The Simple Mistake You're Probably Making With Your Knives

Ask any chef, and he or she will tell you that the most important tool in the kitchen is a good knife. Once you've chosen the one that's right for you and sharpened your skills, you must learn how to care for your blade.

A dull knife is a dangerous one, because it requires more force. The harder you push down, the greater the possibility you'll have an accident. Keeping a sharp edge won't only make your cooking easier and faster, it will also keep you safe.

You probably already know you're supposed to hone and sharpen knives. You're also likely aware that you're not supposed to put them in the dishwasher. There's one more crucial step:

Always dry your knives after washing them. Never let them air-dry.

Leaving knives out to dry will make them dull faster and over time could cause rust. "Just a few seconds of work will add years to [their] lives," according to Real Simple. Placing them in a dish rack also leaves the blades exposed to other utensils that might damage your precious tools. Leaving sharp instruments sticking out of a dish rack isn't the safest idea for you either.

So next time you wash your knives by hand, take that extra 10 seconds to grab a clean dish towel and wipe that water (and all your worries) away.