HUB 03 · Guides
How to Get Smells Out of a Cutting Board
Garlic, onion and fish leave a board smelling for days. Salt and lemon, a baking-soda paste, or a vinegar wipe pull the odor out — here's which to use and how.
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Garlic, onion, fish, and raw meat can leave a cutting board smelling long after you have washed it, because the odor compounds soak into the surface — especially into porous wood. Ordinary dish soap doesn't fully lift them, but three cheap pantry methods do: salt and lemon, a baking-soda paste, or a vinegar wipe. They deodorize without the bleach or harsh cleaners that dry out and crack a board.
Match the method to the board
All three methods work on both wood and plastic, but a word of care for wood: keep it quick and never let a wooden board soak, since prolonged water is what warps and splits it. Whatever you use, this is a good moment to give the board a proper clean, and — for wood — to re-oil it afterward, because deodorizing can strip a little of the surface finish.
Step by step
How to do it
- 01
Try coarse salt and lemon first
Sprinkle coarse salt over the board, then scrub it with the cut face of half a lemon, squeezing a little juice as you go. The salt is a gentle abrasive that lifts residue and the lemon's acid neutralizes odor and freshens. Let it sit a few minutes, then scrape off and rinse.
- 02
Or scrub with a baking-soda paste
Make a paste of baking soda and a little water, spread it over the smelly areas, and scrub with a brush or sponge. Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes odors. Let it sit 5-10 minutes for stubborn smells, then rinse well.
- 03
Or wipe down with diluted vinegar
Wipe the board with white vinegar (straight or diluted 1:1 with water). The acetic acid neutralizes odors and sanitizes. It's especially good after raw meat or fish. Let it air a moment, then rinse. Don't combine vinegar and baking soda expecting extra power - they just cancel each other out; use one or the other.
- 04
Rinse and dry thoroughly
Rinse the board clean and dry it upright or on edge so air reaches both faces. A board dried flat traps moisture underneath, which causes warping and can smell of mildew - itself an odor problem.
- 05
Re-oil a wooden board
Deodorizing can strip a little of a wooden board's finish, so once it's fully dry, rub in a thin coat of food-safe mineral oil. A well-oiled board is less porous, so it absorbs fewer odors next time.
Why wood absorbs more — and why oiling helps
Odors cling worse to a dry, thirsty wooden board because the open grain drinks in the juices that carry the smell. That is why oiling is not just cosmetic: a board sealed with mineral oil is far less porous, so garlic and fish smells sit on the surface where they wash off instead of soaking in. Plastic boards absorb less but scar with knife cuts, and those grooves trap odor and bacteria — which is one reason we get into the wood-vs-plastic trade-off. Whatever board you have, a quick deodorize plus (for wood) regular oiling keeps it fresh and, as a bonus, kinder to your edge.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you get garlic or onion smell out of a cutting board?
Scrub the board with coarse salt and half a lemon, or a baking-soda paste, then rinse and dry. Both lift and neutralize the odor compounds that plain soap leaves behind. Re-oil a wooden board afterward to keep it from absorbing smells next time.
Can I use bleach to deodorize a cutting board?
You can use a very dilute bleach solution to sanitize a plastic board, but for odor, salt-and-lemon, baking soda, or vinegar work better and won't dry out or damage the surface — bleach is harsh on wood especially. Avoid soaking any board.
Why does my wooden cutting board smell?
Wood is porous, so juices from garlic, onion, fish and meat soak into the grain and linger. A dry, unoiled board absorbs the most. Deodorize with salt and lemon or baking soda, dry it upright, and keep it oiled so it stays less absorbent.
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