how do you wash your knives?

[CACook]

I really need a new way to wash my knives because I just cut my finger tonight while washing it.. I saw Alton Brown use a little brush on it and I think it would be much safer.

[OCAnn]

In the dishdrawer (dishwasher); I lay it on its spine btwn dishes so it doesn't stick up.

[Soop]

That reminds me; I was cleaning a knife with a tea towel. Wasn't careful, and it cut through 2 layers of teatowel across my fingers. I reacted quickly, so all I got was a paper-cut type cut, but yeah... best to be careful.

[bgazindad]

When I clean my knife I have two rules.

1. The blade always faces away from me.
2. My fingers are never in front of the blade even if they are above the blade. You cannot get cut if your fingers are not in front of the blade. Only what I am using to clean the blade--sponge, scrubber, towel etc is in front of the blade. The usual method is to wrap a sponge around the knife from the spine side and clean from the base to the tip. Never the other way and I hold the knife along the spine and let the sponge clean the business side of the knife. If the knife must be scrubbed hard, I put blade flat on the counter and scrub while following rules 1 and 2..

[scubadoo97]

Very carefully. I fold a sponge around the spine to the edge and run it down the knife. Often I will just use my thumb and finger and gently slide them down the blade with a little soap, rinse and dry. This is done with extreme care. I have not cut my self or shreaded any towels. One thing I do no matter what type of knife I'm using is to clean directly after use and dry. I might do this several times while preping a meal. Some of my knives are stainless and some are high carbon steel. I try to treat them all the same. It's best to set good habits in place to avoid damage.

[ScubaSteve]

a rinse under hot water and a wipe with a clean cloth then it's back on the magnet.

[RealityMonster]

I use soap and a stiff vinyl brush. Then I carefully use a towel to dry it before putting it back in the rack.

[toomanypots]

I run really hot water over the blade. A wash rag is always draped over the sink divider; I 'strop' the knife over that, to wipe any stickiness left. Carbon knives get a wipe dry while still warm and a bit of oil rubbed into the metal. Stainless get wiped and racked in their slot after using the honing steel. R e a l l y dirty knives get laid flat on the counter a la alanbarnes, with the wash rag under them. Liquid cleanser and a nylon brush, mindful of the edge. This much work usually means a visit to the ceramic rods after the honing steel.

[Kelli2006]

I lay the blade flat on a counter and use a folded 3M scrubbie to wipe from the spine across the blade. I do both sides, dip it to make sure it is clean and then wipe it dry.

[alanbarnes]

If the knife really needs to be scrubbed, I hold the handle over the sink with the blade flat on the counter. Then I can wail on it with a scrubby sponge without having to worry about cutting myself.

[Channa]

I fold a soapy sponge in half, and place the blunt-side of the knife in the fold, and the sharp-side facing out. Then run the sponge up and down the blade until it's clean. Rinse in hot water. Dry carefully if it's a metal that could rust, otherwise air dry.

[Soop]

Yeah, me too

[Sooeygun]

I use my regular sponge. Personally, I wouldn't use a brush because the last time I was using brush on my knife, my hand slipped off the brush and I slice my thumb. 3 stitches. That was in cooking school. If I had the same cut once I was working out in the real world, I would have wrapped it tight and kept going, lol.

[ktb615]

Isn't it funny how attitudes change? When I first started in the business, I cut the tip of my thumb off and ended up in the emergency room all night. Knowing what I know now, I would just heat up a saute pan and sear it closed and get back to work.

Anyways... I clean my knives by running them under scalding hot water then wiping dry with a towel. You could put a little soap on a towel if you wanted. Once you get the feel for running a towel over a knife, you should never cut yourself.

(Knock on wood...)

ETA: Strangely enough, sitting on the couch, I can't picture how I actually clean the knife with a towel without cutting myself, but I've been doing it for years now, so I guess it works.

[Soop]

really? ((o___o)) I don't think I could just lose the tip of my thumb. How much thumb was it?

[ktb615]

Just like a quarter inch. There was nothing to sew back on (lost all that meez) and it grew back, so maybe it would have grown back if I just seared it shut.

[Soop]

I'm just very careful with mine. I use a regular sponge, ut I always clean away from the edge, then run it under the tap and dry immediately.