Beeswax wraps and beeswax cloths: the complete guide

Vokshus bivokspapir i tre størrelser, S, M og L, guide til bivokspapir og bivoksduk

Beeswax wrap, beeswax cloth, beeswax sheet, wax paper: one thing with many names, and they all point at the same kitchen tool. This is the page that gives you the overview, with links onward to the in-depth articles on everything from care to sizes.

Short answer: A beeswax wrap is cotton fabric with a thin layer of beeswax and tree resin. The warmth of your hands makes it mouldable, so it shapes itself around bowls, cheese, fruit and vegetables instead of cling film. It washes in cold water and is used again for about a year.

What is it, and is it safe?

Start with beeswax wraps: how to use them, which covers the whole basic course. If you are wondering about the food and the wax, is beeswax safe for food answers the most important part. And is it really a sheet, a cloth or a paper? Our dictionary sorts the terms out, and beeswax food paper and wax paper for food explain the neighbouring terms.

What does it replace?

Cling film, first and foremost. See covering bowls without cling film, storing cheese without plastic, cheese paper: wrapping cheese properly, avocado, lemon and onion without plastic and keeping salad and herbs fresh. Elsewhere in the kitchen: a plastic-free kitchen, swap by swap, a packed lunch without plastic and a lunch box without plastic.

What it does NOT replace

Baking paper in a hot oven. Heat melts the wax, so beeswax wraps belong with cold and lukewarm food. The differences are in baking paper, wax paper or beeswax wraps, what baking paper is made of and alternatives to baking paper. Against silicone lids: beeswax wraps or silicone lids.

Buying, sizes and value

Which size do you need, are beeswax wraps worth it, and buying beeswax wraps: price and where. Our own set has three wraps in sizes S, M and L and costs 299 NOK as a one-off purchase.

Care, freezer and renewal

Wash in cold water with mild soap, let the wrap air dry, and it lasts for about a year. The whole routine is in caring for beeswax wraps. The wraps handle the freezer perfectly well: see beeswax wraps in the freezer. When a wrap starts to look dull, renewing beeswax wraps in the oven gives it new life in ten minutes.

Make your own?

Perfectly possible, and a nice hobby: make beeswax wraps yourself gives the method, and buying beeswax and resin shows where to get hold of the raw materials. If the wraps are going to be a gift, we also have gift ideas for the home baker.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a beeswax wrap and a beeswax cloth?
None. It is the same product: cotton fabric with a beeswax coating. Some say paper, others say cloth, sheet or wrap. The fabric itself and the way you use it are the same.
How long does a beeswax wrap last?
Around 12 months with daily use, longer with gentle use. When the wrap goes dull and stops clinging, the wax can be renewed in the oven at a low temperature.
Can beeswax wraps handle the freezer?
Yes. Cold does not harm the wax. Wrap the food well, and for long storage use a sealed box on the outside.

Replace cling film, wrap by wrap

Vokshus beeswax wraps in cotton with beeswax and tree resin: a set of three wraps in sizes S, M and L, 299 NOK.

See the beeswax wrap set →
  • Reusable for about 12 months
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  • Washes in cold water
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  • Compostable at the end