Buzz
TikTok is overflowing with cleaning tips, but not every hack is reliable. A popular trend suggests boiling wooden spoons to clean them, but this method is far from ideal. Here’s why boiling your wooden spoons isn’t recommended.
What’s the reason behind boiling wooden spoons in the first place?
TikTok user Bonnie McNamara shared a video revealing how dirty wooden spoons can get. On her page, Miss.Clean.With.Me, McNamara demonstrates by pouring boiling water into a glass, submerging a wooden spoon, and letting it sit. Bubbles quickly form, and the water turns cloudy, filled with food particles and grime.
We consulted our Senior Health Editor, Beth Skwarecki, to find out if boiling wooden spoons is essential. “From a food safety perspective, washing them with soap and water and allowing them to dry is sufficient,” she explained. “The same principle applies to cutting boards.”
All Recipes supports this view, stating that wood “naturally possesses more antibacterial qualities than synthetic materials. Trees inherently resist infection, bacteria, and mold, and wood retains these properties even after being harvested.”
What actually occurs when you boil wooden utensils?
We put the theory to the test with Mytour’s Senior Food Editor, Claire Lower. Claire used a spoon she’s had for years, primarily for pasta (meaning it had likely absorbed plenty of tomato sauce and pasta residue). As the spoon soaked, Lower observed bubbles similar to those in the TikTok video. However, this reaction is caused by nucleation, where microscopic points on the spoon’s surface create bubbles when exposed to hot water. After 20 minutes, the water had a brownish hue, but no food particles or residue were visible.
Lower noticed a strong garlic smell coming from the cup but less from the spoon, suggesting the process helped remove some lingering garlic odor. However, she emphasized that this isn’t an ideal method for cleaning wooden utensils:
I wouldn’t advise doing this regularly unless your spoon has a particularly strong odor. Soaking wood in water is generally a bad idea, as it can dry out and crack the material. Similar to a cast iron pan, a bit of natural grease helps protect the wood. It’s perfectly fine! Just clean it with soapy water after each use, and you’ll stay safe.
The right way to clean and maintain a wooden spoon
As Lower explained, the best method is to wash your spoon with soap and water after every use. Always let it air dry to prevent cracking. Avoid placing wooden utensils in the dishwasher, as the intense heat and moisture can damage and crack them over time.
Next, it’s important to treat the spoon with oil. All Recipes suggests using mineral oil or oils like walnut, tung, or linseed. For stubborn food residue, an overnight soak in a mixture of white vinegar and water can disinfect the spoon and help remove any stuck-on food particles effectively.
