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How do I care for wood cutting boards?

CPARKTX
CPARKTX Posts: 2,095
Since I finally invested in good knives I also purchased two wood cutting boards. How do I clean and care for wood cutting boards?
LBGE & SBGE.  Central Texas.  

Comments

  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    I wipe mine off with the hot soapy dishcloth after doing dishes (yeah, I do dishes by hand), then once again with hot clean-water dishcloth.  I do have a separate, nylon cutting board for raw meats/fish, although I cut cooked brisket, chicken etc on the wood one (too big for the nylon board).  
    I have a bottle of "butcher block" oil that I've yet to apply.  Over the years my expensive butcher-block board has dished out so much I'm gonna have to take it to a mill and have them run it through their big belt sander to re-flatten it.  I'll be sure to use the oil before attaching new self-adhesive feet and putting it back into work.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    I have a 4 step process for my cutting boards:

    Rinse off with hot water
    Spray with a 5% bleach solution and scrub
    Wash with dish soap and hot water
    Dry immediately
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited February 2014
    cazzy said:
    I have a 4 step process for my cutting boards: Rinse off with hot water Spray with a 5% bleach solution and scrub Wash with dish soap and hot water Dry immediately
    Yes, same as what I do. Also if the wooden board is glued using edge grain as the cutting surface (not butcher block style using end grain as the cutting surface) and it starts to cup, (bamboo is notorious for this) put the convex side up and the concave side down against the counter top. The convex side wood cells have more moisture and have expanded. Let them dry and the board will be flat again. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • berndcrisp
    berndcrisp Posts: 1,166
    edited February 2014
    In addition to Cazzy's four steps, I rub mineral oil into it twice a month or so and lemon left overs when ever I have some. Most cutting board oils are 6-7$'s and are just mineral oil, that can be bought in any store for 1/4 the price. I use the mineral oil on all of my wooden kitchen stuff. Soap and the bleach solution dries out the wood.
    Hood Stars, Wrist Crowns and Obsession Dobs!


  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,672
    i oil my 4 foot wide boos block maybe twice a year, as for cleaning just a quick wipe with a damp sponge. the board absorbs the water and dries it pretty quick, if theres no water thers no growing bacteria... well thats my theory :D my outdoor fish cleaning station is simply a board that gets hosed off, at camp its the same board for the last 8 years, its never seen soap or bleach.....i think we over clean things, we dont run a butcher shop at home were that board is wet or damp with meat all day long growing bacteria
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • i recently put a new dutch ovens somewhat hot lid on my butcher block table. The "pre-seasoning" seemed to leak out and stain my block. Any idea how to get this out or does it require sanding?
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I only use soap if I put raw meat on them. If its just veggies then I wipe with a cloth with hot water. Every time you use soap you need to let the board dry and oil it. My first boos board only lasted several months before it split and I had to get a new one because I wasn't letting it dry completely and I wasn't oiling it enough. After I wash mine I let them sit on the stove grates for a couple hours to get air to all sides of them. Wood board can be a pain in the butt. Also I have found a mineral oil mixture with some bees wax works much better than just mineral oil.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,672
    edited February 2014
    this is the oil/wax i use, i warm it up in hot water before applying to the board and leave it on for a couple hours before wiping off any excess

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,672
    cant seem to paste links into the forum today :)) hone depot has mineral oil/bees wax made by Howard
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414

    i oil my 4 foot wide boos block maybe twice a year, as for cleaning just a quick wipe with a damp sponge. the board absorbs the water and dries it pretty quick, if theres no water thers no growing bacteria... well thats my theory :D my outdoor fish cleaning station is simply a board that gets hosed off, at camp its the same board for the last 8 years, its never seen soap or bleach.....i think we over clean things, we dont run a butcher shop at home were that board is wet or damp with meat all day long growing bacteria

    I'm with this guy. I just wipe it off and towel off excess moisture. Like @lit says, I'll use some soap if anything raw gets on it. I use Boo's board conditioner which is beeswax/mineral oil.
  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    is clorox at 5% bleach when purchased? or do you have to dilute?
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited February 2014
    NDG said:
    is clorox at 5% bleach when purchased? or do you have to dilute?
    I use a teaspoon of clorox bleach and the rest water in a standard squirt bottle.

    The normal measurement is 1 tablespoon for every gallon of water.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • When I was a kid I worked in a little grocery store that had a two foot thick butcher block. We never used any soap or chemicals on it. Might seem kinda gross to some but no one ever got sick. We had a scraper like the picture that we used multiple times per day. The old man who was the butcher had that block for over 50 years. It had parts that were concave by at least 2-3 inches.

    Suntree, FL

  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    dmarois said:
    i recently put a new dutch ovens somewhat hot lid on my butcher block table. The "pre-seasoning" seemed to leak out and stain my block. Any idea how to get this out or does it require sanding?
    I would try cornstarch, just dust it on and let sit overnight.
     
    I was originally gonna suggest kitty litter (fresh, please) as it works like gangbusters getting oil stains off a cement garage floor.  However, I checked my bag for an ingredients list, it didn't have one but did talk about "odor neutralizers", so that's probably not something you want on a cutting board...
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  •  I have a beautiful teakwood cutting board that that cost around $80.00.  I use mineral oil on it when it starts feeling a little dry.
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    Vinegar...straight. I will rub with salt and leave on the board over night one a month. Recondition with butchers block oil after.
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat