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HUB 03 · Guides

How to Clean a Cutting Board

Clean it wrong and a board harbors bacteria or warps and cracks. Clean it right and it lasts for years. The safe routine for both wood and plastic — including the one thing never to do to wood.

By Stephen V.Updated How we choose
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A cutting board is the one surface all your food touches, so keeping it clean is a food- safety issue, not just tidiness — and wood and plastic need slightly different care. The good news is the routine is quick. Here's how to wash a board every day, disinfect it after raw meat, lift stains and odors, and keep a wood board from drying out. If you're still choosing a board, start with wood vs plastic cutting board.

Step by step

How to do it

  1. 01

    Wash right after use

    Scrape off scraps, then wash the board with hot water and dish soap and a brush or sponge, getting into any knife grooves. Do this soon after cooking so food doesn't dry on. Rinse well. For plastic boards this everyday wash is usually enough; for wood, keep going but never soak it.

  2. 02

    Never soak or dishwasher a wood board

    Wood boards must never be submerged, left in the sink, or run through the dishwasher. Prolonged water and heat make wood swell, warp, split and loosen at the glue joints. Wash a wood board quickly by hand, rinse, and move straight to drying. Plastic boards can go in the dishwasher, but even they last longer hand-washed.

  3. 03

    Disinfect after raw meat, poultry or fish

    After cutting raw protein, sanitize the board. Wash first, then wipe or spray it with a solution of one tablespoon of unscented liquid bleach per gallon of water (or a food-safe kitchen sanitizer), let it sit about a minute, and rinse. Better still, keep a separate board for raw meat to avoid cross-contamination with produce entirely.

  4. 04

    Lift stains and odors

    For stains and smells (garlic, onion, beets), sprinkle coarse salt or baking soda on the board and scrub with a cut lemon, then rinse. The salt is a mild abrasive and the lemon's acid cuts odor and lightens stains. This works on both wood and plastic and avoids harsh chemicals.

  5. 05

    Dry it standing up

    Dry the board thoroughly with a towel, then stand it on edge or in a rack so air reaches both faces. Drying flat on a counter traps moisture underneath, which warps wood and lets bacteria linger. A fully dry board is a safe board.

  6. 06

    Oil a wood board periodically

    Wood and bamboo boards need re-oiling every few weeks (or when they look dry) to stay water-resistant and crack-free. Wipe on a generous coat of food-grade mineral oil (or a board cream), let it soak in for a few hours or overnight, then buff off the excess. Never use cooking oils like olive or vegetable oil — they go rancid.

Questions

Frequently asked

How do you clean a wood cutting board?

Wash it quickly by hand with hot soapy water and a brush, rinse, and dry it standing on edge — never soak it or put it in the dishwasher. Sanitize after raw meat with a diluted bleach solution, lift stains with salt and lemon, and re-oil it with food-grade mineral oil every few weeks.

Can you put a cutting board in the dishwasher?

Plastic boards can go in the dishwasher (though hand-washing extends their life). Wood and bamboo boards must not — the heat and prolonged moisture warp, split and loosen the wood. Wash wood boards quickly by hand and dry them upright.

How do you disinfect a cutting board after raw chicken?

Wash it first, then sanitize with about one tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water (or a food-safe sanitizer), let it sit roughly a minute, and rinse. The safest approach is a dedicated board for raw meat so it never touches produce.

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