How to Care for your Wood Cutting Board
- Wash your cutting board by hand. If you’re just slicing bread, you can simply wipe it off – otherwise you need to wash it.
- Use liquid dish soap to wash your cutting board.
- Wipe your clean cutting board dry, and let it finish by air-drying on its side.
- Don’t soak a cutting board. You can submerge it in water, but only for a quick dunk. Soaking can cause the board to warp.
- Don’t put wooden cutting boards in the dishwasher. The excessive heat and harsh chemicals of the dish detergent will cause the wood to dry out, warp, and/or crack.
- Don’t use harsh, concentrated cleaners on your cutting board.
Other maintenance:
Sanitize your cutting board after prepping raw meat. Use either white vinegar or a solution of
1 1/2 teaspoons bleach in 4 cups of water.
To freshen up a smelly board, rub a halved lemon over the surface; let it sit for a minute or two, and then wipe off the board.
To remove stubborn stains, sprinkle baking soda over a cutting board, rub with a warm, damp cloth, then rinse away any excess baking soda.
Periodically condition your board by rubbing stable food grade oil (vegetable oil is NOT stable) We use Mahoney’s walnut oil which you can find on Amazon.
A conditioned wood cutting board is somewhat waterproof, so it does not absorb moisture, and thus fewer odors from food. A conditioned board can also help protect against bacteria and keep your cutting board from splitting.
A cutting board is meant to be used but after months of use you might choose to do further maintenance. Note that this is not necessary but will go a long way towards returning your board to it’s beautiful finish. Use fine (400 grit) sandpaper or 0000 steel wool to take away roughness. Wipe thoroughly and apply oil.
HOW TO APPLY OIL TO YOUR BOARD:
Pour oil onto the center of the board. Using a rag rub the oil in using a small circular motion. Do this to all the surfaces: front, back and all sides, adding more oil as needed. Prop the board on its side and let it absorb the oil overnight.