Treat it Right: How to Care for Your Wood Boards
Every kitchen needs a great cutting board, and though there are many out there to choose from, be it plastic, resin, marble or wood, each board needs its own TLC. Boards are one of the most essential kitchen tools, from butchering to cutting to serving- the many types of boards all need care from time to time.
For those of you who love wood, and want to prolong the life of your Cutting, Serving, Charcuterie, Flight board, or Butcher Block, following these steps will help your board last a longer time. Wood itself has natural anti-bacterial properties, but proper cleaning and care is required for all boards. This help combat any nasty food-borne bacterial growth and keep your wood healthy. We believe in natural approaches to board care and suggest only using the highest quality care products available.
Rule Number 1 is to NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER put any wood product in the dishwasher. The detergent, heat and soaking combined WILL cause the wood to crack and warp. It’s also important to not soak any board in water baths or the sink- as this will also destroy the board and wood. And with Todd Alan Woodcraft, both of these actions will automatically void your warranty.
Always wash your boards and oil/wax the boards by hand.
Remember, wood is porous and will absorb any moisture trapped on it after oil and wax is applied, so make sure your wood is completely dry
How to clean your boards:
1. After every use, wipe off excess food and materials with a damp washcloth. To disinfect and help remove orders, use a 1/2 of a lemon and sea salt. Along the grain of the wood lightly rub the lemon, cut size down, over the salt on the board. A light dusting of baking soda can be sprinkled on as well along with the salt, but is not necessary. Baking soda along with the Lemon and and salt is another way to remove odors from the boards.
2. Using warm water, a clean soft dish cloth and a mild soap mixture, wash food side , rinse dish cloth and wipe to remove any soap…finally wipe down the wood with a dry soft cloth. Again, Do Not Soak your board during this step- always use running water.
3. Let air dry for at least 6 to 8 hours. The non-skid feet on the bottom of the board will allow enough air to dry the bottom side, if on a flat surface.
4. Once the board is dry, apply a generous amount of cutting board oil, using your hands (with or without gloves). Use just enough oil to evenly cover the all surfaces of the board. Let the oil soak into the grain for 24 hours
IMPORTANT: At least ONCE A MONTH (with no use or light use), do step 4 (oiling). This will prolong the life of the board and works to prevent the board from drying out and/or cracking. This is highly recommended for areas with changes from low to high humidity, or areas that are dry. Not doing monthly oiling maintenance can potentially void the Todd Alan Woodcraft 90 day Limited Warranty. Every other month, we recommend doing step 5, with no use, or light use of the board that does not require cleaning.
5. Using a lint-free, soft cloth, apply a good food grade wax over the entire board making sure to get into any cuts. Use circular motion to lightly rub the wax on. After the board is completely covered in wax let sit for at least 90 minutes to 24 hours. Going with the grain of the wood, gently buff and polish the board with a clean and dry lint-free soft cloth to smooth out and remove the remainder of the wax.
As an extra disinfecting option: between steps 1 and 2 for more cleaning, in a clean spray bottle, make a 2:1 mixture of 5% white vinegar to water, and lightly spray on cutting side surface. Let this mixture set for 1 minute and then proceed to Step 2 above.
CAUTION:
Do not use Alcohol, Ammonia, Bleach, Chemical Based Cleaners, Rubbing Alcohol.
Do not use Abrasives or Scrubs.
Do not use Canola Oil, Coconut Oil (Refined, Virgin or Non-Processed), Linseed Oil, Tung Oil, Varnish, Vegetable Oil or Walnut Oil.
Some of above mentioned chemicals are not safe for human use, or not safe for wood and some above mentioned may cause an unintended allergic reaction.
We suggest Walrus Oil and Wax.
They can be purchased by clicking HERE
You don’t have to clean charcuterie or serving boards after every use, but we strongly suggest doing all the above steps every time if using the boards with cheese, fish or meat products- especially with Raw meat/seafood products.
If your board eventually becomes a little rough from scratches and cuts over the years, and needs a little extra TLC, we suggest using a superfine sandpaper to smooth the surface. The best way to do this is by using small- evenly pressured- circular motions all over the rough surface to create a new smooth surface, THEN go though the cleaning, oiling and waxing process listed above in this blog.
Todd Alan Woodcraft does do refinishing of boards for a fee. If you are interested in us refinishing your board, contact us for cost and shipping information to see if this is something we can do for you. Not all boards qualify for our refinishing process, so please contact us before sending your board.
For those of you who love wood, and want to prolong the life of your Cutting, Serving, Charcuterie, Flight board, or Butcher Block, following these steps will help your board last a longer time. Wood itself has natural anti-bacterial properties, but proper cleaning and care is required for all boards. This help combat any nasty food-borne bacterial growth and keep your wood healthy. We believe in natural approaches to board care and suggest only using the highest quality care products available.
Rule Number 1 is to NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER put any wood product in the dishwasher. The detergent, heat and soaking combined WILL cause the wood to crack and warp. It’s also important to not soak any board in water baths or the sink- as this will also destroy the board and wood. And with Todd Alan Woodcraft, both of these actions will automatically void your warranty.
Always wash your boards and oil/wax the boards by hand.
Remember, wood is porous and will absorb any moisture trapped on it after oil and wax is applied, so make sure your wood is completely dry
How to clean your boards:
1. After every use, wipe off excess food and materials with a damp washcloth. To disinfect and help remove orders, use a 1/2 of a lemon and sea salt. Along the grain of the wood lightly rub the lemon, cut size down, over the salt on the board. A light dusting of baking soda can be sprinkled on as well along with the salt, but is not necessary. Baking soda along with the Lemon and and salt is another way to remove odors from the boards.
2. Using warm water, a clean soft dish cloth and a mild soap mixture, wash food side , rinse dish cloth and wipe to remove any soap…finally wipe down the wood with a dry soft cloth. Again, Do Not Soak your board during this step- always use running water.
3. Let air dry for at least 6 to 8 hours. The non-skid feet on the bottom of the board will allow enough air to dry the bottom side, if on a flat surface.
4. Once the board is dry, apply a generous amount of cutting board oil, using your hands (with or without gloves). Use just enough oil to evenly cover the all surfaces of the board. Let the oil soak into the grain for 24 hours
IMPORTANT: At least ONCE A MONTH (with no use or light use), do step 4 (oiling). This will prolong the life of the board and works to prevent the board from drying out and/or cracking. This is highly recommended for areas with changes from low to high humidity, or areas that are dry. Not doing monthly oiling maintenance can potentially void the Todd Alan Woodcraft 90 day Limited Warranty. Every other month, we recommend doing step 5, with no use, or light use of the board that does not require cleaning.
5. Using a lint-free, soft cloth, apply a good food grade wax over the entire board making sure to get into any cuts. Use circular motion to lightly rub the wax on. After the board is completely covered in wax let sit for at least 90 minutes to 24 hours. Going with the grain of the wood, gently buff and polish the board with a clean and dry lint-free soft cloth to smooth out and remove the remainder of the wax.
As an extra disinfecting option: between steps 1 and 2 for more cleaning, in a clean spray bottle, make a 2:1 mixture of 5% white vinegar to water, and lightly spray on cutting side surface. Let this mixture set for 1 minute and then proceed to Step 2 above.
CAUTION:
Do not use Alcohol, Ammonia, Bleach, Chemical Based Cleaners, Rubbing Alcohol.
Do not use Abrasives or Scrubs.
Do not use Canola Oil, Coconut Oil (Refined, Virgin or Non-Processed), Linseed Oil, Tung Oil, Varnish, Vegetable Oil or Walnut Oil.
Some of above mentioned chemicals are not safe for human use, or not safe for wood and some above mentioned may cause an unintended allergic reaction.
We suggest Walrus Oil and Wax.
They can be purchased by clicking HERE
You don’t have to clean charcuterie or serving boards after every use, but we strongly suggest doing all the above steps every time if using the boards with cheese, fish or meat products- especially with Raw meat/seafood products.
If your board eventually becomes a little rough from scratches and cuts over the years, and needs a little extra TLC, we suggest using a superfine sandpaper to smooth the surface. The best way to do this is by using small- evenly pressured- circular motions all over the rough surface to create a new smooth surface, THEN go though the cleaning, oiling and waxing process listed above in this blog.
Todd Alan Woodcraft does do refinishing of boards for a fee. If you are interested in us refinishing your board, contact us for cost and shipping information to see if this is something we can do for you. Not all boards qualify for our refinishing process, so please contact us before sending your board.