Bowl Care

Basic Care

My bowls are made for you. If they have beauty, utility, or value, they are made that way for you.

All of my bowls are food safe, which means you can confidently use them to store and serve food. They have a durable, low-maintenance finish which should not require re-oiling for 8-12 months after purchase with regular use.

To keep your wooden bowls in good condition, wash them by hand and let them air dry. Do not put them in the dishwasher or microwave.

Long Term Care

Once the original finish wears down and the wood begins to look dry, you will need to re-oil your bowls. For a durable finish similar to the original, I’d recommend using Odie’s Oil.

If you’re like me, though, and you enjoy the process of regularly maintaining your bowls, you can use any neutral oil that wont go rancid, such as mineral, walnut or pure linseed oil. While these oils wont last as long, they will give you more opportunities to care for and engage with your bowls. You’ll become proud of your bowls, and how beautiful they are becoming. After months of consistent effort, you might even notice that you’ve become a little attached to them. But that’s ok. They were made for you, after all.

To read a short story about how much I love the process of caring for my own bowls, and the kind of pleasure and happiness you can expect from a lifetime of consistent care, check out this blog post.

Using Odie’s Oil

Odie’s Oil is my favorite product for getting a durable finish that can withstand many months of regular use without needing any oiling or maintenance. It doesn’t chip, and it’s easy to repair scratches if you get any (just rub a little finish over the scratched area—no sanding required).

The biggest downside is that it only comes in 9 oz jars, which may feel like overkill if you only own one or two bowls that only need maintenance once or twice a year. It’s possible to keep using one jar for many years, but you should be aware that Odie’s Oil will cure (turn solid) in the jar if it’s allowed to oxidize, a process that begins as soon as the jar is opened. In order to make a jar last for for a long time between uses, you’ll need to buy a secondary product like Bloxygen, which will prevent the oil from curing.

To use Odie’s Oil, use a paper towel to lift some finish out of the jar and rub it generously over every surface of the bowl. Let the bowl sit for an hour, then use a clean paper towel to wipe all the excess oil off and buff the finish to an even luster. It takes longer to buff oil out of carved areas, so it’s a good idea to skip adding oil to these areas if they don’t need it.

I don’t make any money by recommending Odie’s Oil, I just like it. Be sure to dispose of oily rags safely.

Using Other Oils

Mineral, Walnut and food grade Linseed/Flax seed oils require more frequent applications because they don’t cure like Odie’s Oil does. The soap and water you use to clean your bowls will wash these oils away much more quickly, and you will therefore need to replenish these oils more often. Luckily, regular oiling builds up and you will earn a beautiful patina for your bowls over time. You may also get some joy and satisfaction from seeing how your consistent effort results in objects that stay beautiful and well maintained.

All of these oils may be kept in the jar they come in for a long time without going bad. To use them, pour a little oil onto a clean rag or paper towel and cover all surfaces of the bowl generously. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so to let the oil soak in, then wipe any excess off. Feel free to apply these kinds of oil to carved areas the same way you would other areas.

I’d advise against using oils like vegetable oil, olive oil, or any other oils that may go rancid to treat your bowls. It’s very difficult to clean rancid oil out of wood, so using these kinds of oils is a recipe for disaster. This is also why keeping your bowls well maintained is so important. Wood fibers that are already saturated with protective, neutral oils wont absorb moisture or food particles that may rot or feed bacteria like untreated wood will.

If you have any questions about these finishes or other bowl maintenance questions, feel free to contact me here.