HUB 03 · Guides
How to Clean a Kitchen Knife
The 20-second routine that keeps a knife sharp, rust-free and safe: hand-wash, dry, put away. And why the dishwasher is the fastest way to wreck a good knife.
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Cleaning a knife properly takes about twenty seconds and does more to preserve it than almost anything else. Do it wrong — or hand it to the dishwasher — and you dull the edge, invite rust, and turn a lifetime tool into a consumable. The routine is simple; the mistakes are all avoidable.
The one rule: never the dishwasher
A dishwasher is the single fastest way to ruin a good knife, for three reasons. The harsh detergents and heat corrode and dull the edge; the blade bangs against other items and racks, chipping the edge and the tip; and the prolonged moisture and heat can crack or loosen handles, especially wood. It is also dangerous to reach into a rack of loose blades. Even "dishwasher- safe" knives last far longer hand-washed. This is the same lesson as can you put knives in the dishwasher — the answer is essentially no.
Step by step
How to do it
- 01
Wash it right after use
Don't let food dry on the blade or leave the knife sitting in the sink. Wash it promptly, especially after acidic foods (tomato, citrus, onion) which can etch or discolor the steel if left on.
- 02
Hand-wash with warm soapy water and a soft sponge
Use a little dish soap and the soft side of a sponge. Wipe along the blade from spine to edge, keeping the sharp edge angled away from your hand. Never scrub toward the edge or use steel wool or abrasive scourers on the blade.
- 03
Never leave it soaking in the sink
Don't submerge a knife in a sink of soapy water and walk away - it's invisible under the suds (a serious cut risk) and prolonged moisture promotes rust. Wash it and move straight to drying.
- 04
Dry it completely, immediately
Towel-dry the blade fully right after washing, edge away from your hand. Water spots and standing moisture are what cause rust, especially on high-carbon steel. Don't leave it to air-dry on the rack.
- 05
Put it away safely
Return the dry knife to a magnetic strip, block, in-drawer tray or edge guard - never loose in a drawer where the edge bangs around and a reaching hand meets the blade.
Extra care for carbon steel
If your knife is genuine (non-stainless) carbon steel, it needs a little more: dry it immediately every time, and wipe a thin film of food-safe mineral oil on the blade before storing, because carbon steel rusts readily. Most kitchen knives are stainless (including "high-carbon stainless" like VG-10 and X50CrMoV15) and do not need oiling — but they still rust if left wet, so the dry-immediately rule applies to every knife. If a spot of rust does appear, it is fixable; see how to remove rust from a knife.
Cleaning is half of keeping an edge
A clean, dry, well-stored knife holds its edge far longer than one that gets abused in the sink and dishwasher — which means less sharpening and a knife that is always ready. Pair this routine with a good cutting board, sensible storage, and regular honing, and the whole routine is the subject of our knife care and storage guide.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can you put knives in the dishwasher?
You shouldn't — the detergent and heat dull and corrode the edge, the blade bangs against racks and chips, and moisture can damage handles. Even dishwasher-safe knives last far longer hand-washed and dried. See can you put knives in the dishwasher.
How do you clean a knife without cutting yourself?
Wash with the soft side of a sponge, wiping along the blade from spine toward the edge with the sharp edge angled away from your hand — never scrub toward the edge. Never leave a knife hidden in a sink of soapy water. Dry it right away, edge away from you.
Should you dry a knife after washing?
Always, immediately. Standing water and moisture cause rust — especially on carbon steel, but stainless can spot too. Towel-dry the blade fully before putting it away rather than leaving it on the drying rack.
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