Short answer
Clean a mud kitchen with warm water and a soft brush, never a pressure washer, which drives water into the grain and lifts the surface fibres. Tip the sink bowls out after every session, brush off dried mud monthly, and give the whole kitchen a proper wash in spring and autumn. Stainless bowls need nothing more than a rinse. For green algae on a shaded kitchen, a diluted mild detergent and a brush on a dry day, followed by a rinse and a full day to dry before re-coating any bare timber.
A mud kitchen is supposed to be muddy, so “clean” here means something specific: keeping water from sitting anywhere it can do harm, keeping the hygiene side sensible, and stopping the finish from breaking down. This is the routine we would follow on our own, and it takes about ten minutes a month.
After every session: thirty seconds
- Tip the sink bowls out. Standing water is the one thing a mud kitchen genuinely should not have overnight.
- Stand the bowls upside down on the shelf, or lift them out and lean them against the back panel to dry.
- Hang the utensils back up. Wet spoons on a wet worktop hold water against the timber.
That is it. Children can do all three, and most will if it is part of the game from day one.
Monthly: five minutes
- Brush off dried mud with a stiff hand brush. Dry mud lifts easily; wet mud smears. Do it on a dry day.
- Wipe the worktop with a damp cloth. No detergent needed for ordinary mud.
- Rinse the stainless bowls under a tap or in a bucket. Nothing else. Stainless does not need scrubbing or chemicals.
- Check the hooks and knobs are tight. Give any loose one a quarter turn.
- Clear the shelf of leaves and anything that has quietly become compost.
Twice a year: the proper wash
Spring, before the season starts, and autumn, before the wet sets in.
- Empty everything. Bowls out, utensils off, shelf cleared.
- Warm water, a soft brush, a bucket. Work with the grain. A drop of washing-up liquid is fine if the kitchen is greasy from sun cream or has a green film.
- No pressure washer. It forces water into the joints and end grain, raises the surface fibres so the timber goes furry, and strips paint. The most common cause of a kitchen looking tired at two years old is a pressure washer at one.
- Rinse with a watering can or a gentle hose.
- Leave it a full dry day. Ideally in sun and wind. Do not cover it wet.
- Inspect it while it dries. Rough edges, bare patches, rust on fixings. This is when you find the things that need a coat of wood care, which is covered in our weatherproofing guide.
Green algae and mould
A shaded kitchen under a tree will grow a green film on the north-facing surfaces by late winter. It is harmless but it holds moisture. Brush it off dry first, then wash with warm water and a small amount of mild detergent, rinse, and let it dry fully. If it keeps coming back, the kitchen wants more air and light: trim the branch above it, or move it a metre out from the fence. Avoid bleach and patio cleaners on painted timber, which strip the finish and stain.
The hygiene side
Ordinary garden soil is not a hazard. The sensible controls, which are what nurseries do, are simple: keep the mud area away from where pets toilet, cover soil and sand tubs when not in use, empty the bowls after play, and wash hands before food. If an animal has fouled the area, remove it and the surrounding soil, and wash the affected surface with warm water and detergent before the next session. That is the whole of it, and our safety guide goes into the reasoning.
Stains, and whether to care
Mud on a Powder Pink kitchen is visible. Mud on a Suede Black one is not. Neither is damage, and both wash off with warm water and a brush. Rust stains, which look like orange streaks running down from a screw head, are different: they mean a plain steel fixing is corroding, and the screw should be replaced with a stainless one before it splits the timber. Ours ship with stainless or coated fixings for exactly this reason.
What not to use
- Pressure washers. See above. The single most damaging thing you can do to a wooden kitchen.
- Bleach and patio cleaner. Strip and bleach the finish.
- Wire brushes and scourers on painted surfaces.
- Anything abrasive on the stainless bowls. Warm water and a cloth is plenty.
Frequently asked questions
How do you clean a wooden mud kitchen?
Warm water, a soft brush and a bucket, working with the grain, then a gentle rinse and a full dry day. Brush off dried mud first. Do a proper wash in spring and autumn, a quick brush-down monthly, and tip the sink bowls out after every session. Never use a pressure washer.
Can you pressure wash a mud kitchen?
No. A pressure washer forces water into the joints and end grain, raises the surface fibres so the timber goes furry, and strips the paint. It is the most common reason a wooden kitchen looks worn at two years old. Warm water and a soft brush do the job without the damage.
How do you get green algae off a mud kitchen?
Brush it off dry, then wash with warm water and a little mild detergent, rinse and let it dry fully. Avoid bleach and patio cleaners on painted timber. If algae keeps returning, the kitchen needs more light and air: trim the branch above it or move it out from the fence.
How do you clean mud kitchen sinks?
Stainless bowls need only a rinse under a tap or in a bucket. Tip them out after every session and stand them upside down to dry. Plastic bowls stain and go brittle over time, which is one reason to choose stainless in the first place.
Built to be washed for years. Solid spruce, outdoor acrylic, stainless bowls and fixings. See the four kitchens or read the weatherproofing guide for the annual routine.
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