Can i use dish washing liquid on a Tru Oil wooden knife handle?

V

victorinox

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Feb 10, 2016
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I finished my handmade knife's wooden scales with a few coats of tru-oil, but I'm wondering if I can wash the knife normally after food prep with dishwashing liquid or if any special care needs to be taken for tru oil.

Thanks!
 
I'm no expert, but dishwashing soap tends to break down oil, so I would play it safe and use a much milder soap.

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In reading the descriptions and application & finishing methods for Tru Oil, it seems to be a hardening or (maybe) polymerizing oil, more like boiled linseed oil, Danish oil or varnish-like products. It's reputed to be essentially permanent, very durable and water-resistant, if not waterproof. If so, I doubt dish detergent would actually break it down, as with simple food oils or mineral oil. That being said, I'd still be careful with washing wood-handled knives, until it's known if the wood itself can handle it and if the wood is completely sealed with the product. I could imagine moisture might tend to get trapped in the wood, if it's only partially sealed or not treated on the underside of the handle slabs. Some bare, untreated woods wash easily with dish soap & water, like walnut (as used on a lot of kitchen knives). But I wouldn't soak any of them or immerse them for more than a few seconds, or wash them in the dishwasher at all.

And dish soap can be as mild or as strong as you wish to make it. Just vary how much water you use with it. Usually just a few drops in a sink-full of water is enough for most light cleaning tasks.


David
 
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after use i wash my knives with dish soap, but it is a quick wipe with a soapy sponge then immediate rinse and two towel dry. you may have issues if you are using very hot water or if the knives stay wet for more than a minute.
scott
 
I have used true oil on many a gun stock, putting it under running water or soaking in a dishpan is not a good idea, wiping it with a damp cloth should be fine.
 
If you wash the knife every time it is used (a good thing) you will simply need to reapply some oil to the wood once in a while. I reoil all of my kitchen knife handles 2 to 3 times a year (hand washed only- no dishwasher). I like to use boiled linseed oil. Rub it in and wipe off the excess. Some of my knives are 40 years old and the wood looks like new.
 
I've used dish soap on several knife handles I've made and coated with tru oil. Going on around a year with several of them and no negative effects. I hand wash the handles with regular dawn type soap, no scrubby stuff or brillo pads or dishwashers yet so I can't speak to them. I've also not soaked them for extended periods in soapy water. Wash pretty quickly after use (like after I eat), rinse, and dry. They still look new so far with no obvious deterioration of the gloss finish. I did go for a pretty thick, high gloss finish rather than simply putting one or two coats on, though. Don't know if that matters a great deal.
 
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