There were many things I imagined coming along with owning a wooden bowl, such as saying to myself, “Wow, that looks cute.” or “That thing holds more than I thought.” Never did I consider the fact that it would need upkeep. I guess when I think about it, it makes sense – wood is a natural material, and has a tendency to hold moisture, so why wouldn’t it need a little love now and then? Either way, once a year I show my hard-working wooden bowls a little tender, loving care in the form of a mineral oil rub down. According to the tags they came with, they need to be oiled to prevent cracking that would naturally occur, so I’ve been doing it regularly since I owned them.
My mom bought me the one on the left for my first apartment after college. (Thanks, Mom!) I still love that bowl 
. The one on the right I won in a raffle held by a garden tour Mike and I went on. Woohoo for good luck! Both have been work horses in the kitchen since they arrived, holding everything from bread to gourds to peaches. So how do I oil them up? It’s easy-peasy. A little mineral oil and few paper towels is all you need. Then, pour in the oil:
Rub it around with the paper towel…
until each is as oily as an 80′s beach adonis. (Which, by the way, if wrinkles and melanoma didn’t exist is exactly what I’d do every time I went to the beach.)
Wait fifteen minutes, rub off the excess…
And you’ve just bought yourself another year of wooden bowls. Because I’m a crazy person organization fiend, once I finish, I set up a google task to remind me to do it again next year.
I wonder what other unexpected things need upkeep that I’m not giving them!
Terry Vaughan
/ July 17, 2012Do you wash these bowls? Mineral oil doesn’t dry, so although it looks good at first, it attracts dust and dirt. An alternative is danish oil, which dries in the wood and protects it. If the bowl gets hard use and frequent washing, mineral oil is a good choice because it is so easy to renew. I make bowls and have an article on wood care on my web site.
folksyhome
/ July 17, 2012Perhaps embarrassingly, I don’t really wash the bowls unless I’m going to re-oil them. I don’t seem to have a problem with dust and dirt because after the oil sits for a bit, I wipe off any excess and that seems to take the tackiness away. Danish oil sounds like a good alternative if there was a dust problem, is it food safe?
Also, your turned wooden bowls are just gorgeous. What craftsmanship!
Terry Vaughan
/ July 17, 2012Thanks, I’m glad you like them! I’ve found the mineral oil I use traps dust, perhaps it’s a thicker grade than yours and stays on the surface more. Or there’s more dust in my house! Good quality Danish oil is food safe when dry. I mostly use Liberon finishing oil, a similar product. If you want to change, its probably best to wait till your google alarm (what a good idea) goes off next year to avoid compatibility issues. But if you are happy with what you use now, why change?