What do you use on wooden salad bowls to seal them before using salad and dressings?

Answer 1

You have a choice. Food safe oil (with or without wax) or "other" which includes all the finishes ("coatings") that can be used. There is a product called "salad bowl finish" and some knock offs that are just about as good (same ingredients). And there's butcher block oil, too. Plus, there are a number of food safe oils by different manufacturers. Some of these contain a bit of bee's wax as well as the oil. The oils (wax or sans wax) are wiped on directly after sanding smooth and wiping off all the dust. A few coats will seal the surface, and then you'll have to maintain it with an occasional coat once in a while. The bowl should be hand washed only, of course. The clear finishes generally require you to smooth the wood with 300 + grit sandpaper and wipe the item completely to remove dust. Then you'll wipe on a thin, wet coat of the finish with a lint-free cloth. Then dry the piece for 10 hours (or manufacturer's directions), smooth with 400+ grit sandpaper, and then wipe thoroughly again with another thin, wet coat of the finish. Repeat. (Soft or open grained wood will take more to seal it. A half dozen coats isn't a lot.) Several coats may (or will) be necessary. A final rub with really fine steel wool finishes the job. The key to the project is patience. Do all your finish work (sanding) before you even pick up the can or bottle of finish. All of it. Then wipe on a coat covering all of the piece. Don't even look at the item until 10 hours has gone by. Lots of coats will completely seal the surface; this is exactly what you want. It will keep water and oils out of the pores of the wood. Finally, the wise person reads the entire label of the product he is going to use before even opening it. And he follows the manufacturer's recommendations. Good luck.