TODAY, how to clean a wood cutting board. A scary cutting board full of someone else's grime (because I found it at a garage sale between a Royal Doulton and a cigarette butt. )But it'll work on any wood cutting board at all.
Unless you’re a first semester, first year University student with a cafeteria pass, you probably own a cutting board. Or if you’re a baby. If you’re a baby you almost certainly don’t own a cutting board. A baby barely even knows how to set out a decent mise en place.
We’ve determined you probably own a cutting board. You also probably have no idea how to clean it.
I’m not saying this because I think you’re dirty and lame. I say it because I have never spoken to anyone who actually seems to know how to clean a wood cutting board.
A plastic cutting board is easy to clean. Throw it in the dishwasher.
A glass cutting board is…well…you really shouldn’t own a glass cutting board. They dull your knives and the sound of cutting on them is horrible. Throw it out.
A wood cutting board, however, is a bit more complicated. To clean and sanitize it you can’t just throw it in the dishwasher. And what about those stains? How do you get rid of those?
Table of Contents
First a case for the wooden cutting board.
You probably think that plastic is a more sanitary choice because that makes sense. It isn't porous like wood. Therefore your very logical mind tells you that bacteria from chicken juice and steak blood can't get trapped in plastic the way it can in wood.
WRONG. WOOD IS MORE SANITARY THAN PLASTIC.
UC-Davis studied the bacteria levels of plastic versus wood cutting boards and found that wood is naturally antibacterial.
A plastic cutting board retains bacteria in its scars (the places a knife has scarred the surface). It doesn't matter how much you scrub it, wash it or put it through the dishwasher, plastic holds onto bacteria and allows it to multiply.
On the other hand, bacteria dies in or on a scarred hard wood surface. It naturally kills bacteria. Only close-grained hardwood should be used for cutting boards. (MAPLE, BEECH, TEAK, WALNUT)
DROPSHOT
You won't get pretty flowers with it, but the ferny greenery of Dropshot (an herb in the Marigold family), tastes exactly like, IDENTICAL TO, black jellybeans.the ferny greenery of Dropshot (an herb in the Marigold family), tastes exactly like, IDENTICAL TO, black jellybeans.
This doesn't mean you should never use plastic cutting boards, just that wood ones are much safer and cleaner.
To keep your plastic cutting board safe, replace it when it gets rough and scarred.
If you're buying a new plastic cutting board do yourself a favour and get one like these that have an anti slip back so you can stop putting a wet dish towel under it.
How to Clean a Cutting Board
This is for a worn out, maybe second hand, disturbingly gross and stained cutting board. If your cutting board is just regular person dirty you can probably get away with just a regular butcherblock cleaning & oiling like I use on my countertops in this post.
Supplies
Directions for a heavy duty, tip to tail cleaning.
Each step takes care of a separate problem so feel free to only do what you think is necessary for your board.
Also - before I forget, you can make your own foaming hand soap. You seem like the kind of person who would like that kind of information.
Step 1: General Cleaning
1. Pour a mound of Kosher salt in the centre of the board. Add enough lemon juice to make a paste.
2. Swirl it around the cutting board and scour it with a coarse sponge. When you’ve scoured enough, rinse your board and dry it with paper towels.
(if you want to do a really good job, leave the salt solution on for a few hours…the salt will draw out impurities and liquid in the board as it dries)
Rinse the board and dry it with paper towels. See how much nicer it looks already? No stains. No sticky.
Step 2: Stain & Odour Removal
3. Pour a mound of Baking Soda onto the centre of the board. Add enough water until a paste forms. Rub it all around the board. If you’re doing a really good job, it’ll start to stink.
Step 3: Sanitize & Condition
Killing the bacteria that probably isn't there but will make you feel better if you do it.
4. In a spray bottle, combine 1 teaspoon of bleach with 4 cups of water. Spray the board surface and let it sit briefly. Rinse off the bleach solution & dry with paper towels. Make sure the board is fully dry before proceeding.
5. Pour Mineral Oil onto the cutting board. If it soaks in almost immediately, pour more on. Keep adding oil until it doesn't absorb anymore. Leave the board overnight then wipe off any residual oil.
* Get edible Mineral Oil from a drugstore (look for the one labeled "USP" for food grade). You can opt for Butcher Block oil, but Mineral Oil is less expensive and also - the same thing. *
You’re done.
Your board is ready for cutting a Big Mac on. Or if you’re super healthy like me, an apple. ‘Cause I only eat apples and red peppers and wholesome foods. Also there's no need to cut potato chips.
This post has older comments, but was completely rewritten in June, 2023.
I confess that I -shame of shames - use plastic cutting boards...but you have given me reason to ponder yet another Amazon purchase of the wooden kind. Have they done any studies on using that mild bleach or other solutions on plastic boards? Just wunderin'.
Hi Karen, thanks for all the info, but could you combine the salt, lemon and baking soda in one step as opposed to two steps as you have described? Also, I've read about using vinegar to sanitize, but you recommend a bleach solution...Is it in fact a better way to go? I bought a very large Legnoart cutting board 4 years ago, which i use everyday allday but not for meat and just wiped it down after every use and have never treated it at all. It is in desperate need of TLC as it now looks worn and withered and lacks colour. Thanks:)
Hi Mona! Just do it like I describe in the post and you'll get good results. Promise. :) ~ karen!
Hi Karen, thanks for all the info, but could you combine the salt, lemon and baking soda in one step as opposed to two as you have described? Also, I've read about using vinegar to sanitize, but you recommend a bleach solution...Is it in fact a better way to go? Thanks:)
I got an amazing find at a yard sale yesterday, a 100 + year old butcher block chopping table. The lady said the block spmit and her son glued it together a while back but never finished it. The glue down the middle of the board is very dried out and flaking off. We planned on sanding it and after reading your post here will do all the steps above but is it ok that there is glue down in the ce ter of this block? Can we chop on it?
Thanks so much Karen.
Hi Laurie! It depends on what he glued it with. If it was a regular water based wood glue, you're fine. I'd just scrape off any mess he made with it and continue on. If he used some sort of weird epoxy, then it might be less desirable to have in contact with food. But chances are he used a wood glue. Like I said, just scrape off as much as possible. Old butcher blocks to dry out and split. To help prevent this keep it oiled once a month or so. :) ~ karen
These are very helpful tips for cleaning cutting boards. I am following your tips from a long time and my wooden cutting board still looks like new. Thanks for sharing.
I just use a leftover floor tile as a cutting board. Because I'm cheap. And lazy.
If your board is really, really bad you can always get out your Festool sander and really make it look like new. Start with 80 grit and finish up with 120 or 150. My cutting board gets a lot of use, and I do this every couple of years.
Next up: a few tips on how to clean your butcher.
A footed Bariboo cutting board laying in the dirt at a garage sale... Oh Karen! That's the stuff of dreams. What a treasure. I love it when good things happen to good people. Also really loving your answers to the trolls.
LOL. Thanks Susan. ~ karen!
Great tips. Would you sand the top if it has gouges in it from too much use. For instance use your new fancy palm sander from Lee Valley? Then just finish up with mineral oil?
Great post! I love your blog, Karen. Thanks for all the laughs!
Back to the board ... how do you tell if it's end grain or edge grain? I'm not sure I would be able to spot a great one at a garage sale. I would hate to get fooled by edge-grain. But I would even more hate to pass up a potentially gorgeous one needing just a bit of elbow grease.
Also, if a board is really grungy, I have heard you can just have it sanded down, understanding that you lose the surface patina, but still, some boards are couple inches thick, so doing it once should not shorten the board's life much, right?
Hi Peggy! An end grain board will *usually* look like it's made up of a bunch of squares. An edge grain will look more like a series of long rectangles. You can see the grain in the edge grain as well. If you think of a 2x4 piece of wood, or a floor board, the edge grain is the 4 long sides of the board. The end grain of the 2x4 or floor boards would be the two cut ends of it. ~ karen!
That's helpful, Karen. I'll have to pay attention and ask questions so I train my eye to differentiate.
Thanks!
Do you have a favourite wood you like to Haagen for your cutting boards?
I work in a restaurant. When the health inspector came by ( we got a 98.5 by the way ...yay for us ) I asked her about using hydrogen peroxide at home ...bleach can be such a hassle...she said it's fine. Use it on my counter and my maple island where I cut and chop , roll pies and cookies, everything but meat/chicken/fish. Works great! And if you spray it on your plastic meat board it bubbles and growths as it kills the nasty germs...very gross
Hi Karen,
I love your wood cutting board, and all the great info on cleaning any type of board. Who knew there was so much to learn on this subject? I will need to scroll back up and click on the cutting board link now, as I was much too entertained by the "fluff" to get to it sooner...
I've used your method of cleaning my cutting board that you outlined in a post about making a combination of mineral oil and wax to treat the wood after cleaning. At least, I think that was you. It was some time ago.
I've bought up several quite large glass cutting boards at thrift stores...maybe 2' x 18". I use them, and the clear plastic cutting sheets, for a surface on which to do messy crafts. I flip over the glass cutting board, so it's smooth side up. A wipe with a wet cloth at the end of a crafting/art session, and they're good to go for the next time. I can use a portion of the board, or one of the plastic cutting boards, as palette paper, to mix paints on, and then load a rubber roller or brush.
So while the glass might not be good for food and knives, it's good for something, as are the lighter-weight clear "cutting boards" from the dollar store. They both come in handy for arts and crafts.
And I no longer worry about my wood cutting board. It's nice and clean, gets cleaned and oiled regularly, and I have you to thank for that.
Yup that's my recipe with beeswax and mineral oil. Courtesy of Brenda Watts of Cattails Studio. It's for conditioning wood that's prone to drying out. :) ~ karen!
Hi Karen - thanks so much for this information and oh, how well I remember Baribou products! I still have a few pieces. You're probably familiar with a booth at the Thursday Summer market; he sells beautiful breadboards cut from apple trees. I moved here just two years ago and have bought seven or eight boards already as gifts for family and me. I bought two - just to "look nice" (don't laugh!), to lean against (and hopefully hide) an ugly backsplash! I've hesitated using them, except for fancy wine/cheese nights, as I wasn't sure of their care but I trust your "smarts". The seller recommended walnut oil but I previously had read about rancidity so bought food grade mineral oil. Maybe I'll actually use my stylish boards now and not just look at them!
Thank you for doing the detailed research and posting the link to the research!! So helpful. I have a built in butcher block I love!! Glad to have a reliable resource to take care of it.
I use a thin wood resin board that is dishwasher safe for raw meat. I never use bleach as I am too much of a klutz and also I grew up in a house without bleach or a dishwasher and have never had a problem, so hot water and soap is good enough for me.
How do you tell if it is an edge or end grain?
Hi Rosiland. An end grain board will *usually* look like it's made up of a bunch of squares. An edge grain will look more like a series of long rectangles. You can see the grain in the edge grain as well. If you think of a 2x4 piece of wood, the edge grain is the 4 long sides of the board. The end grain of the 2x4 are the two cut ends of it. ~ karen!
Hi Karen , I agree 100% with what you've said here!
I luv my 2 wooden boards , can't stand the glass ones at ALL. I do have 2 plastic ones and not the thin kind: 1 i use just for fruit , the other for vegetables but never thought to put them thru the dishwasher- will try that . The big wooden board is for meat only , the small one is my sandwich board.( it's a european thing) And i clean and mineral oil them just like you do. They've lasted for years! Sometimes i olive oil my wooden spoons (i don't use plastic or nylon utensils for cooking ) Just a thin smear to refresh them. They get used daily so i don't think they have a chance to go rancid.
btw: luv bariboo products too -have their salad bowl set . Do you know if they are still around? Do they still make them?
That was an interesting link. Our gov. says use plastic boards, no research. They do research to find a way to get wood as safe as plastic, but wait for it, if you clean your board by hand the wood is way better. Plastic in the dishwasher is the only way to use plastic. Of course some people whine about how the study was done but children's school projects come to same conclusion and the research is vindicated. Ain't nuthin simple.