I have a very large island of butcherblock (dragging it to the sink for a scrub is not a possibility). Like leahcate, I don't cut meat on it. Frankly, I wipe it down, scrubbing hard at any gunk left (like from rolling out pizza dough) and use hot water and a clean dishrag. Every now and then I bleach it (really, really seldom). I do make sure I oil it regularly so the wood is not thirsty. I won't reopen the debate over antibacterial qualities, but I have read enough about what goes on inside the wood to feel safe with my practices. I have been working like this (with a super big cutting surface) for at least the past 10 years; my grandfather used butcherblock his whole life. Good luck!

The properties of warping of wood have been thoroughly studied and understood scientifically. Casual observations relating warping to finish (or lack thereof) are faulty. My mother had a butcherblock portion of counter for over 30 years, never oiled or finished anywhere, that never warped. I've had boards that warped and others that didn't, some finished, some unfinished, some partly finished. It's not the finish. Wood tabletops, countertops, decks, etc. are exposed to more water on the top than the bottom, causing the top to swell and try to expand. But the wood's thickness remains stable and prevents this. The cells of wood on the top of the board become compressed from their original cylindrical shape (like a soda straw) into an oval shape. As it dries out, the wood cells do not fully regain their original shape, so the top shrinks, pulling the board concave. This is called "compression shrinkage." Therefore, finishing the bottom of a tabletop or countertop will not prevent warping. Warping will always be cupping of the top due to swelling from wetness of the top and subsequent compression shrinkage. If lack of finish on the bottom caused warping, you would see the tabletop bow, not cup -- but this never happens. Or think about it another way: what liquid is going to soak into the bottom of your installed butcherblock counter, that a finish is going to block? It's not going to happen. And no finish blocks water vapor (from humidity in the air), only slows it a little bit, so this would make no difference in protection either. So if you want a tabletop or countertop not to cup over time, there are two things to consider. The most important factor is the quality of wood making up the butcherblock: the size and shape of the wood cells, their density, how the wood was cut in relation to the growth rings, and how it was dried. Butcherblock made up of dense, old-growth, quartersawn boards slowly air dried is going to hold its shape (even when totally unfinished), while strips of young, low-density, plainsawn boards are going to warp easily. Second, keep the top as dry as possible. Don't let liquids soak into it, or use a water-resistant film finish if you expect liquid exposure. It's not the finish on the bottom, it's how dry you can keep the top, that helps prevent cupping.

Growing up, my mom had a built in cutting board. I don't remember squares, so it must have been long runs of wood. I sure am glad I grew up before the media invented germs. We cut everything on it and just cleaned it with Windex. That's all. I don't recall her ever oiling it, never salting it, never, God knows, sanding it. Just Windex. Then the towel was hung over the base cabinet door for the next use. We baked on it, made sandwiches for lunch on it, cut cold-cuts on it, chicken, stew meat, dough, I do mean everything. Probably my own fingers at times, since I cut myself a lot. I do recall opening a can and slicing both thumb and index finger trying to get the lid off. On that counter... I just made my own 24" and 14' wood counter tops (10-12' pieces of maple). Can't call them butcher blocks because I don't want to rile the purists. I haven't done anything about sealing them yet, because I want to color them. My trouble is maple splotches and I want to do it right. Anyway, by the stove, I'll probably cut on it. Where it goes into the dining area? Probably not.

I have a butcher block island top. It is a movable island that i got from a commercial supplier. I have used it now for about 4 yrs. It only has an oil finish on it... I rub mineral oil into once in a great while. I love it. I do not chop food on it as I use it mostly for a bread dough working area and the odor of chopped food would taint the wood. I also have a teak countertop for the "L" of my kitchen that contains the main undermount sink and the gas cook top. It has a Waterlox finish that I have applied when the counter top was new, 9 yrs ago. It has seen very hard wear and has held up beautifully. Again I do not chop food on it. Waterlox is a tung oil base also. You might want to look at their web site and read about the product. There are several of us on here who have used it. Also several of us have various wood counters around sinks as well as islands and some cut on them and some don't. You will not find very many folks dislike the wood :) It is a great forgiving surface...all you do it sand and it is new..voila. If you would like pics you can go to my Photobucket acct...link below. Hope this helps. c ( the food pics album shows the island) Here is a link that might be useful: Final Kitchen pics