When Must a Knife be Cleaned & Sanitized to Keep It Sharp

It is necessary for all types of knife that they must be cleaned regularly so they stay away from rust and remain sharp and bacteria free. There are certain things which you should do while handling and keeping the knives clean.

Clean a Kitchen Knife

Wipe the Knife Blade to Clean After Use

Kitchen knives are difficult to clean if you let the waste stick to them. After using it you should run your kitchen knife underwater in order to get rid of food and detritus. You can also wipe it with a dish towel, sponge or paper towel to dry it thoroughly. Also, make sure that you have wiped the whole blade of the knife.

Read Also: https://knifeplatoon.com/how-to-remove-rust-from-knife-blade/

Make Sure the Blade Points are Away

Once you decide to clean your kitchen knives, use a mild soapy water solution. When cleaning it, make sure the edges are pointed away from you to avoid injury. Dip your sponge in water, put the blade point away and clean the knife to remove stains and food. Do this smoothly otherwise the knife will slip and cut your hand.

Soak a Really Dirty Knife in Dish Soap

If food gets stuck on your knife, you can soak it in shallow water or lemon juice for a few minutes and the knife stain will weaken and come off easily. Another good trick is to tear off a piece of aluminum foil and run it over the blade bit. Make sure these particles do not spread on the wood as this can damage your handle. Additionally, do not use any chemicals as this can cause the blade to rust. If there is dirt stuck between the handle and the blade, you can use a cotton swab or soft rag to clean it.

Cleaning the Pocket Knife

Wear Rubber Gloves

While cleaning the rocket knife, you can wear Rubber Gloves. By this way there will be no chances of getting cuts on your hand. Moreover, you can also use a mineral water oil and cleaner but it can rashes on your skin.

Gather the Materials Needed

Before starting to clean a pocket knife it is necessary to gather things that will be used for that purpose. In the beginning, use a moderate level detergent for cleaning and stay away from the dishwasher soap powder as it can harm a pocket knife. Furthermore, there are many household oils available for removing the rust but our recommendation is WD-40. You can also use nylon pad, clean cloth and toothbrush to make decent your pocket knife.

Fully Open Knife

If you have a folding knife and are going to open it, make sure to open it all the way and use the complete locking mechanism. A Swiss Army Knife has many tools available and all of them must be open. Use compressed air to remove dust and dirt. You may also need an old bristle brush to get inside the pocket knife.

Scrub with Dish Detergent

Clean your knife on a daily basis with dish soap and sponge and always use warm water beside this. The other highly affected method is using baking soda, make a baking soda paste with white vinegar and spread it on the pocket knife where rust spots occur. This thick paste will destroy all the spots and will make your knife new.

Remove Any Rust

If you have a rusty blade, you can use a Household Lubricant to remove the rust. Just simply spray the rusty area and leave it for a few minutes then scrub the blade and remove the rust. Normally this method is considered the best one for light rust.

How to keep knives from rusting

Dry and Lubricate the Knife

Dry your carbon steel knife with baked and clean cloth, it should not be left in the air when it is wet. Before storing it, apply a few drops of vegetable oil on the knife. This light coating will remove all excessive rust with oil and cloth as carbon steel always requires a lubricant.

Safe Knife Cleaning Tool

Using a Scrubber is one of the most popular and preferred tools for cleaning knives. You place the blade between the ruffles with the edge of the blade facing away from you and float the blade between the bristles and forward. This ruffle or bristle performs the scrubbing for you and will remove the waste and pollution that is stuck to the knife blade.

Tool and Cleaners to Avoid Using on Knives

There are certain cleaners and tools that you should avoid using on your knives to clean them because they can cause damage and rusting to your blade. 

Here’s the item and cleaners which we should avoid for cleaning knives.

  • Sharp things like utensils items and other knives.
  • Steel wool can scratch the blade finishing and bring rust on it.
  • Salt, bleaches and other harsh cleaners.
  • Washing the knife in the dishwasher will also lead to rusting.

How to Sanitize a Knife

Once you wash the knife it will remove all the bacteria and germs from the blade and now it’s time to clean your knife. To do this, you can use a damp cloth or paper towel with rubbing alcohol. Carefully, keep freshly clean and dry knives away from you and clean the blade with rubbing alcohol. Do all these things slowly, because rushing them can hurt you. The rubbing alcohol will evaporate quickly while sterilizing the blade.

How to Clean a Knife Block

Once you clean your knife then you will also have curiosity about how to clean a knife block. No worries! It’s really simple. 

  • First of all remove all knives from the knife block and place them in a container away from the children. 
  • Now turn your block on the opposite and erase all raw material inside it. 
  • You can beat the bottom of your knife block with a rolling pin to emit all the pieces.
  • Next step is mixing the large bowl of warm water with diluted bleach. It should be 1 tbsp per gallon of water.
  • Place the knife block in mixture for a mint.
  • Rinse your knife block thoroughly in and around the knife slots.
  • Now turn your knife block upside down for an hour to dry it.
  • Make sure your block has completely dried before placing a knife inside it otherwise your knives will get rust and bacteria on their blades.


Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Use Hand Sanitizer to Clean a Knife?

If you’re talking about a pocket knife or swiss army knife then you can use a hand sanitizer to sanitize your knives it will be okay. But if you have a kitchen knife then hand soap or warm will be the best option for it.

Is It a Bad Idea to Clean a Knife with Alcohol?

The answer of this question depends upon the type of knife you are using, like how kitchen knives are made up of low carbon stainless steel and it will not remain its original shape after using alcohol. On the other hand, If you have a high-quality blade, it’s a great option to use because alcohol effectively kills microorganisms. 

When Should You Clean and Sanitize Services and Utensils?

Clean and sterilize your knife after every use and before food handlers begin working with different types of food. Also, clean and sterilize utensils and equipment when food handlers interfere during operations and items may become contaminated. If items are in continuous use, clean and disinfect every four hours.

Final Words

In order to maintain your knives and keep them shiny and sharp, you will need to clean them after each use. Furthermore, to get the best results you should use hand soap and hot water to kill the microorganisms like bacteria and germs from it.

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