How to Clean and Sanitize Your Kitchen Knives
A Complete Guide to Cleaning Your Kitchen Knife by Victorinox
Why Knife Hygiene Matters
Whether you’re a professional chef or a passionate home cook, keeping your kitchen knives clean and sanitised is essential for both food safety and knife longevity.
Proper cleaning not only removes food residues and bacteria but also protects the blade’s integrity and prevents corrosion. Here’s how to do it the right way.
When Should You Clean Your Kitchen Knife?
Clean your kitchen knife after every single use and ideally between tasks if you are preparing different sorts of food. Pay particular attention after cutting citrus fruit, onions or tomatoes, all of which can stain or corrode the blade if left unwashed. Never put a blade away unwashed.
How to Clean your Kitchen Knife
Here's our step by step guide to cleaning your kitchen knife properly:
Clean immediately after use: leaving food — especially acidic ingredients like tomatoes or citrus — on the blade can cause discolouration or pitting.
Hand wash, don’t dishwasher. Even though Victorinox knives with synthetic handles are dishwasher-safe, we recommend hand-washing to protect both blade and handle – it can also help to keep your blade sharper for longer.
Use warm water, mild dish soap, and a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid abrasive pads that can scratch or dull the blade.
Never soak knives with wooden handles in water; prolonged exposure can damage the handle and rivets. Knives with plastic handles and without rivets can be soaked for longer periods without issue.
When Should You Sanitize Your Blade?
You don’t need to sanitise your blade after every use in a home kitchen, but it is important to do it after cutting raw meat, poultry and fish. You should also sanitise your blade if you have handled allergens and are cooking for someone with food allergies. It is also worth sanitising your blade if you’ve been using it outdoors or alternatively if you haven’t used it in a long time.
How to Sanitize your Kitchen Knife
Although professional kitchens use a range of methods to sanitise blades, here's how we recommend sanitising in your home kitchen:
Boil a kettle or heat water to 77 degrees Celsius or more.
Add 2 or 3 drops of suitable cleaning fluid.
Pour this water over your blade for a few seconds.
Dry your blade with a clean tea towel immediately.
Another alternative is to use kitchen wipes with 70% alcohol to sanitise your blade. After cleaning, rinse and dry your blade immediately.
What Else To Know?
Always dry your knife thoroughly after cleaning, ensuring there is no moisture left on the blade. Use a soft, lint-free towel. Wipe from the spine toward the edge to avoid accidental cuts. Never air-dry knives on a countertop — water spots can form and lead to rust.
Proper storage is also essential to keep your knives clean and sharp. We recommend one of our knife blocks. See our selection here.
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