HOW TO AVOID MOLD WITH WOOD DISH BRUSHES
by Kennedy Hammond on Feb 04, 2026
This has to be the most asked question across all my social media platforms. So I think it deserves a deep breakdown here on the blog. Please know, that if you stick to these prevention steps, you will not experience mold while using wood dish brushes.
Two things to remember is (1) wood is naturally; anti microbial & anti bacterial. Meaning you’d really have to abuse them for them to start to grow mold. (2) discoloration, usually a black color change in the wood around the base of the bristles, is a completely natural occurrence when wood is constantly being introduced to water. It is NOT mold or anything to really worry about. BUT! If you want to keep your dish brush from color changing, leave out in the direct sunshine for a couple hours. The color will fade & your wood brush will be restored back to its natural wood color.
HOW TO PREVENT MOLD
1.) Proper Storage: this one is HUGE! Never EVER leave your dish brush in the sink between washes. Always store your brush up on the counter in a tray (see here) where it can properly ventilate & dry out. FUN FACT! wood dries out 3x faster than plastic sponges. so you don't have to do anything extra to get it to dry out properly besides places it on a tray or hang drying it if you have access to do so.
2.) Clear Out Food: mold will never occur out of random. it will always be because there was food left behind in the bristles. after every clean, take the extra 30-60 seconds to run hot water on the bristles to free them of any stuck on food. usually (especially if you pre rinse your dishes before washing them) food should free from bristles with no issues.
NOW! lets say you skip these 2 important steps & you get mold spurs! or you just forget to do one of these steps once...
your initial reaction might be to throw the whole brush away but i promise, that won't be necessary. all youll need to do is a quick deep cleaning/refresh that will take you less than 20 mins.
HOW TO QUICKLY DEEP CLEAN
1.) make sure all food debris is clear from bristles (see step 2 for proper protocol)
2.) take 1 part white vinegar & 1 part warm water (i do 1/4 cup each) & place it in a small bowl
3.) with just the bristles, soak the bristles only in the warm water vinegar mix for 10-15 mins
4.) remove brush from mixture & with soap & warm water do a quick wash on the bristles just to kill any extra bacteria the vinegar didn't get to.
5.) dry off the brush with a dish towel & take just a smidge of olive oil (or coconut oil) to the wood handle of the brush to moisturize & restore the wood. this is purely cosmetic & will just make your brush look brand new
6.) see step 1 above to store your brush & try not to use it again until its completely dry. should take around 1-2 hours
