FAQ's
Q: How can I make my board last for as long as possible?
A: Your board will last for as long as you continue to care for it. We include full care instructions with each purchase, but the basics are below:
- Do NOT put it in the dishwasher
- Rinse with soapy water to clean, don't soak or bath your board
- Dry it immediately after washing
- Regularly treat it with food safe oil or wax
Q: Is my purchase ready for use?
A: Yes! All of our items are finished and ready to go as soon as you receive it. However, the first few months are the most important for your wooden item's longevity. It is very important in it's first few months in your home that the board is kept well conditioned with a food safe oil, or our very own beeswax formulation. Any time wood is introduced to a new environment (humidity, temperature) it will either expand or contract, and if your board is unevenly conditioned, this can cause it to crack, bend or twist.
Q: How much maintenance do wooden food items require?
A: The answer is dependent on a lot of factors, the largest of which is how much use it gets. However, its easy to tell when your item needs some attention; as soon as water no longer beads on the surface is a suitable time for an application of oil or our beeswax wood conditioner. For reference, our own butcher block which gets used, washed and dried at just about every meal in our house requires an application about once a month, where our charcuterie boards (used much less frequently) get an application about twice per year.
Q: Can I use any type of oil to treat my board?
A: There are many suitable oils to treat wooden food items, however not all are suitable. When looking for a product be sure to look for an oil that is most importantly food safe. Many cooking and vegetable oils will go "rancid" after a period of time causing an unpleasant odor. This won't cause your item any harm other than the smell, but there are better options out there. Pure odorless mineral oil (food grade) will do the trick and can be purchased at just about any pharmacy. That being said, we recommend using our own formulation of wood conditioner as the added beeswax provides a superior layer of protection from the elements, meaning you have to apply less frequently.
https://rwgwood.ca/collections/wood-finish/products/beeswax-wood-conditioner-4oz
Q: My board feels rougher than it was when it was new, is it ruined?
A: Don't worry, there's likely an easy fix! If you have experienced this, the top layer of wood grain have been "raised". This can occur when water penetrates the protective barrier that the oil or wax provides. It can be fixed with a light sanding (1 min or less) with 320 grit sandpaper. Wash, rinse and dry the board, then lightly sand the board in the same direction as the grain (for end-grain boards just pick one direction and stick with it) until the roughness is gone. Re-apply your preferred wood conditioning oil or wax