Windham's Woodworks : Product Care

Any kind of cutting board that gets used in the kitchen needs to be maintained and sanitized in order to keep them hygienic and safe to use. This applies to wooden cutting boards and butcher blocks as much as it does to boards made of synthetic materials. There are various ways to achieve this and below you will find the most popular methods. You can either use all of them or just some of them, it will just depend on how paranoid you are about germs. The first one I will consider to be essential and the rest optional.

Cleaning and Sanitizing wooden cutting boards and butchers blocks

• Hot soapy water – Make sure to wash your cutting boards with hot soapy (anti-bacterial soap) water directly after use. It is not recommended that you submerge a wooden cutting board in water as this may cause the cutting board to start to crack as it begins to dry out.

• Disinfect – Use full strength white distilled vinegar to disinfect your butchers block or cutting board after every use. Vinegar is excellent at killing a wide array of germs and bacteria and especially the ones we are targeting in our kitchen, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. This is where a spray bottle can come in very handy. Fill it with your white vinegar and keep it close at hand to make cleaning and sanitizing a breeze. This is also a great method of disinfecting for those who are sensitive to harsher chemicals. An END-GRAIN board must.
  

• Bleach it – You can do this about every 2 –3 weeks. Dilute about 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach with 24 ounces of water and flood the surface of the cutting board with the solution. Let this stand for a few minutes before wiping it dry.

• Sterilize it – You can use a 3% Hydrogen peroxide to really get hold of every last living organism on your cutting board or butchers block. Wipe it down with your vinegar solution first then use a paper towel and wipe it with the hydrogen peroxide.

Smelly Boards

  Fish, garlic and foods like that can leave a bad smell ingrained in your wooden cutting board or butchers block. This is not a big issue and is easy to remedy. Firstly the vinegar will go a long way in combating the smell. You can also rub salt or baking soda on the surface and leave it for a few minutes before wiping it off and rinsing. Lemon is also great for neutralizing garlic and onion smells. Take a slice of lemon and rub it vigorously into the surface of the board and then rinse clean again.

Following these few suggestions will ensure that you can use an attractive wooden cutting board in your kitchen without needing to worry about any negative influences on your health.

It is important to remember that your butchers block and cutting board need regular oiling to keep it in good shape and hygiene friendly. Always use 100% food grade mineral oil, (NO COOKING OILS)