To properly care for your Ohio Wood Art wood product, please follow these guidelines:

• DON’T put cutting boards, spoons, bowls, or other wooden products in the dishwasher.

• DO wipe up any spills or excessive moisture with a lint-free cloth.

• DON’T apply anything other than mineral oil and/or beeswax to wood items that touch food.

• DO oil your cutting boards when they start to dry out to restore luster and water resistance.

Ohio Wood Art products are crafted from kiln-dried, locally-sourced (when possible) and exotic hardwoods.  The moisture content of wood used to craft all Ohio Wood Art products has been measured and meets our stringent standards.  Every effort is made to ensure that the wood used in our products is free from insects, fungi, mold, and other infestations that should be stabilized in the kiln-drying process.

As a natural, organic material, wood contains variation in texture, grain, color, imperfections (knots or other naturally-occurring blemishes or minor cracks known as ‘checks’), and other inherent characteristics.  Because of these variations, the Ohio Wood Art product that you receive may vary slightly from the product pictured on www.ohiowoodart.com, but we make every effort to represent our products as accurately as possible and to maintain consistency if the product is part of a limited run.

Wood responds to temperature and humidity variations by expanding and contracting, although any movement resulting from this should be minimal as Ohio Wood Art uses only kiln-dried, seasoned wood in our products.  Many Ohio Wood Art products are crafted from multiple different species of wood that have been laminated together with adhesives.  Since different species of wood are affected by temperature and humidity differently, when laminated together by adhesives it is possible that a species will expand or contract at a different rate than the species next to it, potentially leading to an uneven surface or formation of minor checks/cracks.

The wood used in Ohio Wood Art products responds to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light by fading or turning brown or grey, depending on species.  Unless noted in the product description, Ohio Wood Art products are intended for indoor use only.  Avoid displaying or storing our products where they receive prolonged exposure to sunlight, such as near a window.  Ohio Wood Art products intended for outdoor use have been crafted from naturally weather-resistant materials (cedar, for example) or have been treated with a water- and UV light-resistant sealant (spar urethane, for example).

Some of the woods used in Ohio Wood Art products are classified as ‘sensitizers’, meaning that these species naturally contain chemical compounds that may cause an allergic reaction or is toxic if consumed.  An excellent reference that lists nearly every species of wood and their properties is the Wood Database.  If you are considering the purchase of an Ohio Wood Art product crafted from an exotic wood such as cocobolo or katalox, it may be a good idea to check the Wood Database for the wood species used in the product so you are aware of any sensitivity that may result.  Ohio Wood Art takes great care to apply various finishes and/or sealants to all exposed wood surfaces to minimize the risk of allergic sensitivity.  All Ohio Wood Art products meant to come into contact with food are finished with food-safe mineral oil and/or beeswax.