Bamboo Cutlery Care Guide
Purchasing a set ofreusable bamboo cutlery is a thrilling experience! No longer must you rely on single-use plastic cutlery when eating at a street food van or at your work canteen, nothing but guilt-free reusable bamboo from now on. The feeling is great isn’t it?
But every new user of bamboo cutlery has a few questions that need to be answered before they can fully enjoy their reusable utensils.
Can bamboo cutlery be put in the dishwasher?
How long does bamboo cutlery last?
Can my bamboo cutlery be recycled?
Don’t worry eco-warriors! Help, is at hand. In this blog, we’ll go through everything that you need to know as the proud owner of a reusable cutlery set. We’ll teach you how to take care of your bamboo cutlery, how to wash your reusable utensils, how to clean your wooden flatware and how to prolong your bamboo tableware’s lifespan!
As if that wasn’t enough for one blog, we’ll also share some stories and photos of the product journey, so that you know exactly where your bamboo cutlery came from and who made it!
Not a fan of reading long blogs? We hear you! Here is a summary of how to clean bamboo cutlery sets.
How to clean bamboo cutlery:
- Hand wash using warm water and dish soap
- Dry immediately with a dry cloth and store somewhere cool / dry or in your travel case
- Do not put your bamboo cutlery in the dishwasher or leave it to soak for a prolonged period of time
- Your bamboo cutlery travel case is machine washable, wash regularly to avoid bacteria spreading
Where is bamboo cutlery made?
Bamboo cutlery is typically made in 1 of 4 countries; Vietnam, China, India & Indonesia. Why is this important you ask?
The bamboo plant has many differentsub-species and depending on where it is grown and the conditions that it’s exposed to, the wood (technically grass) can be hollow, dense, hard or brittle.
Jungle Culture uses mature bamboo, grown high in the mountains inThanh Hoa province, Northern Vietnam to make our cutlery sets. Mature bamboo is a lot harder and more durable than young bamboo flutes which generally have much thinner walls. Growing our bamboo high in the mountains also allows the bamboo to get as much natural sunlight and rain water as possible, enabling us to produce the hardest and most durable bamboo cutlery on the market!
Thebenefits of using bamboo cutlery from Vietnam are that the country is relatively un-industrialised when compared to China, so most bamboo cutlery produced in Vietnam is handmade and requires much less equipment to produce (and absolutely no chemicals).
Bamboo cutlery FAQs
Can bamboo cutlery be put in the dishwasher?
We are going to say no to this. Although our bamboo cutlery sets are durable enough to withstand a few hot cycles in the dishwasher, we still wouldn’t advise it. High temperatures can damage the integrity of bamboo and cause your cutlery to splinter.
To be safe, avoid the dishwasher and stick to handwashing! It’s good for the soul anyway!
Can bamboo cutlery be recycled?
Our bamboo cutlery sets are reusable and if taken care of, should last a really long time! That being said, everything has an expiration date, which is why it’s important to think about recycling, biodegrading and composting prior to purchasing a product!
Our bamboo cutlery is 100% natural and organic, so it will biodegrade, it can be recycled and it can be composted! For more information, visit our blog explaining ifbamboo cutlery can be recycled.
Can bamboo cutlery be put in the microwave?
I know. You’re reading this blog, thinking… Who would want to put cutlery in the microwave? Well, apparently some people would, because we’ve had the question thrown at us and honestly speaking, we don’t know!
For the purposes of full and thorough blogging, we investigatedwhat effect a microwave has on wood and what we found is that microwaves heat the moisture that is present in most woods, causing woods to dry out and sometimes crack.
With this in mind, we wouldn’t recommend putting your bamboo cutlery in the microwave.
Let’s never speak of this again.
Is bamboo sustainable?
Bamboo is generally known as a super sustainable material, but with notoriety comes inquiry and some eco-minded citizens of this planet have suggested that due to the water needed to grow bamboo, it cannot be considered sustainable.
We addressed this point in our blog which runs through the topic “Can bamboo be grown in the UK?”
Our view is that bamboo should not be grown in non-tropical countries on an industrial scale. The aforementioned eco-citizens are absolutely correct in that bamboo does require a lot of water and sun to grow, which would be unsustainable if attempted in a country such as the UK, France or Germany!
However, the topography and general landscapes in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia are perfect for sustainably growing bamboo. The mountain ranges allow bamboo to bathe in sunlight and the tropical rainy seasons provide ample water supply for cultivating the plant at an industrial scale.
Although some farms do use water to grow bamboo, we still firmly believe that bamboo is the most sustainable material on the planet!
Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant, its versatility means that it can be used to make anything frombamboo straws tobamboo houses and of course, it is entirely compostable in some cases, and recyclable in others!
Can I bring bamboo cutlery on a plane?
This is a tough one to answer! Airline regulations vary, but most concur that sharp objects are not allowed on a plane, but what is considered sharp?
Customers have sent us delightful photos of them using our cutlery on board an international flight and we read in a specialisthand luggage blog that plastic or wooden cutlery has a far better chance of making it through airport security than their metal counterparts. We have also personally taken one of our reusable cutlery sets on a European flight.
All that being said, the rules are very unclear and we surmise that whether you can bring your bamboo cutlery set on holiday or not is almost entirely up to the discretion of the airport security guard.
Which one of your cutlery sets is best?
Jungle Culture produces abamboo cutlery set and adark wood cutlery set. A lot of customers ask us to recommend one set over the other. The truth is that the question isn’t black and white… It’s dark and light!
Both sets are carved by the same craftspeople and housed in the same hand stitched bags. We use the exact same carving moulds to create our sets, so they are almost identical, apart from their colour! Do you like dark wood or light wood? Comment below, we love hearing opinions!
Common problems with bamboo cutlery and how to avoid them!
Problem 1: My cutlery is splintering
Bamboo cutlery can splinter if it is left to soak for a long time or if it is placed in the dishwasher. In order to avoid any fracturing of your wooden cutlery set, hand wash in soap and warm water and you shouldn’t have any problems!
Problem 2: My cutlery is stained
Wood can stain if it is left to soak in food that contains a high amount of artificial colouring. Clean your bamboo cutlery thoroughly and the staining will only be temporary.
Problem 3: One of the prongs on my fork is broken
All of our cutlery is handcrafted by skilled artisans in Vietnam. They are extremely talented, but like everybody, they also make mistakes and sometimes they carve the prongs too thinly.
If a prong on your fork breaks, send a photo to our team via the contact form on our websitehere. We’ll replace it for you, no questions asked!
How to prolong the lifespan of bamboo cutlery
To prolong the lifespan of your bamboo cutlery set, we recommend frying it in linseed, flaxseed or coconut oil or simply rubbing one of these oils onto the surface of your cutlery every now and then!
Please note: Olive oil or vegetable oil does eventually turn rancid, do not use these to coat your cutlery.
How to use your bamboo cutlery
Fun time! Let’s run through some of the best ways to use your bamboo cutlery sets!
Here are our top 5 ways to enjoy your reusable bamboo cutlery:
1. Camping cutlery
If you go camping, then there’s a good chance that you’re a nature lover and probably don’t want to create more trash at your local campsite! Next time you pull out your tent, pack a reusable cutlery set and ditch the plastic throwaways for good!
2. Travel cutlery
Taking a backpacking trip? Maybe just a weekend break? Whatever your reason for travelling, you could always use a set of reusable cutlery.
Let’s face it, when we travel we sometimes get rushed and just want to grab a quick bite at the local street food van. If this sounds familiar to you, then you’ll probably also remember being given plastic utensils by the same street food vendor.
I’m sure wherever you are, the locals will appreciate it when you refuse their plastic cutlery and pull out your own set!
3. At work
Depending on what you do, you may eat in the canteen, a pack lunch or maybe at local takeouts. Why not stash a cutlery set in your drawer and the next time someone hands you a plastic fork, tell them to “put that the fork down” and proudly hold up your bamboo utensils!
4. Days out
Going out for the day can be an incredibly waste-creating thing! A simple zero waste kit can prevent 90% of all waste from your normal excursions. Pack a lunch box, cutlery set, water bottle andreusable shopping bag and make sure that your day out stays guilt-free!
5. Gifting
At £11.69 a bamboo cutlery set is a pretty thoughtful and low cost stocking filler! It’s also a great gift for someone who cares deeply about nature or the environment. Why not treat someone to a set and feel good knowing that you’ve helped them make a little change in their lives!
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has helped you take care of your bamboo cutlery and inspired you a bit at the same time!
Want to see something bamboo’zling? Check out this video showinghow fast bamboo grows!
