A cutting board is an indispensable attribute of any kitchen and house. It is impossible to imagine cooking or serving food without it. These are the only kitchen tools that withstand countless tests for years and participate throughout the entire cooking process every time we cook.
Cutting boards are used for so many things. We cut all kinds of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat on our wooden cutting boards, as well as serve our favorite dishes. Therefore, juices, odors and food pieces remain on the surface of our cutting boards and may affect their condition. If we do not take care of our wooden boards or do it incorrectly, the boards will serve for a short time and might become unsafe to use very quickly.
Many of us have more than one wooden cutting board in the kitchen different in size, form, and purpose. But does everyone know how to take care of a wooden cutting board so that it lasts a long time and doesn’t become a source of bacteria? In this cutting boards care ultimate guide we will discover the secrets of care and storage of your wooden chopping boards.
When buying a wooden cutting board, we usually do not think about how to clean it. We wash it by hand or in the dishwasher, forgetting that each product requires different care approaches to stay in a good condition. As a result, after some time of neglecting your cutting boards care needs, the wood loses color, shows stains, has unpleasant smell and even cracks. Instead of replacing your old wooden board with a new one let’s find out how you can extend the life of your wooden chopping board and keep it in a great shape for years.
In this ultimate guide for wooden cutting boards care we will discuss 3 basic care instructions that every wooden cutting board requires: cleaning, oiling, and storing. In addition to that we will share some useful tips and tricks on how to remove stains and keep your board safe for food.
- How to clean your wooden chopping boards
One of the most important rules in taking care of a wooden cutting board is that it is not suitable for washing in a dishwasher. All wooden cutting boards including bamboo cutting boards must be washed by hand in warm soapy water and never kept wet. Always wipe your cutting boards up with a kitchen towel or a paper towel after washing and let it dry out. Keeping your wooden cutting board dry prevents it from cracking, mold, and bacteria.
You must always protect your wood cutting boards from excessive moisture and unnecessary watering. You really don’t need to wash it every time you use it! Especially if you use it for serving or cutting dry foods. Instead of washing your cutting board after cutting bread or serving cake simply wipe the board with a wet paper towel or cloth and store it away. There is no need to expose your wood cutting board to water if there is no real necessity for it.
However, after each contact with raw meat and fish the board must be cleaned properly with soap and hot water, and always wiped dry. We recommend washing your board as soon as possible to prevent meat or fish juices getting into the upper layer of your cutting board wood.
Wood is porous and it absorbs everything including your food odors. If not cleaned properly meat and fish juices will stay on your board and start growing bacteria especially if your board has cracks or significant cuts where the dirt might remain even after washing.
To avoid this problem, we recommend using solid wood cutting boards. Solid wood cutting boards are manufactured from one piece of wood and will not develop any cracks unlike laminated or bamboo cutting boards. While laminated wood cutting boards are produced from planks of wood glued together, sometimes such cutting boards develop cracks in the joint area – the glue that keeps the wood pieces together is washed out and the wooden planks start separating and develop cracks. This is very disappointing and unsafe as such cracks are exact places that might hide bacteria and dirt.
Bamboo cutting boards are risky for the same reason, as they are constructed from the layers of bamboo plant glued together that may crack and develop small splits with time to harbor bacteria and dirt. Usually bamboo boards contain even more glue than laminated wood cutting boards that may end up in your food. Besides in some cases manufactures apply varnish to coat bamboo cutting boards to keep their surface smooth.
It is very important to give a good thought what cutting board you really need and for what purpose before you go ahead and purchase a wooden cutting board. Also I personally avoid using wooden cutting boards for cutting raw meat and fish to be on a safe side, but this is a decision that you need to take – just make sure that you care for your cutting board properly according to the care instructions we are highlighting in this guide.
With all stated above nothing can replace a wooden cutting board, their beauty, rustic style, warmness, and pleasure to work with are irresistible. All we need is just to know how to take care of these great tools to make them continue looking attractive and serve us for a lot time.
To keep your wooden cutting boards healthy for you and your family it is worth disinfecting your cutting boards with baking soda and vinegar in a ratio of 2:1 once every few days. Wait a few minutes and thoroughly clean and wipe the surface of your board with a towel.
Also a mixture of soda and lemon juice help remove stains. Just wipe your board with the mixture and wash it up. You will be surprised to see your board looking like a new one again.
2. Oiling a Cutting Board. How to Coat Your Wooden Cutting Board with Oil
Everyone knows that wood should be coated to protect it from drying out, discoloration, and dirt. So why we don’t always remember this when we are using wooden cutting boards in our kitchen?
Why do you need to oil wooden cutting boards?
A wooden cutting board coated with oil won’t lose its form and color and won’t crack. As we mentioned before wood is porous material that absorbs everything – liquids and odors. When you oil your cutting board and let it absorb oil, oil fills the pours of the upper layer of wood and prevents your cutting board from absorbing other substances keeping your board safer, cleaner, and healthier.
Oiled cutting board stains less, feels smoother and won’t crack because oil prevents wood from drying out and keeps your wooden cutting board hydrated. Also oil makes your cutting boards look more beautiful because it emphasizes the natural wood pattern and lets it visually stand out. Oiled cutting boards become darker in color and show more character.
Coat your wooden board with oil before your first use. When you bring your wooden cutting board home the first time, don’t hurry up starting using it immediately, take your time and prepare your cutting board. First wash in with soap and warm water and dry it out. When your board is dry, coat it with oil. New cutting boards usually very dry and you may require oiling it few times until it really wet with oil and put it aside for an hour or two to absorb as much oil as it needs. After that you can wipe the excess of oil with a paper towel to make it completely dry and now your board is ready for using it.
We recommend recoating your cutting board with oil from time to time depends on how often you are using it. Sometimes once a month is enough and sometimes even more. Pay attention on the look and feel of your cutting board and oil it when you see it needs it.
What oil should you use for your wooden cutting board?
There are different types of oils that you can use to oil a cutting board, such as beeswax, mineral oil, coconut oil, walnut oil and tung oil. Although with such a big variety we give preference to mineral oil for oiling wooden cutting boards. It is up to you to decide which oil to use, the most important thing is to actually use it 😊.
You can also coat your wooden cutting board with specially created oils and wax for wooden boards. These solutions are available with an applicator that makes it easy to coat the board.
How to oil your wooden cutting board
Before oiling your cutting board you need to make sure that your board is clean and absolutely dry. Pour oil over your cutting board and spread it out over the board with cloth or paper towel. Don’t forget about the edges of your cutting board and handles if it has any. You need to oil the entire cutting board from both sides. Give your board as much oil as it needs to make sure that the upper layer of wood absorbed as much oil as it can. Let it rest a side for some time and then wipe it dry to remove the remaining oil from its surface.
3. How to store your cutting board?
Storing your cutting board is also a very important part of its care. Try to keep your wooden board away from the sink and sources of water. Store it in a dry and well-ventilated place. The best way to store your wood cutting board is to hang it on the wall in the kitchen area if your board has a hole for hanging. It will be ventilated by air and will decorate your kitchen at the same time.
You can also store your board in a drawer of course, but before you move your board to a drawer make sure your board is absolute dry, because drawer has little air access and if your board is wet, it won’t dry quickly and may have a chance to develop mold and bacteria.
I like to store my boards outside for display. It gives the kitchen rustic country style look, keeps my boards dry and they are always at my disposal the moment I need them.
Using these simple caring tricks will make your wooden cutting board look great and serve you for many years. Take care of your wooden cutting boards, and they will give you their amazing look, long and good service in return.
At ECOSALL we produce high quality European wood cutting boards for kitchen. Our cutting and serving boards are smooth, durable, easy to clean, beautifully designed to display your dishes and made of strong Beechwood.
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