How to Care for Your Board  

It all comes down to proper cleaning. No matter what cheese board you have, the only real secret in making it last is proper care and maintenance. 

After using, your cheese boards should be scrubbed with hot soap and water and then wiped immediately dry. All wood boards should be oiled and waxed regularly. If your cheese board even begins to have a whiff of odour, bacteria has begun to take hold, which means you need to disinfect and sanitize your board.

The Ten Commandments of Board Care

Thou shalt:

1. keep moisture away from any wood product

2. never place in a dishwasher

3. never leave it soaking in water

4. always stand your board up to finish air drying

5. wash and rinse your board after each use

6. apply wood conditioner monthly or more often

7. use only food grade wood conditioner or salad bowl finish 

8. never use cooking oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, etc. as board conditioner

9. do not expose to direct heat

10. store or hang upright in a dry location

How to Disinfect and Sanitize your Boards

You may need to disinfect or sanitize your cutting boards from time to time using one of the following:

a) Weak bleach solution

Use one teaspoon of bleach per liter of water and scrub the board. Wash, rinse and dry well. Re-oil again before storing.

b) Lemon and salt application

Use a half lemon with one teaspoon of sea salt. Caution: coarse salt may scratch. 

Apply salt to affected area. Using the inner side of the lemon, rub the salt into the wood, scrubbing in circles. Wash, rinse and dry well. Re-oil again before storing.

c) Vinegar and water solution

Keep a spray bottle of 50-50 mixture on hand and spray the board as needed. Wash, rinse and dry well. Re-oil again before storing.