How to Clean a Wood Cutting Board
If there's one item you can never have too many of in the kitchen, and that's cutting boards (or also known as chopping boards). These are a necessity not just for keeping your countertop in good shape - avoiding knife marks and messes to clean up, but also for properly preparing different foods i.e. meat, poultry, vegetables etc. A good cutting board is also absolutely essential for overall food safety and hygiene.
But which type of cutting board is best? Wood cutting boards versus plastic cutting boards has been debated for years, but from our professional opinion, wood cutting boards are better in the long run. This doesn't mean you should throw away any plastic cutting boards you have though - if you don't know how to properly clean your cutting board, it doesn't matter which kind you use anyway.
This is why we are putting together a list of ways to thoroughly clean your wooden cutting boards to ensure longevity, and ultimate health and safety with the must needed equipment in a kitchen.
Cleaning Wood Cutting Boards With Dish Soap
The best thing about cleaning a wood cutting board is that it can be easily be done by hand. All you need is hot water, dish soap, and a clean sponge or brush (decide which one you prefer - either a sponge or a brush). Rinse the board off with hot water first, then apply soap. No need to take an additional trip to the shop to get special soap, just use your regular dish soap for this. Then scrub away! If you notice any knife marks, scratches or inconsistencies in the wood, make sure to give those areas an extra hard scrubbing.
Make sure to properly clean and scrub both sides of the cutting board. Even if you only used one side to cut on, please don't forget that meat juices can drip and contaminate the other side. So be safe and clean both side of the board thoroughly. Then simply rinse off the soap and bubbles each side of the cutting board with hot water. Next, dry off the board with a clean cloth or towel, or drip dry in an upright position. Which ever works best for you.
Cleaning a Wood Cutting Board With Lemon and Salt
Yes, you read that correctly - using lemon and salt to clean (a chemical free solution you'll love). Just giving your cutting boards a good cleaning regularly (every 4 to 6 weeks) with lemon and salt is a great way to help maintain them and improve the longevity of the board.
First, sprinkle the board with salt, such as sea salt or even kosher salt (the salt you probably already have in the cupboard, or at least know where it is in your local shop). Then take a lemon and cut it in half. Scrub the salt down each side of the cutting board using the lemon with the fleshy side down. Let the salt and lemon solution sit for around 5 minutes. Finally, wipe off the board with a clean sponge, rinse with hot water, and dry (with a clean towel or drip dry in the an upright position).
Cleaning Wood Cutting Boards With Bleach
For the meat lovers out there that want to make sure all the bacteria is removed from the cutting boards used in meal prep might want to bleach the board. First things first, make sure you have a cutting board just for meat and poultry - nothing special about the board other than only meats are cut up and prepared on it . To clean the board using bleach, we recommend adding one tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water and let your board soak in the solution for a around 3 to 4 minutes. Then rinse down with hot water and dry it off.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When handling any bleach, please be careful and cautious.
Cleaning Wood Cutting Boards With Vinegar
Another one for those of you who prefer to use a chemical-free products, mix one part white vinegar to four parts water (hydrogen peroxide can also work if you don't have vinegar to hand) and soak your cutting board in the solution for a 3 to 4 minutes. Then rinse off with hot water and dry (with a clean towel or drip dry in the upright position).
No matter what you soak your cutting board in, it's important not to soak it for more than a few minutes to avoid warping or cracking the wood. Take care with how long you soak the board for.
Top Tips To Maintain Your Wood Cutting Board
Now you know how to clean a wooden cutting board, how do you maintain it so it lasts longer than a few uses? Here are the top tips we can give you when it comes to looking after your wooden cutting boards:
To avoid cracking, dryness, and warping of the wood cutting board, it's best to oil the board every 4 to 6 weeks (depending on how often you use it). Luckily, this task only takes a few minutes. First, clean your cutting board thoroughly using one of the methods above, and dry the board once you're happy with how clean it is.
To oil your cutting board, you need to use a product specifically formulated for wood cutting boards. Don't worry, just head to Amazon and type in "wooden cutting board oil", plenty of results turn up. Here are some we like:
When applying the oil, only use a soft cloth or paper towel to apply it on - that way it's soft on the surface of your wooden board. Apply a thin coat to the surface and se circular motions to buff the oil into the wood cutting board. Do this front and back, as well as the sides. Let the oil soak for a few hours or even overnight, and see the difference it makes.
