Question on cleaning a maple bowl

We have a really nice Vermont maple bowl we use for salads. After use I wash it with soap and water. My question relates to drying. Do you towel dry or air dry? I've read both are the only way to go. Obviously one is wrong. Would appreciate your thoughts.

I would treat it like my maple boardsmith board.
http://www.theboardsmith.com/caring1.htm

That being said I would wipe it dry and occasionally add food grade mineral oil, or maybe some of his bees wax mix.

I have a single piece maple board that is cut flat sawn. That is the most prone to warping of any way you can cut the wood.
The board gets used at least 5 days out of the week.
Every time I use it I wash it in the sink (not a full sink but running water) using dish soap and a green scrubber pad. I wash both sides and all edges.
Then I stand it on end lengthwise in a dish drainer to let it dry. When not in use it stands on end on the counter top.
Contrary to what everyone has said would happen, it is still flat.
When it looks dull I wipe it down with a cutting board conditioner (beeswax & oil mix)

I'm curious about what you found for the reason to not towel dry your bowl. Anyway if it was mine, the bowl would get towel dried. It wouldn't even have occurred to do anything else.

99Limited said:

I'm curious about what you found for the reason to not towel dry your bowl. Anyway if it was mine, the bowl would get towel dried. It wouldn't even have occurred to do anything else.

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+1 With some oil when needed.

Sorry, but i can't remember where or when I read about only air drying maple bowls. It was a long time ago. My guess is that it has something to do with transferring bacteria from a dirty dish rag to the bowl. I usually let it air dry and there has been no adverse affects. Good idea about the mineral oil. Always do it to my cutting board, don't know why I didn't think to do it for the bowl

I use IKEA nackten Guest towels .49 cents each. Buy ten at a time and I wash them in the laundry machine with bleach. I only use them to wipe off my knives and board. Dishes just get green scrubby sponged and put in the dishwasher. You just gave me an image of a nasty dish rag wiping my prized possessions. I hope I don't have nightmares.:bigeek:

I use Howard,s Bees wax (Butcher block conditioner) which is a mix of Bees wax adn mineral oil as a base. Thus it is a 2 in one solution. Bees wax forms a tougher protective layer than mineral oil.

Would only use ONly mineral oil if the wood has starved (really dry) for this I prefer to use Boos Mystery oil.. Basically a mix of tung oil and Mineral oil. Tung oil should enhance the beauty of the grain and contrast of the wood. It does change the color of wood slighly. Walnut oil.. the food safe version would not change the color of wood. SO if you are happy with teh color of the wood, contrast adn the grains popping out at you.. just mineral oil is the way to go...

IF you prefer a tougher coating.. John Boos does offer sort of polyurethane coating ( EZ~DO, Non toxic for food contact) which is also classified as food safe. I use it mainly on the sides of my cutting board

Have fun

D

Uptothehilt said:

We have a really nice Vermont maple bowl we use for salads. After use I wash it with soap and water. My question relates to drying. Do you towel dry or air dry? I've read both are the only way to go. Obviously one is wrong. Would appreciate your thoughts.

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Ours is 30 years old and we towel dry it. Both methods could be right and what you've read is wrong.

It never occurred to me to oil it and I see no need to.