A new product that would fit into almost anyone’s sustainable household routine are beeswax wraps. These wraps take the place of single use products such as plastic wrap or sandwich bags and are made up of a cotton and sustainably harvested beeswax. They are great for wrapping up food, covering a bowl, or packing as a snack to-go without the high environmental costs of other products.
Unlike single use items that have to be tossed once they have been used, beeswax wraps can be used again and again up to 100 times, and then can be thrown in the compost pile once they are worn out. In practical terms what this means is that beeswax wraps need to be cleaned so you can use them again and again. This process is really easy and this ease of use will help you make the transition to such wraps painless. At Seek Bamboo, we show you how to use beeswax wraps the most efficient way.
To clean your beeswax wraps first remove any large chunks of food caught on the wrap in the same way that you would for any other dish or pan. When removing any large chunks make sure you remember to be gentle and not scrape because scraping off food could scrape off the beeswax coating making the wraps ineffective. You do not have to get everything off but getting any large chunks of food off can help the cleaning process go quicker and easier.
Second when needed hand-wash your beeswax wraps with cold water and gentle soap. Since in general the beeswax coating allows the wraps to stick to themselves, not the food you’re protecting, they rarely get too dirty. It is important that when you do hand wash your beeswax wraps you use cold water because warm water can damage the beeswax coating on the wrap.
In cold water the beeswax coating will be stiff, so that you can wash the wrap like a plate or other dish. The wrap can handle a light scrub with a gentle dishcloth or sponge. For heavily soiled wraps, run a bit of cold water in your sink, add soap and immerse your wrap for a moment or two to loosen food, before removing the wrap from the water.
Note you should not let your beeswax wrap soak in water for a prolonged period of time because if the cotton beneath the beeswax coating gets wet the same coating that helps protect your food, will end up keeping your wrap from drying and you know how a wet kitchen towel can get a bit musty which is not what you want for something that you are using to cover up your food.
Third dry your freshly washed wrap with a soft towel for immediate use or place over a dish rack to air dry. Do not wring out your wrap because this could damage the wrap.
Fourth and finally once your wrap is dry, gently fold your beeswax wraps and store them in a drawer, basket or shelf. One common storage place is in the same place you keep your clean and dry tea towels. They can be stored almost anywhere that they will stay dry and the best location will be somewhere that is accessible whenever you need to grab one next.
Make sure that you do not store your beeswax wraps in direct sunlight, in a hot car or near a heat source like the oven or on top of the microwave because heat can melt the wrap’s coating which creates a bit of a mess, shortens the wrap’s lifespan, and can cause beeswax to flake off on to your food. While the beeswax coating is food safe it is not something you wanted added to your delicious meal.
So as you see, cleaning beeswax wraps comes down to 4 easy steps: remove any big chunks, wash using cold water, air dry, and then store in a cool dry place in your kitchen. This means that anyone can make the switch from environmentally harmful single use plastic wrap or sandwich bags to eco friendly beeswax wraps.
In addition to being very easy to use, beeswax wraps add a layer of elegance to any meal, no matter if it is a fancy picnic in the park, or just a snack you are throwing into your pocket. Using beeswax wraps invites you to slow down, and mindfully enjoy your food. While we all need food to live, we can sometimes forget that this necessity is to be enjoyed. Beeswax wraps remind us to enjoy life.
