How do you clean a bamboo magnetic knife block?

When you switch2bamboo for any of your clothing, bedding or household items, it’s common to wonder if they need any extra care.

Being made of, or from, bamboo can have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to cleaning.

So, how do you clean a bamboo knife block?

How do you clean a bamboo knife block?

Bamboo is a great material for making knife blocks.

Being grass and not wood means that the structure of the material is very different and withstands water much better than wood does.

This means that it breeds far fewer bacteria than wooden blocks because bacteria need moisture to survive and grow.

Bamboo is also much stronger than wood meaning it can withstand chopping and slicing along the surface a lot more than traditional wooden chopping boards.

Daily cleaning

Use a mix of warm water and dish soap to rinse and wipe your bamboo knife block keeping it clean and hygienic.

Deep cleaning

Add 50ml of white vinegar (a cup) with a litre (a quart) of warm water for a deeper, antibacterial clean.

Alternatively, mix one teaspoon of bleach with one litre (a quart) of water for a suitable disinfecting cleaning solution.

Restoration cleaning

Dampen a soft cloth with either lukewarm water on its own or a cleaning solution as mentioned above.

Have a bowl of normal table salt and dab your damp cloth into the bowl.

Use the cloth to really lift the grime taking advantage of the abrasive action of the salt.

Can you wash a bamboo knife block in a dishwasher?

No. Bamboo is incredibly moisture resistant but, just as with a wooden knife block, you wouldn’t want to soak it for any length of time. 

Bamboo wood is made from strips of bamboo and resin, and these strips act like long straws. 

So although very water resistant along the length of the bamboo, the ends of the bamboo wood are to be protected to avoid warping or splitting from water damage.

How to care for your bamboo bedding and clothing

The washing and drying of bamboo clothing and bedding, including baby items and towels, can be approached in similar ways.

Manufacturers should say whether their fabric is 100% bamboo viscose or rayon, or if it has a mix of fibres it should state this on the label and packaging.

Other bamboo fabrics, such as Lyocell and bamboo linen, have been mechanically ground, pulped with natural enzymes and spun, and are therefore more eco-friendly and a better choice when switching to bamboo.

Lyocell is a soft, semi-synthetic fabric which uses a closed-loop manufacturing process making it more eco-friendly than its distance cousin, Rayon.

It looks and feels soft and will be marketed as bamboo fabric, sometimes mixed with lycra or spandex in order to maintain its shape.

Bamboo linen has the feel of linen. A little rougher around the edges but this is due to the 100% natural, mechanical and chemical-free way it has been processed.

Washing

Bamboo fabric keeps the strength of the bamboo plant and is incredibly durable, outlasting cotton equivalents when cared for properly.

When washing your bamboo items they should be washed in a gentle detergent just as you would wool or other delicate items, on a gentle, cooler cycle of your washing machine.

Washing at a cool temperature or a cold wash helps to maintain the shape of the fabric and reduce possible shrinkage.

Drying

Good

Using a drier on very low heat is okay, but using too high a heat can damage the bamboo fibres or shrink the fabric.

Better

Drying your bamboo items indoors with artificial heat (radiators and air vents) is better but try not to leave them directly on the heat source.

Best

Drying your socks outside is by far the best method. There’s no risk of over-drying which can damage the fibres, the moisture is carried away rather than collecting in your home and you get the added benefit of having that gorgeous outdoors aroma.

The best cleaning solutions for bamboo furniture, floors and household items.

1. Household dish soap and lukewarm water make a perfectly suitable solution to wipe down floors, furniture and utensils. Just don’t leave it to soak in and never use the dishwasher for utensils, cutlery or bamboo straws.
2. For a deeper clean, mix 50ml of white vinegar (a cup) with a litre (a quart) of warm water and use as above.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of bleach with 1 litre (a quart) of water for a suitable disinfecting cleaning solution for items such as cutting boards or bathroom flooring.

Using a soft-bristled brush in addition to the solutions listed above will not damage your bamboo items and may improve the result, especially on furniture which has been neglected for a while.

For truly ingrained dirt on bamboo furniture try dabbing some normal table salt onto your damp cleaning cloth (along with one of the solutions above) and use the extra abrasive quality of the salt to really lift the grime out.