The Proper Care & Handling of Wood Cutting Boards

Ok I admit it, I have kind of a thing for wood cutting boards. I love them! I have a hard time passing one up when I see them at the store. Do I need another one? Well…uh…YES! To say I am obsessed with them might be just a slight understatement, LOL.

There is just something about the natural organic beauty of wood that seems to draw me to them. Wood has a natural warmth and beauty that you will never obtain with a plastic cutting board.

Some would argue that plastic is a safer surface but research shows that a wooden cutting board, if cleaned and maintained properly, is just as safe as a plastic cutting board. In my humble opinion, wood is the optimal material and it’s so much more beautiful.

If you are like me and you have a borderline obsession with them, or even if you have only one or two wooden cutting boards it is important to know how to maintain them. Knowing how to properly clean them and maintain them will ensure they will stay beautiful looking and give you years of use. The good news is that it’s really easy to do.

Always Wash by Hand

Use a mild liquid dish soap and warm water to wash your cutting boards after daily use. You never want to soak it in a sink full of water or place it in the dishwasher! The wood will warp and eventually dry out, ruining it. It’s perfectly ok to use a scrubbing sponge to remove any tough stuck on foods if necessary.

Use Vinegar to Disinfect & Deodorize

Mix one part vinegar with three parts water to make a vinegar solution. Spray boards with the white vinegar solution. Let sit for a few minutes and then wipe with a warm damp cloth. Doing this regularly will help protect against Salmonella and E. coli and prevent cross contamination.

Use Salt & Lemon for General Cleaning

Sprinkle a generous amount of coarse salt onto the board. Cut a lemon or lime in 1/2 and squeeze juice onto the salt on the board. You can add a few drops of water if you do not have a particularly juicy lemon or lime. Using the flat side of the cut lemon or lime, gently rub the board.

Let board sit for 5 minutes before rising with warm water.

Dry with a soft cloth.

Condition Regularly

To keep your boards in top shape you will want to condition them on a regular basis. There is no set time schedule that you must adhere to, but a general rule of thumb is the boards you use most often will need more frequent conditioning. For boards you use on a daily basis you will want to condition them, at a minimum, at least once a month.

I use a food safe mineral oil that I picked up at Ikea to condition my boards.

Do not use olive oil or vegetable oils to condition your wood cutting boards. These oils can go rancid and ruin your cutting boards. Food safe mineral oil is the least expensive and safest option.

Pour mineral oil onto a clean cutting board and gently spread it around and massage it into the surface using a paper towel.

Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the oil to soak down into the surface, then wipe off any excess oil with a dry paper towel.

Don’t forget about your wooden spoons, wooden bowls and wooden knife handles. As long as you have the mineral oil out you might as well give them a conditioning coat of oil too.

Use Baking Soda & Salt to Remove Stains

Mix 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon salt with 3 tablespoons hot water. Stir together to make a thick paste. Scrub board with the paste to remove stubborn stains. Wipe clean with a warm damp cloth.

Use Sandpaper to Remove Knife Marks

I personally like the character knife marks give a cutting board and leave them for the most part. But if you end up with a particularly deep cut in your board and it interferes with chopping foods you may want to remove it by using sandpaper.

Start with a coarse, 100-grit sandpaper, followed by 180 and then 240-grit paper. When the surface is smoothed out and the deep cuts are gone, finish by rinsing the board with warm soapy water to remove any sawdust particles. Allow cutting board to air dry. When completely dry, condition board with mineral oil.

I recommend sanding, disinfecting and conditioning old cutting boards that you find at thrift stores before using them.

Storing Cutting Boards

The optimal way to store cutting boards is to store them vertically. This allows any moisture to run off and will prevent them from warping over time due to excess moisture being trapped when stored horizontally, stacked one on top of another.

If you have limited storage space in your kitchen try leaning them up against the backsplash in your kitchen. Not only is it an attractive way to display your cutting boards, but it will keep them right where you need them and use them the most, the kitchen counter.

So when those terrible looking plastic cutting boards have finally worn out, replace them by investing in some beautiful solid wooden ones instead. With a little care and a minimum of maintenance, they will last you for decades to come. Not only are they durable and beautiful, but if you store them on your counters they will enhance the decor in your kitchen at the same time.

There is nothing that adds warmth and character to a space like real wood. Use these tips and tricks to preserve the life of your wooden cutting boards for years and years of enjoyment.

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