A Timbermere piece is made to be used — and cared for simply, it will only get better with time. Here's how to keep yours in good health.
These are working pieces, not ornaments. Use them daily — a little patina, the soft darkening of a well-loved board, is simply the wood earning its keep. Looked after with the few small habits below, a piece only gets better with the years.
Wash by hand in warm water with a little mild soap, then rinse. Neverthe dishwasher, and never leave a piece to soak — standing water is the one thing wood won't forgive.
Towel-dry, then stand the piece on its edge to air-dry fully before putting it away. Don't leave it lying flat in a puddle or sitting in the sink.
When the wood starts to look pale, dry, or thirsty, give it a coat of food-safe oil: wipe it on, let it soak in for twenty minutes or so, then wipe the excess away. The finish is meant to be renewed — a tired piece comes back to life with a single coat.
If the surface feels rough after washing, the grain has simply lifted — a light sand with fine paper, then a coat of oil, brings it smooth again. Most marks and shallow scratches sand out the same way.
No dishwasher, no microwave, no long soak. Keep pieces away from direct heat and prolonged sun, which dry the wood out and can cause cracking — and skip bleach and harsh detergents.
For a stubborn mark or a lingering smell — garlic, onion, fish — scrub with coarse salt and the cut face of half a lemon, or a paste of baking soda and water. Rinse, dry, and re-oil.
Wood moves a little with the seasons. Slight movement, or fine surface lines (“checking”), is normal in a solid hardwood piece — not a fault. Keeping pieces out of extremes of heat and damp keeps it to a minimum.
Every board is finished with Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil and Walrus Oil Wood Wax— a food-contact-safe oil-and-wax finish. It may contain mineral oil, beeswax, fractionated coconut oil and vitamin E. We don't use walnut oil, peanut oil or sesame oil in the finish.
The pieces themselves are natural hardwoods — American black walnut, maple, cherry, beech, and other species depending on the piece. If you have a severe allergy or sensitivity to a wood species, coconut-derived ingredients, or beeswax, please contact us before ordering.