How to Care for Wooden Cutting Boards
There is nothing better than a big chunky wood cutting board–with all its knife cuts and marks to prove that you have, in fact, spent your fair share of time in the kitchen.
A good quality wood cutting board, even with all of the marks, will last you years… with the proper care. So how to do you take care of a wooden cutting board? There are basically three things to keep in mind when maintaining a wood-cutting board: cleaning, deodorizing, and oiling.
Cleaning is easy peasy. Just a little soapy water and a scrub brush will do the trick. After each use, give it a wash, wipe it down with a towel, and let it air dry the rest of the way.
If you want to disinfect the cutting board, you can add some vinegar to the soap and water scrub.
Every so often, I like to give my cutting board a little deodorizing treatment.
Years ago, someone taught me to sprinkle coarse salt all over the board. Let it sit for a couple of hours. When you are ready, cut a lemon in half and use it as a sponge over the entire cutting board, moving the salt as a scrubbing agent as you go.
When you are done, wipe the cutting board down with a slightly damp dishcloth, and call it good.
It will smell all lemony fresh, and the salt and lemon combo will help to obliterate any lingering bacteria that might have worked its way into the surface of your board.
It’s like a deodorizer and sanitizer all in one.
Finally, remember wood was once a living thing, and if you want to keep it from splitting and cracking as it ages, you’ll need to oil it.
How often you oil totally depends on your climate. Humid climates can get away with oiling less, while dry climates probably should oil more regularly.
You can use a couple of different types of oil to condition your cutting board. The simplest is food-grade mineral oil. Just drizzle some oil {you don’t need a ton} onto your cutting board and wipe it with a clean cloth.
Make sure to go with the grain of the wood. I like to oil my entire cutting board–front, back, and sides. If you want to avoid using mineral oil, you can also use walnut oil. Other oils go rancid pretty quickly, so avoid those.
Do you do anything else to maintain your wood-cutting boards?
~Mavis
Katelyn says
Mavis, keep an eye out as you’re shopping around little towns in Maine. At least here in Vermont, it’s very common to find homemade wood conditioner, which is often oil blended with beeswax so you can rub it on in a more controlled manner. I keep a jar around to do my (now 13 year old) daughter’s little wooden play kitchen, so it’s ready for the next little person to love someday.
Susan says
I totally agree with you regarding the homemade wood butter. I make a wood butter that’s a blend of pharmaceutical grade mineral oil and cosmetic grade beeswax and it is extremely economical. It works great on wood & bamboo cutting boards. (56g beeswax per 8 fl. oz. of mineral oil)
Jennifer says
Dh was a Plant Manager for a company back in 2005 and a few times a year, we would throw a huge appreciation cookout for the employees, all 160 – 180 of them. We usually did fajitas as this was a crowd pleaser, economical and delicious on the grill. I bought a few cheap wooden WM cutting boards during that time. I still have one and it’s been through the dishwasher 100s of times. I wash it by hand often, but I run it occasionally when I’ve been cutting chicken, especially. It’s curved a little and there is a crack from the handle to the body, but it’s a testament to whoever made it.
Mona McGinnis says
Cutting boards are my downfall when it comes to kitchen purchases. Love me a wood cutting board. I don’t oil them often enough. Thanks for the tips.
Mary says
I was just noticing that my boards were warping. I will have to give them the treatment and hopefully they can be saved.
Mrs. M says
Mavis, thanks for the article!
I’m curious, do you use your board for both meats and vegetables/fruits?