Knife Skills: Do You Know the Best Way to Clean Knives?

Behind every good cook is a good knife! As we mentioned yesterday, our own beloved santoku knife almost never makes it into a drawer because we use it so much. As one of our most-used kitchen tools, our knives also become one of our most-cleaned kitchen tools. Do you know the best way to clean your knife?

The very best way to clean a high-quality chef's knife is to wash it by hand with plain old soap and water! We try to wash - or at least rinse - ours right after we use it. This way food doesn't get a chance to dry on the blade, which would make it more difficult to clean later.

Go slowly and carefully, keeping the blade pointed away from you. Use a sponge or dishcloth and wipe gently from the top of the knife to the edge so that you're never wiping in a way that could cut you. You can also lay the knife flat on the counter top and wipe each side individually if you're worried about cutting yourself.

If there does happen to be some food dried on the blade, let it soak in shallow water (so you can see it) for a minute or two rather than scrubbing away at the stubborn bit. We learned this lesson the hard way when we slipped while washing a bit too exuberantly and got a nice cut for our efforts!

High quality blades should really never go in the dishwasher. The abrasive detergent, high heat, and jostling with other dishwasher items will cause the blade to dull prematurely and nick the edge. The wooden handles will also crack and loosen over time. On top of this, sharp knifes can cut the plastic coating on the dishwasher shelves, which exposes the metal underneath and leads to rusting.

Is this how you clean your knives, or do you prefer another way?

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (8)

I usually wash mine by folding a soapy dishsponge around the knife from the back (flat) side and scrubbing down the length of it. Works like a charm and I've never been cut that way.

It kills me to see my mother puther knives in the dishwasher. They are already dangerously dull, at least she doesn't cook enough to notice.
I find that I need my knives more often than I run the DW so it would be impractical anyway. We wash them by hand after each use and they are ready to go right away.

I've also heard that it's important to dry and safely store your knives right after washing. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I always wash, dry, and sheathe my knives after use.

Ruh-roh, my knives go in the dishwasher. They're mainly Forschner knives that didn't cost much, so I don't worry too much about it. I use a manual sharpener on them every few weeks and they seem to be fine.

@Lena M: You want to put your knives up right away so that they aren't laying in a sink or on the counter. That keeps the knife cleaner, helps protect the edge, and it also helps protect any hands that might be nearby. :)

A sponge and detergent is all I use. I always wipe down knives made of high carbon steel so they don't rust.

Ditto on the dry immediately and put away immediately. It's too dangerous to leave them hanging out on the counter or in the dish drainer, and it protects them, too.

We have Sanelli Knives and confess we do put them in the dishwasher, but also wash by hand. We haven't had a problem. Now if we ever get the Kershaw's we've been eyeing they won't go into the dishwasher. We do make sure to use the steel and get them professionally sharpened every few months.