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seasoning and cleaning wood cutting boards

18 years ago

OK, yeah, I know ... poly is safer, and I have a couple of poly boards, but I still like wood best for rolling out and cutting pastry and cookies. What is the best way to clean them? Also I just bought a new board, to replace one that I love that is coming apart at the seams (literally) - how do I "season" it? Thanks in advance!

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Comments (11)

lindac
18 years ago
Actually it seems that wood is actually safer than poly for cutting boards.
I just wash my wood boards with a scrubber and never use tham for raw meat.
If you want a board that doesn't "come apart at the seams" buy one made out of a solid wide plank.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: Safe wood
Barry5k
18 years ago
I have to agree with Lindac. Wood has been proven safer than poly boards, but it is a good idea to use two - one for meat only. You can use mineral oil to coat your board and if stains do occur, you can always sand it, clean it, and rub in mineral oil. Don't use vegetable oil. It will turn rancid. As you found out, cutting on a good wooden board is FUN!!!!
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Wooden cutting boards are naturally antibacterial. Scientists doing experiments to determine the best way to clean wooden cutting boards discovered that 99.9% of bacteria on the surface disappeared within 3 minutes, even without cleaning. They think the wood sucks the bacteria down inside it, where antimicrobial chemicals naturally present in wood then kill it. Plastic cutting boards, OTOH, were uncleanable. They were still heavily contaminated even after being run through a dishwasher. Bacteria hides in all the little scratches where it can't be killed. I'm getting a new kitchen next week; after reading this I went with wooden countertops. Here is a link that might be useful: Food Safety: Comparing Plastic and Wood Cutting Boards
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"----CSIRO here has done studies which indicate wood is self-sanitising---" I am familiar with that report, but I am still keeping an open mind. We all know wood goes rotten if not protected soon. That's why wood is used to grow mushrooms. There is very limited ability for wood to sanitize, it seems to me. And the report says, "---Some wooden boards have been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties. After a short period of time, fewer bacteria have been recovered from these boards than from identically treated plastic ones.--" "Some" means not all. "Short period of time"? what does that mean in a kitchen environment? There is also, "Experts disagree on whether wood or plastic cutting boards are the most sanitary. Most governmental agencies in the United States recommend plastic, while other experts say scarred, rutted plastic cutting boards can harbor just as much bacteria as wood." Try this: use a woodworker's scraper and scrape your wood cutting board after you clean it and you will see a lot of stuff that have not been cleaned away. A plastic cutting board in a dish washer is a very clean cutting board. Don't ever wash your wood cutting board in a dishwasher. dcarch This post was edited by dcarch on Thu, Sep 12, 13 at 17:40
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I'm a wax and oil fan. I have Waterlox on my floors -- a miscommunication. I don't like it. It definitely flakes up. It is not a repairable finish. Some people love it, but I think it looks and feels plasticky, just like polyurethane, and the only thing they say you can do when it gets damaged is to paint on another layer of the stuff, which it sounds like you would need to do fairly regularly. I have a lot of wood furniture, much of it antique. Oil and wax are not rocket science. Don't overintellectualize it. You can use oil, wax or a mix, or use them in sequence. Oil, like mineral oil, is the easiest. I'd put a little of that on first. (But I'd definitely talk to your countertop person before doing anything I learned about on the Internet! They may have finished them with something, or they might be able to do something for you just for the asking.) A 50/50 mix of beeswax/mineral oil, sometimes sold as Beesoil, buffed on at room temperature is next easiest and lasts longer. Gives a nice silky feeling. Buffing on pure beeswax is harder, but it can be done. You need to build enough speed (remember physics class?) that you create heat, melt the wax and distribute it evenly. Don't do something like melt the wax on the stove and pour it out on the counter! You'll just have a big candle sitting there you'll need to scrape off and rub in. We're talking a microscopic layer of wax. But if you don't have time to wax, you can throw on a little oil in between. The counter shouldn't be sticky with any of these. If if is, you need to take the excess off. You can wipe up excess oil, and with the wax, you buff the wax off (the wax melts and cools down to a sleek solid layer), and when you do the floors, you can slide down the halls in your socks. They're literally sqeaky clean. However, once you try this, if you decide you want to Waterlox after all, you'd have to do a serious sanding to get up ALL the oil and wax. But in my personal opinion, the difference is like the difference between painted clapboards and vinyl siding. You're obviously accepting a lot of permanent damage due to chopping. A few water spots aren't going to bother you. That is a beautiful counter. But hey, have you ever thought of using a cutting board?
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I have a smallish board for most cutting that I think is made of nylon, maybe. I have had if for a very long time, but it is getting way worn out. And, each edge has taken on staining that just will not come out. I do take the opportunity to pour any boiling water that I might be pouring out to pour that hot water over the board in the sink, and I do give it a spritz of bleach solution that I keep handy. I always try to keep from pouring around raw meat microbes by carefully rinsing so that the rinse goes down the drain and not all over everything. I try to deal with raw meat by setting the cutting board down in my large empty sink where it can all be washed down easily. I have wooden boards for breads. Gonna' watch the test kitchen video. I really appreciate the way they review things. I once came across a man at a crafts show who was selling cutting boards made of Corian. My reaction to it was so unthinking that I muttered aloud, "That just be hard on the knives!". He did not appreciate that too much as he was trying to sell these things. It was an unsolicited opinion that just came out. I still think that. I have a piece of Corian that is the size of a large cutting board that I picked up at a yard sale many years ago. I don't use it so much as a cutting board, but do use it as a board that I use like a counter surface that can actually be picked up and washed in the sink. Once in a while, when I know that the knife will not be hitting the surface, I will use it to cut something. Strange thing about this piece of Corian is that it has warped. I was amazed and did not think that could happen. I put some little stick on plastic bumpers on the bottom so that it sits off the surface and the board has developed a sag in the middle after all these years. Anyway, I want to get a nice big board. I don't cut into raw meat too often, really. Thanks for the ideas to ponder!
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teresa_nc7
18 years ago
As with all wood boards and cooking utensils, I advise that you clean it immediately after use and dry very well with a towel, don't air dry, then store so that there is good air circulation around the wood piece. I think the mineral oil rub is fine only if needed, if the wood feels dry and rough. I've got 4 or 5 wood boards that I use all the time, one over 25 years old, and I've never had to rub them with oil.

Never soak a board in water or put in the dishwasher.
buffylou
Original Author
18 years ago
Mineral oil! Thanks ... I never use the wood boards for meat, but for everything else!! Thanks for the info.
lindac
18 years ago
I read to put a board in the micro to dry it out and kill any bugs.....
Never tried it...but "they" say it's a good thing to do....
I also have several solid wood boards ( not planked up...no seams) that have been in the dishwasher many many times.....I am sure it's better to not do that...but.....
Linda C
jefd
18 years ago
Definitely oil your wooden cutting board as soon as you buy it. Impregnating the board with mineral oil helps to prevent water & various juices from soaking into the board. This not only extends the life of the board, but also helps to prevent staining, and makes cleanup easier. You should oil it several days in a row when it is new, and then occasionally ( several times a year, if used often ). For cleaning, it's good to scrape it with a metal spatula, then scrub it. It will last longer if you don't soak it in water. I would never put a good wooden board in the dishwasher.

You will find that a good wooden cutting board is easier on your knife blades, and is easier to use, as the blade will sink in a bit, facilitating a clean cut through the food. Also, if it's a nice heavy one, it will be more stable than a light plastic board. I personally prefer wood because of the health concerns surrounding plastic, in addition to these advantages.

jefd
chitownfifi
18 years ago
Can bamboo go in the dishwasher? I have two and have never put them in the dishwasher, but I would if I could...
kitchentoolsguru
13 years ago
yes, my friend who works in the f&b industry did tell me once that you can microwave the boards and even those cleaning sponges for a few seconds to kill off germs, of course if your board is too big it won't work...
User
13 years ago
I read that a weak bleach solution followed with vinegar is the best way to really clean a cutting board. The vinegar removes the bleach smell.
lillo
12 years ago
I just got the Breville cutting board that goes on top of the toaster, and it says to clean it with a damp towel with dish washing soap and never to soak it in water or it can come apart. It also stated to rub it with mineral oil to restore its colour.
danab_z9_la
12 years ago
"Food Grade" or "USP Grade" mineral oil is what you should use and not just "any type" of mineral oil. USP Grade is what is available in the pharmaceutical section of most stores. This will be written on the bottle.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

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