This post was most recently updated on July 25th, 2021
If you have made beeswax wraps, or you have bought one of the many popular brands of honey food wraps, you need to know how to care for them properly so that they will last well. This article will tell you all you need to know about how to clean beeswax wraps, as well as other tips for caring for them to get the most out of your investment.
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How long do beeswax wraps last?
Beeswax food wraps should last about a year with regular use as long is it is cared for properly. Beeswax wrap cleaning is simple, use cool water and mild soap. Store wraps out of the sun and away from dust or heat.
Wraps made with soy wax may not last as long as the soy wax is softer and less durable than beeswax.
How do you use a beeswax wrap?
If you followed my popular beeswax wrap recipe correctly, the wraps should be almost sticky to the touch and be soft and pliable at a warm room temperature.
If your room is cold, or you live at higher altitudes, your wraps may not be so soft and sticky until you warm them with your hands.
The challenge is getting just the right amount of mixture on the wraps that it doesn’t flake off, but it has enough that it sticks to itself.
Place the wrap over the bowl and warm and mold the wrap so that it shapes and sticks. It will firm up in the fridge.
If you are wrapping food, use it in the same manner that you would wax paper or cling film.
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How to clean beeswax wraps
Cleaning beeswax wraps is simple, use cool water and a mild soap so that you don’t strip the beeswax from the fabric.
Once you have finished with your wrap, fold it carefully and take it home to be cleaned.
If it was just crumbs from a sandwich, you can just brush them off and pop your wrap away to use another day.
If your beeswax wrap got soiled while being used, maybe that sneaky mayo decided it would go everywhere or the cheese got a bit stinky, you can wash it.
You can either submerge the wrap in some cool water using a mild detergent and wash it that way.
Or you can wipe both sides of the cloth with a clean, cool damp dish cloth.
Do not wring the beeswax wrap out as this will crack the waterproof coating.
Hang your clean beeswax wrap somewhere until fully dry and then fold carefully and store it back in the drawer for next time.
What to not put in your beeswax food wrap
You cannot use your food wrap for raw meats or anything that may leech in to the cloth.
Some oils and sauces may stain your food wrap, but your food will stay fresh.
Don’t forget that beeswax wraps don’t like the heat so avoid dishwashers, microwaves, and ovens
Cooked meats, deli meats and cheese are all OK to wrap in beeswax wraps.
Refreshing beeswax wraps
If you are finding your wraps aren’t quite as awesome as they once were, you can refresh them by placing them in a warm over 150C/300F on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet or cookie tray for 3-5 minutes (you can also use parchment paper or baking paper, just something to stop the wax mixture from getting all over your tray).
Re-heating your wrap in this manner will re-distribute the waxes and help seal in any gaps in the beeswax mixture.
If you feel that it really is too dry, and you have some beeswax pellets, jojoba oil and tree resin available, you can paint on a little more of the DIY beeswax wraps mixture before baking.
If you do not have all the ingredients required to make more of the beeswax mixture, you can simply sprinkle a little grated beeswax over the fabric and re-bake it that way.
This method works perfectly well for both a homemade beeswax wrap or a purchased one.
What to do with a beeswax wrap when they are old and finished
Eventually there will be salvaging your spent wraps and it will be time to make some new ones.
If you were clever and used 100% cotton fabric when you made your beeswax wraps, they are totally compostable because both cotton and beeswax is compostable.
You can either
- Bury the wraps in the ground
- Add them to an active compost pile
- Cut them in to strips and use them as fire lighters (beeswax burns well)
If you have bought beeswax wraps in the past and would like to try to make your own, check out this recipe here.
If you follow these tips your reusable beeswax food wrap will last for a long time, and save the use of so much plastic wrap. Well done you!
