Knife Cleaning 101: If they’re really dirty, read on

An Adventure Network surfer recently asked me the following: “Try as I might, I just can’t seem to keep my pocket knife clean. It fills up with all kinds of gunk and crud and takes ages to try to scrub and pick all the dirt out. There has got to be a better way.”

There is a better way, but ONLY if your knife is so dirty that warm water and soap don’t get the job done:

Think hot water. Whether you own a Swiss Army type knife, a multitool, or a simple two blade folding knife, a pan of hot water is all you need (but beware of melting plastic knife handles my friends and don’t use this method if you are not sure if your plastic handles will hold up to heat –  cheap imitations will NOT survive hot water).

First, bring the pan of water to boiling. Remove from the heat and let the water cool for a minute or two — the idea is that the water is hotter than you get from your tap, but not so hot it will melt the plastic handles. You can certainly add a few teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar (acidic solution that will help along with the hot water to loosen long-dried crud).

Open up all the tools in your knife and drop it into the pan of previously boiling water. Leave the knife to soak in the hot water for no more than 15 seconds. Carefully pour out the hot water and then slowly add warm water (cold water might crack the plastic handles). After a minute or so, carefully remove the knife–it’s probably still hot so using tongs is a good idea.

IMPORTANT!!! — Keep in mind that any plastic covers on the knife handle may soften during the  hot water cleaning process and if the plastic is not of a high enough grade, they might separate from the knife completely — which is not good. Handle carefully until the plastic has hardened completely again. Also, handle the knife very carefully when all the blades are out. This is the most common time for little nicks and cuts to occur. Remove all the softened crud that’s still clinging to your knife with an old toothbrush. Finally, allow the knife to air-dry and then coat it lightly with a layer of cooking oil, rubbing off the excess with a paper towel.

Now, for my final tip. What is the VERY best way to clean your knife if it is really dirty with dried on crud? Never let it get that nasty and dirty in the first place! Take a few minutes to carefully clean your knife after each use. Even in the field, I never close up a pocket knife without first cleaning it, and ensuring substances such as peanut butter, grease, cheese, etc. aren’t still clinging to the blades and packed into the handle and hinges.

-Michael Hodgson