Should You Actually Boil Your Wooden Spoons to Clean Them? What to Know Before You Try It

Does Boiling Wooden Spoons Actually Get Them Clean? Yes—But There's a Catch

You've seen people boil their wooden spoons on TikTok, but does it actually work? We found the answer.

There are some things people go their whole lives without knowing how to clean—or simply forgetting to clean. When’s the last time you cleaned your ceiling fan, or the inside of your toilet tank, for example? Ignorance can be bliss, but thanks to all of those TikTok cleaning videos (#CleanTok, anyone?), we're learning some pretty life-changing cleaning hacks, the latest of which involves that handy kitchen utensil: the wooden spoon.

The latest TikTok trend involves dipping your spoons into boiling water to better clean them. Users like @itsnicolejaques and @jessicahaizman recommend this hack to their followers as a way to suck out the lingering dirt, grime, and grease that your wooden spoons may be harboring for a deeper clean. The videos we've seen of the process show clean water turn from clear to brown right before our eyes as the wooden spoons sit in the boiling water. It’s seriously disgusting, but it’s obviously pretty satisfying, too, in the same way laundry stripping is.

The Right Way to Clean Wooden Spoons 

You've probably been told not to put your wooden kitchen items and utensils into the dishwasher. Dishwashers emit extreme heat when drying that can warp the wood. That, paired with the pressurized water of the dishwasher, will cause your wooden spoons to fall apart more rapidly over time. 

If extreme temperatures harm wood, then why are people suggesting to place spoons in boiling water on TikTok? While doing so will help remove the grime, cooking dirt, and who-knows-what-else in the grain of your wooden spoons, it will also damage the spoon.

Putting boiling water on anything is a good way to sanitize it, but repeatedly boiling your spoons or boiling them too often can strip the wood or warp it in some way, so you don’t want to overdo it unless you’re OK buying replacements. The wooden spoon boiling method is only recommended to do about once a month, depending on how often you cook with them, whether you use them to stir raw meet or just veggies, and other factors.

Instead, experts recommend hand-washing your wooden spoons with a mild soap and warm water. That's because chemical soaps can break down the material of the spoon. Allow your spoons to air dry.

What Does Boiling Wooden Spoons Do?

Because wood is porous, it absorbs a lot more of the grease and food particles you’re cooking with over time. Have you ever washed your wooden utensils after cooking and they still smell like onion? That's because the wood has absorbed the strong odor.

While boiling water allows some of that gunk to come out during the soak, you should stick to the warm water and gentle soap method for everyday cleaning. If you prefer to still boil them, do it infrequently to extend the life of your spoons.

Some people seal their wooden utensils and cutting boards with a conditioning oil to keep them in top shape for years to come. A bottle of wood conditioning oil will typically cost you less than $10 and can help avoid cracks in your spoons and wood splitting over time.