How to Clean and Care for a Wood Cutting Board

Anyone doing serious cooking should have a wood cutting board. Unless you're doing at-home sushi—for which you want a single-bevel yanagiba and rubber cutting board—it's good knives and a solid wood cutting board. You need a large workspace that stays put, looks good, is a joy to cut on, and doesn’t dull your expensive Japanese knives. That’s everything a real cutting board brings to the table. I’m talking really good ones. Get an end-grain Boos board or this Made-In chopping block, which I love.

Made In Butcher Block

That said, I’ve also discovered that the better the board, the more care it requires. (Or maybe, the more I want to care for it.) When it came to wood cutting boards, I didn’t know the first thing about cleaning. But I knew this. It was time to get my head on straight and figure this out, because these cutting boards are built to last years, and I was ready to do the hard work required to keep them that way. What I found is the work's not all that hard.

All you need is a few good support products to keep your board as good as new. A dish soap and sponge you can count on and some mineral oil for keeping your board hydrated. You can go more hardcore than that, but you really don’t need to. I’ll outline those options as well. From cleaning to long term care and maintenance, I’m gonna walk you through the whole thing and tell you exactly what you need to buy—and what’s a waste of money.

The initial cleaning is easy. All you need to do is scrape off the food debris and then give it a gentle soapy scrub in warm water before finishing with a warm rinse. This three-step process will be enough 99-percent of the time. Unless you’ve got yourself an unwieldy board and a small sink, this should be a straightforward process. All you really need is a sponge with a half-decent scrubber and some dish soap. So get yourself some Dawn dish soap and Scotch-Brite heavy duty sponges and get to work.

It's best to wash your cutting board immediately after use. Once you’ve washed it, you also want dry it right away with a rag or dish towel. Leaving a wood cutting board wet can do a few things. First, in extreme cases, it may lead to mold and bacteria, which is the last thing you want touching your food. Second, and this is especially true if you only wash one side of the board or leave it laying down to dry, it can warp was it dries.

To best maintain the health of the wood: wash and dry both sides after use, and let it dry standing upright or leaning against your backsplash. If you prepped raw meat on the board, good hardwood cutting boards are actually anti-microbial. Still, with American food practices what they are and especially if you prep poultry, you'll want to disinfect with vinegar or a light bleach solution, and that means you'll need to care for it (see the next section) more frequently. Once you’ve washed, dried, and (if needed) disinfected your board, it’s time for oiling.

The next step, and really the only crucial part of board care, is oiling. Applying a generous layer of food safe mineral oil is how to ensure your board stays hydrated and doesn’t split or crack with use. Oiling keeps your wood smooth and prevents splinters. It also creates a finish that isn’t just nice to touch and look at. It prevents liquids (like meat juice) and bacteria from seeping into the board and contaminating the wood. Keeping the moisture levels consistent also helps prevent warping from seasonal changes or when moving. All in all, it’s a best practice.

You don’t have to get fancy with it, or get the John Boos “mystery oil” to get something worth using. All you need is mineral oil that is certified food safe. Thirteen Chefs on Amazon is what I use and it works like a charm. Highly rated food grade stuff, made in the U.S.A.

Thirteen Chefs Food Grade Mineral Oil - 12oz

Once you have the oil in your possession it’s time to start applying. When you do (especially the first time) make sure you lather it up. You can an applicator, but I use my hands. Something more chef-y about it. Keep oiling until you enough has soaked in and you feel a layer forming on top. That way you know the board has absorbed as much as it can. Leave your cutting board until no oil remains to the touch, for a few hours (up to overnight). Now you’re good to store it—unless you want to take things one step further and condition your board with wax, cream, or what have you.

Wax adds to the protective barrier and fills in small scratches and knife cuts. It’s not essential, but careful and consistent application can help your board look less worn. Thirteen Chefs also makes a board wax, and we can vouch for the oil at least. If you don’t want to go piecemeal, Boos offers a bundle of the oil, board cream, and an applicator. If you’re going to get a starter bundle for convenience, this is the place I’d recommend Boos.

John Boos 3 Piece Board Care & Maintenance Set

How often you should oil your cutting board depends on where you live, the season, how often you use the board, and if you ever do any light disinfecting. Typically, somewhere between once every two weeks and once every two months. A brand new cutting board will require more frequent oiling at first.

If your board has deep cuts and scrapes that waxing isn't covering over, you may need to sand down your board. Requires some skill, but not impossible. If the wood in your board is cracked or warped, however, it will save you time and money to just buy a whole new board. Regular oiling is meant to prevent this type of long-term damage.

If you worry about using the same cutting board for raw meat as you do for your produce, use soap and hot water to clean the board between uses. That will take care of a vast majority of contaminants because good wood is naturally anti-microbial. If you're still anxious about cross contamination, you can lightly disinfect with vinegar or a very light bleach and water solution. Just make sure you oil the board after that. And if all else fails, use a separate cutting board for raw proteins.