How to care for your cutting board

So you’ve taken the plunge and ordered yourself a kick ass board from IreDesign Studio. Now you want to make sure you take care of it from the start so it will last you a lifetime. I am here to help with all the info on cleaning, disinfecting and oiling your one of a kind cutting board. 

No matter what type of wood the cutting board is made out of we are going to take care of them the same way. I sell and use both acacia and bamboo boards and will share my process on caring for my cutting boards. 

Washing

Hand wash your wood cutting boards, I cannot stress this enough! Prolonged exposure to water is harmful and will weaken your board. For this reason you also do not want to soak your cutting board.

Use soap, hot water and a sponge to clean and then rinse thoroughly. Wipe with a towel to get rid of any excess water and allow to air dry upright.

Disinfecting

The way I like to disinfect my wood cutting boards is with sea salt and lemon. After washing sprinkle board with sea salt and scrub with half a cut lemon. The lemon leaves the board smelling fresh and the salt helps pick up any left behind food particles. When you’re done rinse the board completely and allow to dry as directed above. 

*My personal preference is to only handle raw meat on a plastic cutting board.*

Oiling

I condition and oil all of my boards exclusively with Board Oil from Red Beard another locally owned small business in Buffalo, NY. No matter which cutting board oil you go with make sure it is food safe mineral oil. Cooking oils like olive, avocado and coconut oil will go rancid. 

You will notice that your cutting board may begin to look dull or thirsty and that’s exactly when you need to give it a good oiling. I usually oil my cutting boards once a month if they’re being used regularly. If you live in a dryer climate you may need to oil your cutting boards more frequently. 

You can shop my full collection of cutting boards here or request a custom order here.