# Crafty Dopers: What food-safe finish can we use on these painted wooden spoons **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crafty-dopers-what-food-safe-finish-can-we-use-on-these-painted-wooden-spoons/667753 "2013-09-01T20:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crafty-dopers-what-food-safe-finish-can-we-use-on-these-painted-wooden-spoons/667753/1 "2013-09-01T20:12:10Z")
We’re giving a bunch of hand-painted wooden spoons for party gifts. The handles of the spoons are painted with various colors of acrylic paint. Now we want to put a clear coat on. What can we use? It needs to be nontoxic, and it would be nice if it held up in the dishwasher. I don’t think we can use use mineral oil or beeswax because the painted handles won’t absorb it. I don’t want to use shellac because it’s a pain in the ass. Polyurethane? Acrylic? Nothing? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crafty-dopers-what-food-safe-finish-can-we-use-on-these-painted-wooden-spoons/667753/2 "2013-09-01T20:32:08Z")
I think it will be nearly impossible to coat wooden objects in such way as to make them dishwasher safe - the combination of heat and steam will get water under the coat somehow, and this will start it lifting. Epoxy varnishes can be boil-proof, and once fully hardened, are generally considered non-toxic, but as I say, I think it will still fail with wood as the underlying material. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crafty-dopers-what-food-safe-finish-can-we-use-on-these-painted-wooden-spoons/667753/3 "2013-09-01T20:46:01Z")
You’re probably right – any suggestions for what we should use if we instruct recipients that the spoons shouldn’t go in the dishwasher? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crafty-dopers-what-food-safe-finish-can-we-use-on-these-painted-wooden-spoons/667753/4 "2013-09-01T21:18:13Z")
Not sure - most of the time, wood utensils for food use get a coat based on a natural wax or oil, but that’s probably not going to work on top of paint. Maybe look for a nursery-safe varnish - something intended for coating children’s wooden toys?