Cutting Board Care & Maintenance

Your wood cutting board is likely one of the most used tools items in your kitchen, and like any well used tool it needs regular care and maintenance. If you follow the instructions below you will keep your cutting board clean and looking great.

Hand wash only !!!

Let's face it, a dirty, contaminated cutting board is disgusting and unhealthy. In order to avoid bacteria, it’s important that you wash your cutting board immediately after use. Simply wipe the cutting board down with hot soapy water, then give it a rinse it with hot water. After it's all washed up just wipe it dry with a clean dish towel. Store upright (if possible) in a nice dry spot.
Important:
1. Never submerge in water
2. Do not place in dishwasher or in a microwave

3. You can lightly use a mild scrubbing pad on your board to remove any stubborn food particles, but don't get carried away. Frequent, vigorous scrubbing will remove the protective treatment from the board.

Disinfecting & Deodorizing with Vinegar

Ok, so lets say your board missed a wash or it wasn't washed as good as it could have been, no big deal. We can fix that, just don't get in the habit of not washing your board. That's just nasty.

All you need to do is use a little white vinegar to disinfect & deodorize your wood cutting board. You can keep some vinegar in a small spray bottle or use some on a clean cloth. Acetic acid (white vinegar) is an excellent disinfectant for E. coli, Salmonella and other household bacteria. Spray or wipe the vinegar on the wood cutting board, let sit for a few minutes and wipe it with a damp warm cloth.

Hey! Guess what??? You can use that same spray bottle for cleaning and disinfecting the rest of your work surfaces in your kitchen too. If the vinegar smell is too strong you can dilute it a little with some tap water. You're welcome.

Removing Stains & Deodorizing with Baking Soda

Here's a simple recipe to remove stains and deodorize your cutting board. This will create a non-toxic cleaning agent.

Combine:

2 tablespoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon of salt
3 tablespoons hot water

Thoroughly mix these ingredients together to form a paste, and scrub the entire surface of the cutting board. The gritty property of this paste will help scrub the surface of the board surface clean of those nasty stains. Finally, wipe it with a warm wet cloth to get rid of all the paste and dry with a dish towel.

REMEMBER: DO NOT SUBMERGE IN WATER!

Clean with Coarse Salt & Lemon

Not everyone wants their board to smell like vinegar so for a for a more natural less "bag of chips" clean, so if you are one of those people this method is for you.

First off dampen the cutting board with a warm wet cloth and then sprinkle coarse salt over it. Now don't be cheap with the salt get a decent amount on there. Next, take a whole lemon and cut it in half. Take the half lemon and use it like a scrub pad. (The pulpy side of the lemon goes toward the board, not the peel!) Now scrub that board with the lemon while slightly squeezing the juice out of the lemon. Let it stand for five minutes or so and then use a damp cloth or scrub brush to remove the excess.

Here's the good news... you've got your lemon and salt all ready, now go get the Tequila!

Refurbishing a Wood Cutting Board

Ok here's the deal. You can't avoid getting knife marks on your cutting board, that's just the way it is. However, returning a cutting board back to it's original look isn't difficult.

Here is what you will need:

Sander or sanding block
Sandpaper (120, 180 & 240 grit or similar)
Board Butter/Conditioner (Need some? I make and sell my own!!)

Set up your sander or sanding block with the coarsest (lowest number) grit. Start sanding the board to get the knife marks out of the board. Once it is nice and smooth again, repeat the process with the next two grits of sandpaper. Once you are done with sanding, wash the board with a damp cloth, let dry and apply the board butter/conditioner.