How to Clean and Oil a Wooden Cutting Board

A wooden cutting board can last for decades. It needs very little: a quick wash after each use, a deeper clean now and then, and a coat of oil when the wood starts to look dry. Here is the whole routine, and the few mistakes that ruin a board.

How to clean a wooden cutting board every day

1. Scrape it. Push food scraps off with a bench scraper or the spine of a knife (never the edge).
2. Wash both sides with hot water, a little dish soap and a brush or sponge. Washing both sides keeps the board drying evenly, which helps prevent warping.
3. Rinse quickly and do not let it soak.
4. Dry it right away with a towel, then stand it on its edge so air reaches both faces.

That is all a board needs on most days. The whole thing takes less than a minute.

How to disinfect a cutting board after raw meat

After raw meat, poultry or fish, wash the board with hot soapy water first, then sanitize it. Three common methods:

• White vinegar: wipe or spray undiluted white vinegar, leave it a few minutes, rinse and dry.
• Hydrogen peroxide (3%): pour a little on the surface, let it fizz for a few minutes, rinse and dry.
• Diluted bleach: the USDA suggests one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water; leave it a few minutes, then rinse well and dry.

Many cooks keep one board for raw meat and another for vegetables, bread and cooked food. It is the simplest way to avoid cross-contamination.

How to remove stains and smells

Sprinkle coarse salt over the board and scrub it with half a lemon, cut side down. The salt works as a gentle abrasive and the lemon lifts stains and smells of garlic, onion or fish. Leave it five minutes, rinse and dry. For a stubborn smell, a paste of baking soda and water does the same job.

How to oil a wooden cutting board

Oil keeps the wood from drying out, cracking and absorbing water and stains. Use food-grade mineral oil or a board cream made of mineral oil and beeswax. Avoid olive, vegetable or nut oils: they can turn rancid and leave a smell.

1. Start with a clean board that is completely dry (overnight is best).
2. Pour a generous amount of oil on the surface and spread it with a clean cloth or your hand, following the grain. Do every face, including the edges and the bottom.
3. Let it soak in for several hours, ideally overnight.
4. Wipe off whatever has not been absorbed. If you use a board cream, buff it in as a last step.

How often should you oil a cutting board?

Oil a new board once a day for its first week, then about once a month. The real test is the wood itself: if it looks pale and dry, or water stops beading on the surface, it is time. End-grain boards drink more oil than edge-grain boards because the open fibers face up.

Mistakes that crack or warp a wooden board

• The dishwasher. Heat and long exposure to water swell the wood and break the glue joints. Always wash by hand.
• Soaking it in the sink. Same problem, more slowly.
• Drying it flat. The bottom stays wet while the top dries, and the board cups. Stand it on its edge.
• Skipping the oil. Dry wood cracks, especially in winter when indoor air is dry.
• Storing it near heat, next to the stove or a radiator.

When to sand a wooden cutting board

After years of use, deep knife marks hold moisture and food. Sand the surface with medium sandpaper (around 120 grit), then finer paper (around 220 grit), wipe off the dust and oil the board generously. It will look almost new.

Which wood makes the best cutting board?

Dense, closed-grain hardwoods last longest: maple, walnut, acacia and teak are common choices. Construction matters as much as species: an end-grain board, with the wood fibers standing up, hides knife marks and is gentler on sharp edges. We compare the options in end grain vs edge grain cutting boards and is acacia good for cutting boards?

Our own end grain cutting boards come in acacia and teak, in Medium and Large. To protect the knives you use on them, see our knife care guide.

Quick answers

Can you use dish soap on a wooden cutting board?

Yes. A little dish soap and hot water is the right daily wash. Rinse and dry it right away.

Can you put a wooden cutting board in the dishwasher?

No. The heat and water swell the wood, open the glue joints and can crack the board in a single cycle.

What oil should you not use on a cutting board?

Cooking oils such as olive, vegetable or corn oil. They can go rancid in the wood. Use food-grade mineral oil or a mineral oil and beeswax board cream.

Written by the Hochodo team. We sell the knives and boards we write about, and we link to our products only where they fit.