Should I not use olive oil to lube my kitchen scissors?

Factual Questions
1

Heya,

I have a nice set of steel scissors I keep in the kitchen. Since they occasionally touch food, I keep them clean by tossing them into the dishwasher. After they come out, I put a few drops of extra light olive oil in the hinge and wipe away the excess. A friend of mine says that this is bad, since the olive oil may break up, or congeal, or attract pests - and that I should use machine oil instead. I don’t want a petroleum-based grease oozing from my scissors into, say, the flour! :stuck_out_tongue:

So, how should one lubricate kitchen utensils?

The Dun King

2

Machine oils tend to be fairly toxic. I’d go with Mineral oils, ones that are food grade.

3

How often do you use your kitchen shears (scissors) and throw in dishwasher?

If seldom I would get some pure white mineral oil from loacal drugstore. It’s purpose in your case is principally to prevent rust.

If you use and wash them frequently then olive oil is fine as it too will prevent rust and provide a modicum of lubrication.

Currently most if not all of the kitchen shears are made of stainless steel and either oil would do an adequate job.

4

Olive oil is a fairly good choice from among the food oils. It’s not a drying oil like safflower, corn or soybean oils are, so it shouldn’t gunk up your scissors over time.

5

It’s not the best idea in the world to put tools with cutting edges in the dishwasher. Loose, lightweight items get banged around pretty hard in there which can dull the edges of your blades, shredders, etc. Just a suggestion.