How to Care for your cutting board

Top 5 Do's & Don'ts for cutting board care

Congratulations, You Did It! 

You’ve invested in an amazingly beautiful and durable cutting board and of course you purchased it through The Home That Sows. wink, But like most investments, there is some type of management involved. 

Would you buy a car and not get an oil change? 

Would you buy a house and not keep the lawn cut? (hopefully not)

The same intentional care goes into preserving a cutting board. 

Now, I wouldn’t just sell you something and not provide you with care instructions, but like most paper items…things disappear or are thrown away. So why not trust in Al Gore’s internet (or Beyonce’s, lol) to keep the information you need at your fingertips. 

Here are my top 5 do’s and don’ts for how to care for your cutting board. 

1. Hand wash only with a mild liquid dish soap and sponge/dishcloth to clean after each use. 

After using your cutting board you always want to wash it clean. Growing up we had a dishwasher but hardly ever used it, we washed everything by hand. As an adult, I am NOT about that life. 

I use my dishwasher for everything, except my cutting board. 

With cutting or charcuterie boards you want to avoid excessive exposure to heat or sun and avoid submerging in water. Both of those happen in a dishwasher which can lead to warping or cracking of the wood. 

So repeat after me, HAND WASH ONLY! 

1. Wipe excess water with cloth/towel then let air dry

You never want to just let water stand on the board so after washing try to pat it dry and then let it sit in a way that air can dry most sides. I have a compartment on my dishrack that I use solely for drying my board. You can also lean it up against your backsplash but want to avoid laying it flat on the counter as it dries. 

1. Disinfect: Bleach with water (about 1 tablespoon per gallon water) 

Now, I’ve seen some back and forth about bleach on cutting boards but as my grandma say’s..

A little bleach never hurt anybody!

If you are cutting up meat on your board you definitely want to disinfect it afterwards. I like to mix a bowl of bleach, water & dish soap. I sometimes pour a cup of it over my board and then scrub the residue off of it. Then I rinse and repeat as needed. 

1. Deodorize: Kosher Salt & cut lemon and/or baking soda & vinegar 

Now sometimes even after cleaning it with bleach you may notice your board does not smell as fresh. The best thing for that is either some kosher salt with a cut lemon or baking soda and vinegar. 

Sprinkle the board with kosher salt and then rub the lemon over the salt and board in a circular motion. Allow to sit for a minute or two and then rinse and let dry. 

Another option is to sprinkle baking soda over the board and pour vinegar over the baking soda. Allow to fizzle and let sit for a minute or two and then rinse and let dry

1. Oil & condition periodically

Do use a food safe mineral oil such as Bumblechutes Woodworkers oil. This is one of my favorites not just because it is a small business but also because their products smell amazing. I’ve had so many customers come to my booth just off of the smell alone. They also have an All-in-one wood conditioner that is a bonus added level of protection for your wood boards. 

If you use your cutting board often and are washing it often then you will need to oil it more often and vice versa. I would say you should oil it after every 2-3 washes and condition it after every 2-3 oilings. 

When oiling your board I like to just use some plastic gloves and rub the oil in like when putting on suntan lotion. I want there to still be a thick layer of oil on the board. I usually let it sit for about 10-15 minutes and then use a lint free cloth to wipe off the excess oil. 

When conditioning the board, complete the steps above and then use another lint free microfiber cloth or scotch brite pad to buff in the conditioner on all sides, especially the edges which are prone to be the first to dry out and crack.  

Now, I'm going to be transparent and let y'all know that I do not oil my board as I should…but I also make them for a living. I’ve had to repair the cracks in my cutting board from it drying out from lack of being oiled regularly. So definitely do as I say and not as I do! You don’t want to have to bring your board back to get repairs from lack of proper care or spend money on a new one.

I hope these tips are helpful for managing the preservation of your board. Let me know in the comments, what steps you use to care for your cutting board. 

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