Even if you clean your wooden spoon after every use and throw it in the dishwasher, it might be dirtier thank you think.
Thanks to this viral TikTok hack, viewers are learning a trick to clean their wooden spoons while being grossed out at its dirtiness at the same time.
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A 21-year-old student teacher named Bonnie McNamara runs a cleaning tips TikTok account @miss.clean.with.me and her video on how to clean a wooden spoon has amassed 22.7 million views since it was posted in February 2021.
To really clean your wooden spoon well, the viral video shows by putting your spoon into a glass of boiling hot water for several minutes, the spoon will start to secrete bits of food that are leftover from prior cooking sessions.
Just watching the video might gross you out, let alone seeing it happen with your own spoon if you decide to give this cleaning hack a try.
@miss.clean.with.me I was not prepared for this🤢 Tiktok teaches me so much! #clean #cleaning #satisfying #asmr #cleantok #foryou #fyp ♬ Bubble pop electric - ･ﾟﾟᴀᴜᴅɪᴏs ･ﾟﾟ
So why do wooden spoons hold onto old food?
James Milnes, managing director of Zoono, a sanitizer brand, says wooden spoons are porous and “as a result, they are more likely to retain moisture or liquid. As a wide range of pathogens thrive on damp surfaces, this can cause them to become a haven for bacteria.”
Milnes added, “Wood is also more likely to crack over time, allowing for bits of food and dirt to become stuck in the spoon itself.”
Your wooden spoons should be cleaned thoroughly after each use, according to Milnes, and he says when you see damage and wear and tear, it’s time for a new spoon.
If you’re wondering how you keep your spoon clean after you try this viral TikTok, Chris Riley, a culinary expert, says to wash it with hot soapy water quickly after each use. Then pat it dry with a clean cloth and air dry the spoon.
Milnes shared, “If a wooden spoon sits in water for too long it will absorb water and expand, but when it dries it will contract and cracks may appear,” he adds.
If you like that viral hack, McNamara has more viral hacks like cleaning shower grout.