Whether you purchase a board, tray or cell phone holder they are all made of natural hardwood. Natural materials are of course more sustainable but they also require maintenance when compared to plastic alternatives.
What is hardwood?
Walnut, Ash, Maple, Oak, Sapelle and other broadleaved trees. In our shop we mostly work with walnut and add in accents of woods we find in local suppliers.
Prevent Dry & Cracking
Since we are in St. Albert, Alberta our winters are cold and dry so that impacts how and how often we have to care for our wood materials.
All our Food Safe items
- Serving & Cheese Boards
- Live Edge Boards
- Cutting Boards
are finished with Mineral Oil. Why Mineral Oil? Well it is Food Safe, readily available plus it naturally repels water and prevents absorption into the board from what you put on it. For example, if you are slicing tomatoes the mineral oil is working to protect the wood underneath from having tomato juice forever living in that board.
When you get your wood item home and notice the colour is dulling or that it is drying out a quick reapplication of Mineral Oil will make your item look like new and will prevent cracking or further drying out.
Are all our items finished with Mineral Oil?
The short answer is No.
The long answer is that in order to offer more protection, especially outdoor items or frames, we use other finishing products.
Stains:
For our sign frames or 3D sign backs we use stain to finish the look and provide protection for the wood between and then maintenance for you isn't required.
Linseed Oil:
We use NON-FOOD SAFE Linseed oil on trays and cell phone holders because these are items not designed for food and it provides a nice finish.
Paste Wax:
Used occasionally more for the visual aspect than anything but provides a layer of protection for your item.
Trays, cell phone holders and other wood decor items will need to be oiled or in some way maintained due to our dryer climate.
Cleaning
When we talk about our boards especially you want to be able to clean them. Whether you are chopping veggies or slicing meat you want to make sure they are clean for the next use. Here are a few tips:
DO:
- use soapy dish water and scrub brush
- wash both sides to have even wear or drying out
- Salt and Lemon Juice is also a great alternative for soap to disinfect.
DO NOT
- submerge in water
- put in dishwasher (This will destroy your board and the glue binding it together)
Wood is a natural material and requires a bit more attention but in the end will last in your family for years to come with the proper attention to detail and cleaning.
Thank you for taking the time to care for your items!
- Ashley