In my semi-retirement, I make spoons and spreaders and toys and such. The wonderful folks at Big Hill Books suggested I can sell my things there, and it's been a fun collaboration ever since.
Thumbelinas tm
The items of mine that sell the most at the wonderful Big Hill Books in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, are a funny little thing: a device solving a problem no one has, which is how to hold your book open with your thumb! I call them Thumbelinastm and they are just as cute as can be.
For the spoons and spreaders, I finish them with a mix of mineral oil and beeswax.
I recommend not washing them! I just wipe mine off with a paper towel after I've used one. Butter, peanut butter, mayo, etc; all spreads with oil in them are a nice way of 'renewing' the finish.
If more cleaning oomph is needed, use just a little water; don't use soap if you can help it. And finally, if you do use soap and remove the oils and waxes, go right ahead and put on a little peanut butter and wipe it off again.
If an item has been sitting in water long enough to feel a little fuzzy, get some very fine sandpaper (400 or higher grit) and give it a quick rub with the paper and a quick rub with some oil.
On the puzzles and other non-food-related things I use boiled linseed oil. It's a nice non-toxic finish with a soft sheen. These items don't need any care. If you've played with them so much as to wear off the finish, you can use most any oil (I recommend mineral oil, available inexpensively in drug stores), but if you want to be fancy, use the boiled linseed oil like I do; it has more durability than plain oil.
