How to Clean a Bamboo Steamer (and a Sticky Rice Basket)

Washing a bamboo steamer is the quick part; drying it is where the care goes. Clean it soon after you cook, while it's still warm, with warm water and a soft brush. Keep it out of the dishwasher and don't leave it to soak, because bamboo takes up water and can warp or crack. Then let every tier and the lid dry fully, apart, before you put it away.

Bamboo can feel dry on the surface while it still holds moisture inside, and a steamer put away damp can grow mould. The same routine suits a woven Thai sticky rice basket, with a few changes for rice that has set into the weave. You can also browse our bamboo baskets.

What you need

• a soft brush, such as a nylon washing up brush
• a ceramic soup spoon or a plastic rice paddle, for scraping
• a clean tea towel (dish towel in the US) and a cloth
• mild washing up liquid (dish soap in the US), only if needed
• white vinegar, for smells and mould
• bicarbonate of soda (baking soda in the US), optional

How to clean a bamboo steamer after each use

1. Let it cool enough to handle. Lift the tiers and lid apart and take out any liner. Food comes off more easily while the bamboo is still warm. Check: you can hold the rim comfortably and it still feels warm.
2. Scrape off food. Lift off anything stuck to the slats with the edge of the spoon or paddle. Keep knife points and scourers away from the bamboo. Check: no food left that you can see or feel.
3. Brush under warm water. Brush each piece under a warm running tap, including the corners and the inside of the lid. Check: the water runs clear and the gaps between the slats are empty.
4. Use soap only if you need it. Advice on soap differs, because bamboo can hold on to a soap smell. Our default is warm water alone; for grease, put a drop of mild washing up liquid on the brush, then rinse well. Check: no suds, no slippery feel and no soapy smell.
5. Blot it. Press the tea towel over every surface, inside and out. Check: no drips or beads of water on the slats.
6. Air dry each piece separately. Stand every tier and the lid on its own, flat, somewhere airy. Check: each piece sits level with air around it. Leave them until they pass the dry check below.

How to clean a sticky rice basket

A sticky rice basket follows the same idea, but cooked rice can set into the weave if it sits there.

1. Empty it soon after cooking. Rice left sitting in the basket can lead to mould. Take out any cloth liner and wash and dry it separately. Check: basket and liner are apart and empty.
2. Scrape out set-on rice. Work around the sides and base with the thin edge of the spoon or paddle. Check: most grains are out, even if a few stubborn ones remain.
3. Soften stuck grains with a short soak. If rice is stuck fast, give it a short soak in warm water, just long enough to soften the grains, then scrape again. This is the one place we'd soak bamboo. Check: the grains lift away with the spoon.
4. Rinse until clear. Rinse under warm water, inside and out. Check: the water runs clear.
5. Blot and dry. Blot it with the tea towel, then stand it somewhere airy. Check: no drips, and it passes the dry check before you store it.

Next time, a muslin (cheesecloth) liner between the rice and the basket makes clean-up easier.

Fixing common problems

A smell that lingers

Bamboo can take up strong smells, such as fish. Once it's clean, try one of these:

• Patch test, then wipe with vinegar. Mix 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water, dab a little on a hidden spot such as the underside of the rim and let it dry. If the colour or finish changes, skip vinegar. If not, dampen the cloth in the mix, wring it out well and wipe the bamboo rather than soaking it. It's the same mix we recommend for cleaning wicker and rattan baskets.
• Bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle it over the bamboo, leave it for a few hours, then rinse it off with hot water.
• Tea bag or lemon. Some cooks rub the bamboo with a used black tea bag or a slice of lemon instead.

Finish with a plain water rinse and a full dry. Check: once it's dry, sniff it; if the smell is still there, try another option. A liner under strong-smelling food helps next time.

Stains

Black or purple sticky rice can darken the bamboo. That's cosmetic, not damage, so there's no need to scrub at it. Muslin or fine mesh under dark rice limits it.

Stuck food

On a flat steamer, wet the spot, brush it, then scrape again. Don't leave it soaking in the sink; a long soak can warp or crack the bamboo.

Mould

If mould covers a large part of the steamer, or the bamboo is cracked, skip ahead to replacing it. For a small patch, try this:

1. Scrub the area gently with hot water and the soft brush. Check: no growth visible on the surface.
2. If you haven't patch tested the vinegar mix yet, do that first. Then wipe the area with 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water on a cloth wrung out well.
3. Rinse with plain water. Check: no vinegar smell.
4. Dry every piece flat and apart until it passes the dry check.

Mould is far harder to shift than everyday mess, so treat this as worth a try rather than a sure fix. If it comes back after a full dry, or keeps spreading, replace the steamer.

Warping or cracks

Bamboo can warp or crack when it takes on too much water, from a long soak or a dishwasher cycle, and tiers stacked together to dry can lose their shape. We don't know of a reliable way to straighten bamboo once it has warped, so prevention is what counts.

How to dry and store it

A full dry can take a couple of days, because bamboo can hold moisture inside even when the surface feels dry.

The dry check: feel inside the slats, along the joins where they meet the rim and around the inner edge of the lid. Everything should feel dry to the touch. If anything feels damp, or you're not sure, give it longer.

Once it passes, store it:

• somewhere cool, dry and airy
• out of plastic bags and damp or tightly closed cupboards (cabinets in the US)
• with the tiers apart, or propped at an angle so air can move between them
• for a sticky rice basket, with its cloth liner washed and fully dry too

When to replace it

Replace your steamer or basket when:

• the bamboo is fraying, so loose bits could end up in your food
• mould comes back after you've cleaned and fully dried it, or keeps spreading
• it's cracked, or warped so the tiers or lid no longer sit properly

Wash a new steamer and pull off any loose fibres before its first outing. Our guide on how to use a bamboo steamer covers the first run and everything after it.

Bamboo steamer cleaning FAQs

Can you put a bamboo steamer in the dishwasher?

We wouldn't. The heat, water and detergent can warp or crack the bamboo.

Should you soak a bamboo steamer?

Not for everyday cleaning. Bamboo can swell, warp or crack, and the more water it takes up, the longer it takes to dry. Stuck rice in a sticky rice basket is the exception: a short soak, then a thorough dry.

Can you use soap on a bamboo steamer?

Sparingly. Bamboo can hold a soap smell, so save a drop of mild washing up liquid for grease and rinse until you can't smell it.

How do you get rid of mould on a bamboo steamer?

Scrub a small patch gently, wipe with the patch-tested vinegar mix, rinse and dry fully. If mould covers a large area, comes back or keeps spreading, replace the steamer.