How to Clean Ed's TNT Wooden Bowls (Without Ruining the Wood)

Wood is not glass, so stop treating it like glass

Ed's TNT pieces are handmade from woods like cocobolo, olivewood, blackwood, and burl, and that is exactly why they feel and hit the way they do. It is also why you cannot clean them the way you clean glass. Glass forgives you. Wood holds a grudge. Soak a wooden bowl and it can swell, warp, crack, or lose its finish, and there is no undo button on any of that.

The good news: wood barely needs cleaning if we stay on top of it. The whole routine takes about two minutes.

What we need

• A soft, dry brush (Ed includes a brush and poker with the WoodScents for exactly this)
• Cotton swabs
• Isopropyl alcohol
• A paper towel

Step 1: Brush out the dry stuff

Best time to clean a wooden bowl is right after the session, while it is still warm. Blow through it to clear the loose material, then take the dry brush to the bowl and sweep out any particulates hanging around. Warm resin lets go easily. Cold resin digs in and makes you work for it.

Step 2: Spot-clean with an iso swab

Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol, then press it against the side of the bottle so it is damp, not dripping. Work the swab around the bowl and any resin spots. Swap to a fresh swab as they load up. That is all the alcohol this job needs.

Step 3: Never submerge it

No iso bath, no water, no sink, no quick soak while you do the dishes. Wood does not accept apologies. Submerging a wooden bowl in iso or water is the fastest way to ruin it: the wood drinks the liquid, swells, and the finish and shape never come back. If you take one thing from this post, take this one.

Step 4: Let it dry completely

Iso flashes off fast, but give the bowl time anyway. Set it on a paper towel and let it dry fully before any heat touches it again. Bone dry, not mostly dry.

The bonus step: condition the wood

This one comes straight from Ed. When the wood starts looking dull, a tiny dab of Bomb Ass Butter, Ed's TNT's own natural wood conditioner, brings it back. Wrap a paper towel around your finger, smear a small amount into the wood, then wipe off the excess. The luster comes back and the wood stays protected for the long haul.

And if your piece has a titanium tip riding on o-rings, wipe a touch of the same conditioner on the o-rings before reseating the tip. Dry o-rings can mash or tear when you push the tip back in, and that little wipe is the difference.

Does this work on other wooden pieces?

Yes. I am writing this about my Ed's TNT bowls because that is what lives on my desk, but the same rules cover any wooden bowl, stem, or water pipe adapter from any maker: dry brush, careful iso swab, no bath, full dry, condition when it looks thirsty. Treat the wood right and it will outlast half the glass in your cabinet, baby.