You use your cutting boards to chop, slice, and mince tons of food. As you continuously use them, however, they can become dirty and stained.
A plastic cutting board won’t get completely clean in the dishwasher, and don’t even think of putting your wooden one in there. Luckily, you can easily and thoroughly clean your cutting boards with some common, household items.
There are a few simple ways to clean your cutting boards. Whichever method you choose for deep cleaning the board, it’s important to always rinse it off after every use.
If you’re cleaning a wood cutting board, rinse it off with warm water, and let it air dry. If it’s a plastic one, rinse it with hot water, and dry it with a clean towel.
Follow these tips from Blain’s Farm & Fleet to keep your cutting boards clean and in great condition.
Lemon and salt make the perfect cleaning pair. The lemon helps kill bacteria and provides a nice, citrus smell, while the salt’s texture is wonderful for scrubbing.
To use them together, sprinkle coarse salt over the cutting board. Then, cut a lemon in half. Take the lemon half, and scour the cutting board. Occasionally squeeze the lemon to release some juice.
Let the cutting board sit for about five minutes. After five minutes, scrape away the residue with a pan scraper. Wipe off the cutting board with a clean, wet sponge or rag.
Baking soda will also deep clean a cutting board and help remove stains. Plus, it’s an excellent deodorizer. So it’s great for getting rid of strong food smells, such as ones from onions or garlic.
First, make sure the board is completely dry. Then, sprinkle baking soda on it. The baking soda will act like an abrasive, much like the coarse salt.
Scrub the stained surface with a hot, wet sponge or kitchen brush. Repeat until clean. Rinse off the board with warm water.
White vinegar is another household item that works well to disinfect and deodorize your board. It’s a good idea to keep a spray bottle of vinegar handy for spraying down your cutting board regularly.
Spray down your board after every couple of uses. Then, wipe it down with warm water, and dry it off.
Another effective way to disinfect your cutting board is with hydrogen peroxide. This is because it works well to kill germs and bacteria.
All you have to do is wet a paper towel with hydrogen peroxide. Then, wipe it all over your cutting board. It should start fizzing.
Let it sit for about five minutes, or until the fizzing stops. Then, rinse it off with warm water.
To keep your wooden cutting boards in tip-top shape, we recommend conditioning them about once a month. This will help seal the board and prevent bacteria from seeping in. It will also keep the cutting board looking new for much longer.
To condition your board, we suggest using a food-grade mineral oil or beeswax. Start with a clean and dry board. Then, use a clean cloth or paper towel to rub in the conditioner all over the cutting board.
Once you’ve oiled your board, set it on a dish rack to air dry. You may need to let it sit overnight. Once it’s completely dry, it will be ready for you to use again!
Only condition wooden cutting boards, never plastic ones.
For more tips and how-tos like these, visit our Cleaning Blog.
