Handling knives

[steam-it]

In cleaning my knives, I usually use my fingers pressed together on either side of the blade from behind, running them the length of the blade. I only go one direction, away from the handle. Sometimes I use a tiny drop of soap, but mostly just water under the faucet, repeating as necessary. This seems to be safe, as I've never come close to a cut using the method.
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Does anyone else do this? I'd also be interested in hearing some of your safety tips.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I use a nylon dish scrubber brush - a drop of liquid dish washing soap - hot water - and scrub away. Then I rinse under hot runnig water, let drain for a minute, and then towel dry within a minute or two - and put away. I've never had a problem in the 30-years I've had my knives ... and they are not an expensive set.

 

[Andy M.]

I use a sponge with a scrubbing surface on one side. It's one of the blue ones that's teflon safe.

I load it with soap, fold it in half and scrub both sides of the blade at the same time. Then I hold the knide by the blade and do the handle. Then, rinse, drain, dry, hone and hang them on the wall.

 

[Hopz]

I do basically the same as Mike in Ft Worth... but let me add. I always clean my knives when they are freshly dirty.

I just find it easier on the knife, and I always know my blades are clean.
Plus they never- ever go in the sink. Too much chance for a cut in there. Ans it is rough on the points. Use it, clean it, wipe it- put it away.
No problems,
and also- no dishwasher- ever.

 

[steam-it]

Wow. I can't believe that I'm the only one out here that cleans a blade with my fingers. It just seems natural to me. Maybe this should go under the "bad habits" thread.

I do agree that knives are continually cleaned during, and immediately after use, (most of the time...). And they don't go in the sink. (ever)

 

[GB]

I do it basically the same way as Andy (folded sponge with soap). I dry them immediately and put them right away when done.

there are some times though that I will just clean them under running water, no soap, with just my fingers. If I just cut something that is not very messy such as slicing a cucumber or something like that.

 

[Andy M.]

I must confess that I often don't wash my knives right after use. I often leave them, along with the pots and pans, until the next day. I do rinse off visible dirt before leaving them.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Sheet of Bounty and some dish soap for me. So I'm close to what you do. But I use ceramic blades, which are something of a different animal--they don't have to be "scrubbed" since they don't absorb or take in flavors and the like. If I was using carbon steel or forged blades I'd probably be scrubbing them like everybody who responded to ya so far. Not sure I'd trust the "finger" method with metal in terms of cleanliness.

 

[vagriller]

I find that jamming them into the dirt gets most food off them, then I just fling them back into the wall.

jk

I find that a lot of the time I do the finger method like steam-it to get the "fresh" debris off the knife so it doesn't stick, then later I use soap and a scrub pad.

 

[Half Baked]

I do it basically the same way as Andy (folded sponge with soap). I dry them immediately and put them right away when done.

I always wash them as soon as I'm finished, also.

 

[FryBoy]

I usually use a plastic brush and a little soap and hot water. I hold the handle and run the brush down the length of the blade, brushing away from the cutting edge, never towards it, to avoid dulling the knife. If there's something really sticky on it, I may use a plastic scrubber, but I seldom need that.

I rarely dry the knife -- stainless doesn't need careful drying. Instead I just bounce the end on the cutting board to knock off most of the water, then put it back in the knife block with the sharp edge away from the wood.

I've had the same set of stainless Wusthof Trident knives since 1968 or so, and they've almost like new, and they need sharpening only once every couple of months. I do the same with my newer Hattori Gyuto knife, which is also stainless (albeit 60-layer Damascus steel). Drying these razor-sharp blades by hand is just another invitation to a severe cut, IMHO.

 

[GB]

brushing away from the cutting edge, never towards it, to avoid dulling the knife.

I just bounce the end on the cutting board to knock off most of the water

When you say you bounce the end of the cutting board, which end are you talking about?

I am picturing you bouncing the blade end, but that would not make a lot of sense to me that you would be worried about brushing away from the cutting edge to avoid dulling the knife yet bouncing it on wood.

 

[FryBoy]

I turn the knife parallel to the surface of the cutting board and bounce just the very tip of the blade on the board, as I would if I were trying to judge the springiness of the steel. The cutting edge doesn't touch anything.