How To Clean And Care Bamboo Whisk

1. Brief introduction

Bamboo whisks(or Chasen) are a great tool for making Diancha. They have small, narrow tines that help extract the flavor from your tea leaves and are much easier to clean than metal whisks. However, if you don’t take proper care of your bamboo whisk, it can get damaged over time. Here’s how you can clean and care for your bamboo whisk, so it lasts longer.

2. How to clean bamboo whisk before and after use

Before use

When a bamboo whisk has not been used for some time, it needs to be cleaned when using, because there may be dust and other impurities on it and even mold in some parts.

First, you need to prepare a bowl of clean hot water, stir in hot water with bamboo whisks, and then carefully observe to see any large impurities attached to the whisks. If any, you can use tweezers to remove them or scrape them off with a knife. Finally, rinse with running water.

After use

1) You need a lot of clean water. Put the bamboo whisks in the clean water and stir vigorously to wash off the tea stains, or you can directly rinse with tap water so the preliminary cleaning work can be done.
2) Scrape off the tea stains on the outer surface with your hands or a rag
3) Scrape off the tea stains on the inner liner with your hands or a rag
4) Stir again in clean water, or rinse with tap water
5) The shape of a few tines can be adjusted, like making them bend outwards, which allows for deep cleaning
6) Wipe the whisks with a clean, dry rag to remove the moisture and restore the whisks to their shape
7) It is better to have a whisks holder. Placing the whisks on the holder can keep the shape

3. Introduction of whisk holder

A whisks holder is a special placement tool for whisks. It is used to restore and correct the shape of whisks after use. Most of them are made of porcelain, and the shape is a bit like a modern earphone. Whisks can only be put on the holder when clean and dry. Whisks can ensure that the whisk is neat and stretched.

4. How to use whisk holder to keep the shape fine

1) Wash the whisk holder and keep it dry
2) Put the cleaned whisk (please wash with hot water) on the holder. The whisk is still a little wet at this time
3) Wrap the whisk and holder with plastic wrap, then correct the shape with your fingers and leave it for half an hour to allow the whisk to cool and restore the shape
4) Remove the plastic wrap and place it in a cool place to dry
5) Finally, remove the whisk and put it upright and upside down, or place it in a special storage box for the next use

5. How to store and take care of your bamboo whisk

1) Regarding the storage of whisks, it should be noted that they can’t be exposed to the sun and baked, and it is not recommended to soak them in water for a long time.
2) If you have a whisk holder, it is recommended to use it. It will keep its shape. If a whisk holder is not used, the whisks should be dried and put upside down, but it will deform them over time.
3) Use plastic wrap whenever possible to handle whisks so that it avoids direct contact with your hands
4) After cleaning, place it in a ventilated place to dry naturally and then store it. If the whisks are not dry, there is a possibility of mold. If you find mildew on the whisks, it can be removed after washing with water. If not, it is not recommended to continue using it.
5) The same goes for whisks and tea bowls. They can last longer with proper use and care.

6. How long can a bamboo whisk be used

Different from other tea sets, tea bamboo is a consumable item. Its service life is affected by the frequency of use, strength, and maintenance. In daily use, as long as it is properly maintained, the life of a tea bamboo can reach several months or even a year. When a whisk is dull in color, musty smells bad, or the shape changes and the tines start to fall off, you may want to consider getting a new whisk.