave it in bright sunlight for long periods,
4. Do not put wooden ware in the dishwasher.
5. Do not leave metal objects on a wet board, the metal will mark it.

6. Do not forget to oil wood boards and utensils when they start to feel wooly or rough.

Wood Kitchen Items Care"Do This"

Care for Wooden Boards and Bowls

First, regularly wash your wood cutting boards and bowls with soap and water. We recommend all natural real soaps like Sunflower or Dr. Bronner's. To be extra effective, use a scrub brush to get into any nooks or crannies. Afterwashing, let your cutting board or bowl air dry. Just be sure water does not pool on it.

Next, sanitize your wood cutting boards or bowls:

Did you know studies have shown that a hardwood cutting board is more sanitary that those polyethylene, boards? It turns out, bacteria prefers to live in artificial plastic scratches and cracks. So, your old wood cutting board is actually more sanitary than the modern "improvement".

Here are a few home recipes for sanitizing solutions:

Hydrogen peroxide 3% solution.
White distilled vinegar, 3 tablespoons in 1 cup of water or
Two tablespoons of bleach in a quart of water.

Cover your cutting board wit the sanitizing solution and let sit for a few minutes. Then rinse with warm water and air dry.

If you haven't oiled your wood for a few months- read on.

Oil your Wood Cutting Boards and Utensils

Many woodworkers and cooks swear by Ed Wohl oil. These techniques would work with any oil. Ed Wohl tells us "Shake the bottle thoroughly to distribute the beeswax, then apply liberally. rub the oil in with a soft cloth in the direction of the grain."

Many woodworkers recommend oiling cutting boards with clean bare hands. The warmth and friction from your fingers helps the oil penetrate deeper.

Let it absorb and dry for a few hours. Then dry and wipe off any oil not absorbed. Then do it once more.

Two coats is normally enough to last months. If you find your cutting board wants more oil sooner than this, try three or four coats.

All About Pewter

The more you handle and use pewter the more it will develop a distinctive, warm patina. Most users and collectors enjoy allowing it to age gracefully so it becomes unique to them.

Cleaning - Polishing Pewter Cups, Spoons-Scoops

After use, you may, clean pewter with warm soapy water, rinse, then allow to air dry. Towel drying with a soft cloth is fine, too.

But please, avoid washing pewter in your dishwasher. The heat and detergent can be too much for some pewter. (The tin woodsman pewter we carry does fine in a dishwasher on gentle cycle)

If you do wish to restore shine and luster to your pewter, a gentle scrub with toothpaste and a soft cloth (or soft toothbrush!) works fine. There are also specialized pewter cleaners available.

Pewter should never be used in an oven, microwave or on the stovetop and should not be exposed to a direct flame.

Interesting history and facts about pewter:

Pewter is not found in its natural state anywhere in the world. It is an alloy, comprised of a number of elements, primarily tin; Tin is the fourth most precious metal, ranked just after gold, silver, and platinum. The reputation tin gets as cheap comes from so called "tin cans". Tin cans are not "Tin". They are actually steel with a very, very thin coating of tin.

Pewter is one of the world's first metals, having been worked into objects of art by ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese as early as the 2nd Century A.D. Significant production began in the 13th Century, and by the 18th Century the English had made pewter widely available as an alternative to gold and silver for drinking vessels and holloware. America had it's own "Pewter Century" between 1750 and 1850 when many great New England artists worked in pewter.

Pewter and bronze are related; pewter is mostly tin, with a small amount of copper (and other ingredients), while bronze is mostly copper, with a small amount of tin. Historians think pewter was invented when the quantities of metal in the alloy were reversed by accident

The glass bottom tankard was developed (by the English) so that a soldier could see his enemies approaching while drinking his favorite brew.

The Stowe Craft Scene - Click to Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter

Stowe Craft Gallery | Interior Design Center 55 Mountain Road Stowe, Vermont 05672
Call Toll Free 1-877-ILOVEVT (1-877-456-8388)

Sticks Object Art - Furniture