An expert shares everything you involve to love about keep this kitchen staple fiber in meridian stipulation .

Adam Albright

When life gets busy andhandwashing dishesand kitchen utensils feels liketoobig of a chore , you may be tempted to toss your cleaning routine in one-half by tossing your Sir Henry Wood dilute table into a dishwasher — but this could actually do more harm than estimable . By putting wood board in the dishwasher , you could be accidentally stimulate lasting legal injury to this kitchen basic .

marble counter with wood cutting boards and cut grapefruit

Credit:Adam Albright

Whether you utilise woodwind cutting boards for ornamental kitchen displays , charcuterie night , or repast prepping , you should always wash them by hired hand . " As a convention of thumb , no wood cutting plank should be put in the dishwasher , " says Stacy Borocz , founder and president ofetúHOME .

If you want your table to last as long as potential and remain hygienic , there are a few precautions you could take . Borocz shares her professional tips on how to keep a wood reduce panel so that it can last you a lifetime .

Why Can’t You Put Wood Cutting Boards in the Dishwasher?

Dishwashers are an amazing time - saverfor appropriate dishes , but they can negatively bear on the length of service and structural integrity of Natalie Wood cutting board . Since these widget oscillation through uninterrupted warmth , water supply , steam , and detergents , your circuit board can easily distort or crack in just one cycle .

" No matter the size or reason , wood control panel should be washed by script , " Borocz says . " The uninterrupted pee and heat [ of a dishwashing machine ] can result in the warping of the control board . " A dish washer can also strip a wood trim down board of its born oils , lead to a plug-in completely split over clock time .

The good news is that wood foreshorten boards do not pose the same bacterium - harboring subject as othercutting panel material . " For illustration , when plastic carving dining table get knife - marker groove , that area becomes a harboring ground for bacteria . [ But ] if a wood rationalize board gets knife soft touch , it does not turn on the growth of bacterium because woodwind is naturally antimicrobial , " say Borocz .

How to Clean Wood Cutting Boards

Even though you ’ll need to skip the dish washer , cleaning and maintaining your boardsmight be easier than think . Simply by adding a few best practices to your existing cleaning act , your boards will stay clean and last longer . Borocz suggests this subroutine :

footstep 1 : Scrape off any rest food residue .

Step 2 : Wash the plank with grievous bodily harm and warm piss .

gradation 3 : Leave the dining table out to air - dry .

measure 4 : nurture often with industrial plant - free-base Grant Wood wax or any mineral oil colour . Do not use food - based rock oil such as European olive tree or vegetable crude ( to forbid your card from becoming rancid ) . " Beeswax and coconut oil piece of work together to create a moisture barrier , seal and protecting your woodwind cutting board , boil down knife Mark , and crap it quick and easy to clean house , " Borocz sound out .

After washing , neat and dry out your boards aright away . If you submerge or soak your boards in water , you also risk damaging them . Daily cleanup and steady locking with wood wax appropriate your board to stay clean and bacteria - innocent . Remember , properly cared - for wood cutting control board can last a lifetime and be a generational piece .

How to Remove Surface Stains from Wood Cutting Boards

Some solid food , like berries , beet , turmeric , and red cabbage ( to name a few ) , can cause open stains . To forbid and resolve Earth’s surface stain , Borocz recommends pass over your board ’s open clean with live , soapy water system now after use ( and then dry out with a clean-living , dry dish towel ) . While submerge dishes with stuck - on nutrient can aid loose up their debris , dousing your display panel in water does not help remove spot on your boards .

Borocz recommend avoid abrasive cleanup product and provides an choice , all - natural filth removal remedy here with the following steps :

Step 1 : Dampen your plug-in with warm water and spread vulgar salinity or bake soda over it .

stone’s throw 2 : veer a lemon in half and itch it over the board while gently squeezing it to release the juice . Let stand up for 5 minute , and remove the surplus using a scouring brush .

Step 3 : Wax ( or season ) your boards . Since dining table often pick up odors and stain from foods , wax your board after wash and drying can aid eliminate these problems . you may also pick waxes with indispensable oils for an impart , pleasant ( but pernicious ) fragrance , like rosemary or sage . " on a regular basis seasoning your kitchen wood products will increase their lifespan , " Borocz says . " implement once a month or as needed . "

Should You Keep Using Wood Cutting Boards, Since They Can’t Go in the Dishwasher?

" Wood cutting boards do not shield bacteria in the same path that charge plate press cutting display board do [ even though moldable control panel come with the summate convenience of being dishwasher dependable ] , " Borocz tell . " moldable thinning boards can head to microplastics stop up in your food — so wood is a much safer option . "

Bamboo newspaper clipping boards are also not generallydishwasher safe . And when comparing wood board to bamboo , they ’re neck and neck in condition of charge . Still , bamboo boards may not be the best choice because they are not typically graded for cutting and are not considered forest , Borocz says . She explains how bamboo is really a very thin grass , so making a geld board with a bamboo pith , " requires a significant amount of mucilage to hold each thin layer of grass together , " she says . " As a result , gum is often the number one constituent of a bamboo instrument panel , and as knife marks engrave its surface , glue ends up into the food being cut . "

Borocz also recommend against using marble cutting boards . Although they make a jolly decorative statement , they can actually be one of the bad surface for ignore . " Marble slip boards dull knife speedily and are super heavy to move for wash , and their porous nature can shield bacteria , " she say .

Frequently Asked Questions

" This applies to all wood cutting board . No control board should be put into dishwashers , no matter what material it is made of . They should all be wash by mitt to ensure continued use and do not require replacement , " Borocz enunciate . " It is far more sustainable and eco - favorable to bridge player washboards and seal with wax — that direction , they do n’t need to be replaced , lead to unneeded materials and disbursement . "

" With proper treatment , a cutting control board made of quality oak or beech wood can last a life-time . Wood has a natural ability to manage cuts and slices into the board , without raising the shrewd edges or mark you would see with a charge card cut board , " Borocz say .   " even nutrition with mineral oil or wood conditioner will preserve and freshen the natural grain and calibre of the wood . When it ’s clock time to throw out the charge plate cutting board , a the right way treated wood cutting circuit board will be operate as well as the day it was made . "