Cutting boards are such an essential utensil in the kitchen. Do we pay enough attention to such an important issue as cutting board care?
Why look after her? “I shook off the crumbs, that’s all.” IN best case scenario- rinse lightly under the tap or from a mug. We’ve probably seen this more than once at someone’s house (here we can sometimes wrinkle our nose and think: “what a dirty little thing,” or: “I’ll never set foot here again”). And sometimes we ourselves can rush, to be honest. Either we don’t wash the board thoroughly (I’ll wash it later), or we mix it up and use it for other purposes, or even there’s only one board in the kitchen for any preparation.
Of course, it would be correct if there were several cutting boards. It is necessary to have different kitchen boards: for dough, for raw and boiled fish, meat and vegetables, for sausages and cheeses, for bread, for onions and garlic, for herbs. But that's a completely different conversation. Here everyone decides for himself - which ones, why and how many of them are needed.
But how to care for them? It turns out that ignoring this issue is sometimes fraught unpleasant consequences, especially during the hot season and on holidays. We need to take care of ourselves and our family. It would seem like a small thing, but we use this utensil every day and it is important for our mood and health.
Dirty and, especially, wet kitchen boards, like those, are inhabited by a lot of all sorts of evil spirits, which multiply and multiply.
Wooden boards are rightfully considered more hygienic than all others, but they require particularly careful care, starting from the moment of purchase. Experts advise immediately treating them with hot (70-100 degrees) edible mineral or petroleum jelly (pharmaceutical oil), after lightly cleaning with fine sandpaper if the surface is not completely smooth.
It is not recommended to use any fats, butter or vegetable oils, with the exception of flaxseed, for these purposes, so that later, having become rancid, they do not spoil the taste and smell of the prepared products. And there can be no talk about technical oils.
You should moisten a cotton swab with hot oil and lubricate both surfaces and the end of the boards, thoroughly saturating them. And this “training” must be repeated several times every couple of hours.
In the future, it is advisable to periodically repeat this procedure, cleaning the surface with fine sandpaper if necessary and again lubricating it with hot mineral oil. But the need for this action depends on the load on this subject. It’s one thing when a person lives alone and doesn’t cook much, but it’s another thing when big family and cook a lot. Well, restaurants have their own methods and processing times.
To tell the truth, I use the old village method - I scrape it with a knife, wash it thoroughly, and dry it even more thoroughly. And then I rub it again with my favorite oil - linseed. True, very rarely, and not as carefully as the first time after purchase.
In order for your wooden kitchen boards to serve you faithfully for many years, look beautiful and be protected from bacteria getting inside, be prepared to spend at least half a day on their initial processing. But you will be very satisfied with the result of your work.
Personally, I rub in oil clean hands. It’s more pleasant for me to feel the wood and massage my palms. I’ll drink it stronger and go about my business. The first time, in total, it took more than a day, but at least I didn’t stand over them as if tied, but spent this operation together with the next dishwashing, or at the monitor screen, watching programs that interest me.
Wooden boards, unlike others, are good because they themselves “know how to fight” harmful bacteria quite well. But nevertheless, after processing raw meat and fish, you should clean them especially carefully.
Bamboo, stone, glass, plastic or plywood cutting boards should be washed after use. hot water with soap, after removing any remaining food from them, wipe and dry thoroughly. And it wouldn’t hurt to scald a wooden board with boiling water after washing.
Do not keep the boards wet or wash them in dishwasher. The boards should be dried and stored in an upright position and not close to each other. It should also always be dry underneath. And sometimes you look at a beautiful thing, you lift it up, and underneath there is a layer of mold.
It is very good to periodically treat all kitchen boards with a solution of vinegar or lemon juice, especially after cutting raw or odor-producing foods. I prefer to remove the fishy smell with either 9% vinegar or a lemon cut in half.
You can also remove unpleasant odors with salt. True, opinions differ here - dry or wet method. I rub it right away when I wash it. I’m too lazy to go back to this again, and it’s not entirely clear - the salt draws out the remaining moisture from the board or, conversely, attracts it from the air. If you wish, you can discuss this issue, maybe I will learn some sense.
For some time I did not dare to throw away my very beautiful ceramic board - a gift. But I plucked up the courage and threw it away one day. I don't like useless things.
The sound of a knife on ceramics irritated the whole family, for the same reason I don’t like glass. And we had to handle it very carefully so as not to break it or chip it. It is more likely for those who are never in a hurry. More for beauty than for use.
Like this in simple ways you can turn your irreplaceable kitchen cutting boards into loyal ones long years assistants, who at the same time look quite textured. And you will never have to carelessly throw them into the closet, hiding them from someone’s appraising glances. On the contrary, let them stand in plain sight and please the eye.
Video. End cutting board. Treatment with mineral oil and beeswax.
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There are 35 comments on the post “Cutting board care – is it really that important”
Yes, wooden ones are undoubtedly better, but not in terms of caring for them! It’s easier, better and faster to process ceramic ones, no matter what you say. And safer for your health!
I completely agree with you. I have several boards: for bread, for vegetables, for sausage and cheese, for raw meat and for fish. I always pour boiling water over them and treat them with vinegar. Thanks for the interesting article!
About processing wooden boards linseed oil I haven’t heard of them, probably because I’ve always used plastic ones.
There are actually 4 of them for different products.
Thank you for the article.Irina, good day! Your site is wonderful! You and I have a lot in common: I am a student at the StarUp school, I lived in the Far East in Komsomolsk-on-Amur for 12 years, my grandparents lived in Siberia in the city of Barabinsk, in Ukraine I lived in the city of Krivoy Rog 12 years. We met on the Internet while discussing an article.
How to care for cutting boards: I have two boards - one is strictly for bakery products, second for everything. After rinsing the board FOR EVERYTHING with hot water, I wipe it with a weak vinegar solution + grate the carrots a little and, after scuffing the surface of the board with carrot mixture, wash it off. Carrots are good at eliminating any odor.
At one time, when I bought butter, I cut it into pieces and lined it with plastics of carrots, cut to length: it destroys the smell of old oil. The only thing was that we had to change the slices of butter every 4-5 days. But the oil always had a fresh smell.
Many people asked me why put in plastic wrappers, take less oil, you can always buy fresh. But at one time I lived in such conditions that you often couldn’t get around to shopping, so I had to use my grandmother’s advice. I was glad to meet you. I wish you success and all the brightest and most joyful things.
I have 3 wooden boards. I scald them with boiling water and wipe them with lemon, but about the oil - this is the biggest news for me. And it turns out you need to wooden board perform a whole ritual (there’s no other way to call it - you have to spend so much time babysitting her!). But I don’t see how they look in the best possible way, then apparently it is necessary to allocate a special day for such a procedure. Let them be painted on me too!
Hello Irina!
Probably many people don’t think, or haven’t even thought about the fact that a cutting board requires no less care than anything else.
They wrote here that glass, ceramic and plastic boards. I would like to slightly upset those who wrote about this. Alas, this is not at all what you think.
I only have (so far) two boards, which I wash every time (after cutting any ingredient). For non-frozen products, as well as meat on the bone, I most often use a ceramic knife. In all other cases, only metal.
Now imagine a glass or ceramic board and use ceramic knife. Whichever will last longer. Minus on the face.
In addition, natural (natural) material is still much better. And believe me, caring for it is not that labor-intensive.
Hello, Irina Olegovna. You asked what to do with the site's awards. My opinion is that the site will not benefit from this. After all, the reward is given disinterestedly. And in this case, the reward is accompanied by a requirement to provide a backlink. This is no longer a reward, but blackmail. If you put links, you will also be “rewarded”. I did not participate in this game; I did not like this idea right away. If someone is offended, well, you won’t be nice to everyone. In general, the fewer outgoing links, the better. What you should do is up to you to decide. If you really like someone’s site, then why not post a link.
An elementary thing is a cutting board, and caring for it is a whole science.
Good day, dear readers of this blog!
How to prepare a wooden cutting board for use? How many people have asked this question?
My own experience and studying on the Internet very contradictory information on this issue prompted me to write this article.
Cutting boards are Consumables. Their operating conditions are very harsh by definition. You can, of course, do nothing and immediately put the board to work. But it will not last long, 6-12 months. And some high-quality wooden boards are not cheap...
Many of you have heard and read that wooden dishes Before use, soak in vegetable oil. Most often they recommend sunflower, olive, flax, palm, grape seed, hemp, teak and the like.
I want to warn everyone who wants to use this method!
Impregnating wood with vegetable oil is one of the oldest methods of processing it. This has been done from time immemorial, but this method has two significant drawbacks for a modern metropolis resident.
The fact is that vegetable oils
They dry for quite a long time and remain fluid, “staining” other objects with which they come into contact;
The oil in the pores of the wood will go rancid, and the product will have a rich but unpleasant bouquet of odors that are almost impossible to get rid of.
So, to increase the service life, increase the stability of the board, protect against bacteria and give a beautiful appearance cutting boards are recommended to be processed mineral oil. Mineral oil is a product of petroleum refining and has neither taste nor smell.
You can buy mineral oil suitable for food purposes in stores that sell wooden cutting boards; I saw it at IKEA. But the most accessible mineral oil is sold in every pharmacy - this is Vaseline oil.
So let's get started! Wash the board and dry it. Run your hand over the board; if it seems rough, sand the board with fine sandpaper No. 600, 400.
Mineral oil should simply be poured onto the surface of the cutting board and rubbed over the entire surface soft cloth or by hand. It is necessary to process all surfaces of the board, including the sides. Don’t be afraid to “overfill” the oil – the wood will absorb as much as it needs.
A new board must be treated several times (from two to five with a break of about 6 hours between treatments). Remove any oil that is not absorbed in the final layer with a paper towel.
Perhaps after the first layer of oil the wood fibers will rise. Go over them with fine sandpaper No. 600-400.
A more advanced and “long-lasting” method of treating boards is coating them with a mixture of petroleum jelly and beeswax. Prepare the mixture in a water bath: heat the Vaseline oil, put pieces of beeswax in it in the proportion of 1 part wax / 4 parts oil.
Cool the mixture and apply it to the board on all sides with a brush or cloth, polish with a dry, clean cloth.
You can buy natural wax from familiar beekeepers, in markets where they sell honey, in online stores that sell components for soap making and cosmetics.
Approximately 3 times a year, impregnation of the board with mineral oil must be repeated. Any wooden utensils can be processed in this way. Therefore, the oil you bought will not go to waste.
In conclusion, I would like to advise those who find the method I described difficult to introduce an innovation - simple flexible cutting boards made of silicone. They are light, non-slip, wash well, do not absorb odors, do not stain from the juice of fruits and vegetables, and do not dull knives. They are convenient to store - simply rolled into a tube. They are often called not boards, but cutting mats.
Silicone cutting mats are very convenient for preparing the most different dishes; Ideal for rolling out and cutting dough.
Wash them warm water with liquid detergent by hand with soft sponges; Do not use abrasive detergents. All silicone products can be washed in the dishwasher. They can withstand temperatures from -40 to +230 degrees.
Caring for a cutting board is what you need to ensure that your wooden cutting board looks attractive for a long time and is safe for your health. The board needs to be washed, cleaned, and processed periodically by special means. In the article I will go into more detail on all the issues in more detail.
How to wash a cutting board
Wooden cutting boards should absolutely not be washed in. You should also not soak a contaminated board in water for a long time, because... This can cause the wood to swell and cracks to form after drying.
To avoid any problems with your cutting board, clean it immediately after use and do not let food sit on it for a long time. You can wash it with, well, dishwashing detergent, using a cloth or sponge. Do not use strong detergents for these purposes. 
How and with what to clean a cutting board
If the cutting board is very dirty, then you can use a regular one for disinfection. table vinegar. Should be processed wooden surface with a cloth soaked in vinegar and rinse it.
The same disinfecting effect can be obtained by using lemon juice.
By the way, at enterprises Catering According to sanitary and epidemiological rules, the deck for chopping meat is cleaned and salt is added at the end of the day. This prevents the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, cutting boards can be cleaned with salt. You can successfully combine cleaning a wooden board with lemon and salt, as shown in the video.
It is better to refrain from cleaning the board with various cleaning powders and pastes, since there is no complete certainty that detergents will not remain in small cuts, and from there they will not get on the processed products.
How and with what to process a cutting board
To make a wooden cutting board look attractive, not absorb various unpleasant odors, and to prevent the growth of bacteria, it must be treated with mineral oil and wax.
You should not use vegetable oil to impregnate the cutting board. As the oil turns yellow over time, it acquires an unpleasant odor.
You may ask me: “Where can I get mineral oil?” The answer is - at the pharmacy.
Ordinary petroleum jelly is mineral oil itself. Although it is produced from oil, it is completely harmless to human health. It is used internally as medicine. Therefore, it is ideal for processing cutting boards.
To process the board, you need to prepare oil and a cloth. Pour oil onto the board and rub the oil in a circular motion with a cloth. Don't be afraid to add extra oil. Wood will absorb as much as it needs. This way you will close or, one might say, seal the pores in the wood and bacteria, sticks and all sorts of other bad things will not rage in them. This coating will also have waterproofing properties.
A new board should be treated with oil twice, at intervals of several hours, so that the oil is well absorbed. Simply remove excess oil that has not been absorbed with a cloth or paper towel. 
The recipe for the product is not complicated. You need to take one part wax and 4 parts Vaseline oil.
Heat the oil in a water bath and dissolve the wax shavings in it. To speed up the process, you can heat the mixture in microwave oven.
Before the procedure, you can warm it up a little in the microwave (if it fits there). Next, cover it on all sides with the prepared mixture with a brush or clean cloth. Allow the mixture to absorb and harden.
Impregnation with a mixture differs from impregnation with just oil - it is considered more durable and strong, it can close not only pores, but also small cracks and cuts. This treatment of a wooden plank must be repeated periodically - at least once every three months.
When choosing a finish, the vast majority of craftsmen give preference to compositions made from natural ingredients, primarily oils. There are many options for how to impregnate a new board, but practice shows that the most effective solution in this matter is to use Vaseline oil, which is not difficult to find in a pharmacy.
An alternative to petroleum jelly can be vegetable analogues, in particular nut or flaxseed oil. But, despite the environmental friendliness and simplicity of such finishing, over time it can transmit an unpleasant rancid odor to food that comes into contact with a wooden board. When covering the product with linseed, Vaseline or any other oil, you will have to periodically renew the impregnation, which will wear out as the board is used.
How to oil a cutting board?
Oil for impregnation is applied to a well-polished and dried surface. Having evenly distributed a generous amount of finishing composition using a brush or swab, it is allowed to absorb into the wood structure (15-20 minutes), after which the excess is wiped off by running the swab along the fibers.
A new wooden cutting board is treated with at least two or three layers. Each fresh layer of oil is applied after the previous one has completely dried. This is not very convenient because vegetable oils quite low. Drying the boards must be done in a well-ventilated area.
Are other finishing compounds hazardous to health?
This question still causes heated debate, despite the fact that clear and authoritative answers have long been given to it. For finishing wooden products in contact with food, you can use any finishing compositions, including oil-based, polyurethane and nitrocellulose varnishes, shellac coatings and linseed oil. These materials are completely harmless to health, but only after complete drying. This is a very important point!
Before you start using any kitchen board that you decide to paint with one of these compounds, you need to make sure that the coating is completely cured. Remember that the presence of a surface film does not mean that the composition has completely dried inside the wood.
How to maintain the attractiveness of the finish?
By following these simple instructions, your cutting board will retain its visual appeal for many years.
- After use, wash the product well with warm water, using minimal use if possible. detergents. Wipe off excess moisture without special zeal and do not allow the board to remain in water for a long time.
- The finishing of the kitchen board needs periodic updating. The outer layer is “refreshed” as it wears out, usually once every 4-5 months, depending on the intensity of use of the product. By controlling the condition of the protective layer, you will protect the board from cracking, swelling, and mold formation, while maintaining its visual appeal.
- When working side the boards will be severely damaged by knives, they will be sanded and the finish will be reapplied.
Turning a cutting board into an eye-catching decor
Inspired by the ideas in our gallery, you can create a product that will turn from ordinary household utensils into original decor for your kitchen. Such an expressive and functional piece of furniture will be a spectacular gift that no housewife will remain indifferent to.
A cutting board is a favorite product of novice cabinet makers because it is easy to make, practical, and the simplest and simplest design can always be attributed to the author’s idea. That is, you can buy a riser for four hundred rubles, cut it into three or four parts, get a whole set of cutting boards and sell it for four thousand. If you also have a miter saw, this will take ridiculously little time, just have time to take orders. Have the ghosts of fabulous wealth flashed before your eyes? But the horseradish was swimming there, in fact everything is a little more complicated :(
I’ll tell you later how much more difficult it is - for such a story it would be nice to have step-by-step photographs of the process. You never know what desperate housewife will read this and want to make a cutting board for herself or a culinary friend as a gift. You need to be open to any audience and write detailed, visual posts. Therefore, for now I will focus on one point, even at the final stage: processing the board with oil.
Why do you need to saturate the board with oil? In short - because it is beautiful and hygienic. Wood, as we know, is a porous material; the oil penetrates the pores and protects the wood from excess moisture and foreign odors. An oil-soaked board lasts longer and is easier to clean.
What oil should I use to impregnate the board? In individual discussions, this question provokes a more abrupt holivar “snowboard or skis”; people insist on using flaxseed, olive oil, even just sunflower oil; They suggest heating it, boiling it, immersing the board in oil for several days... There is a simpler, cheaper and odorless way: Vaseline oil from the pharmacy. Vaseline oil is a mineral oil that does not decompose and does not emit unpleasant odor, does not harm humans. In addition, Vaseline oil has a high ability to repel dirt. Whether to heat the oil before impregnating the board or not, I cannot say; I tried this and that, and didn’t notice a difference. The technology is the same: dip a tampon twisted from a suitable piece of clean fabric into oil and thoroughly rub it into the board, wait about forty minutes, repeat the procedure, and so on three or four times. Only if you decide to heat the oil (any small kitchen utensil is suitable for this - Vaseline oil will wash off without a trace without spoiling it), take care of your hands. Some people think that a one-time treatment is enough; some insist that the board should be re-oiled every three to four months.
Someday, for clarity, I’ll take a photo of the board before and after impregnation. Oil not only protects the wood, but also “reveals” its texture; Many people think that this way the products look more beautiful.
In paint and varnish pavilions you can find special oils for impregnating kitchen boards (often based on organic tung oil), and they do their job perfectly, but if you are going to make two or three boards for yourself or as a gift, it is easier to buy a bottle of Vaseline oil for fifty rubles than a canister of specialized oil for eight hundred.
The photo shows a board I made for myself. It's minimalistic, there are no handles (because from trimming), no holes (because this scrap has metal studs inside and I was not sure that I would not hit them with the drill), no accessories (because I haven’t come across any suitable one yet)- but she's cute.
