How to Care for a Wooden Cutting Board Naturally
A good wooden cutting board can last for decades. With a little regular care, it gets more beautiful with age instead of drying out, cracking or picking up stains and smells.
The good news? You don't need harsh chemicals or fancy products. Most of what you need is probably already in your kitchen, plus a little beeswax.
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Everyday Cleaning
After each use:
- Wash with hot, soapy water and a sponge or brush. Scrub both sides, even if you only used one, so the board dries evenly.
- Rinse and dry right away with a clean towel.
- Stand it on its edge to finish air-drying. Laying it flat traps moisture underneath, which can lead to warping.
A natural-bristle wooden dish brush gets into knife marks without scratching, and an upright board rack makes air-drying on edge easy.
If you've cut raw meat, poultry or fish, give the board an extra-thorough scrub with hot, soapy water. Many cooks keep a separate board just for those foods.
The Big Don'ts
- Don't soak it. Wood absorbs water, swells and can crack or warp.
- Don't put it in the dishwasher. The heat and long exposure to water are a fast way to ruin a wooden board.
- Don't use cooking oils like olive or vegetable oil to condition it. They can go rancid over time and leave your board sticky and smelly.
Natural Deodorizing and Stain Removal
Lemon and salt. Sprinkle coarse salt over the board, then scrub with half a lemon, squeezing as you go. The salt works like a gentle scrub and the lemon helps lift stains and odors from things like garlic and onion. Rinse, dry and stand it up.
Baking soda. For stubborn smells, make a paste of baking soda and a little water, scrub it in, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse.
White vinegar. A wipe-down with undiluted white vinegar is an easy natural way to freshen the board between deeper cleanings.
Oiling and Conditioning
Washing gradually dries wood out. Conditioning keeps it from getting thirsty, helps it resist water and stains, and brings back that rich, warm color.
How do you know it's time? If the board looks pale, dry or chalky, it's ready. You can also sprinkle a few drops of water on it. If they bead up, you're in good shape. If they soak right in, it's time to oil.
For most kitchens, that's about once a month, more often for a brand-new board or if you use it daily.
Choosing an Oil
- Food-grade mineral oil is the most common choice. It's food-safe and won't go rancid, though it's petroleum-based, so it's not everyone's idea of "natural."
- Fractionated coconut oil is a popular plant-based option. It stays liquid and resists going rancid.
- Avoid nut oils if anyone in your home, or anyone you cook for, has nut allergies.
How to Oil Your Board
- Start with a clean, completely dry board.
- Apply a generous amount of oil and rub it in with a soft cloth, following the grain. Don't forget the sides and edges.
- Let it soak in for several hours, ideally overnight.
- Wipe off any excess the next day.
Lint-free cotton flour sack towels are perfect for rubbing in and wiping off.
Where Beeswax Comes In
Oil soaks into the wood. Beeswax sits closer to the surface and adds a protective layer that helps repel water and gives your board a soft, satiny finish.
Blend the two together and you get what's often called board butter, and it's one of our favorite ways to use beeswax from our own hives. (Here's how we collect and clean that wax after the honey harvest.)
Want to mix your own? Our Natural Beeswax Bar is pure wax from our hives, easy to grate or gently melt into your oil of choice. 🐝
How to Use It
Rub a thin layer over your clean, dry board with a soft cloth or your fingers. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then buff off any excess with a clean cloth. Your board will look richer and feel smoother almost immediately.
Board butter works beautifully on wooden spoons, salad bowls, rolling pins and butcher block counters, too. And a plain bar of beeswax has plenty of other uses around the house. Here are 5 household fixes to try.
Bringing Back a Tired Board
If your board is rough, fuzzy or covered in deep knife marks, a light sanding can give it a fresh start. Sand gently with fine-grit sandpaper, following the grain, wipe away the dust, then oil and condition it well. It'll look almost new.
And if a board develops deep cracks that trap food and water, it may be time to retire it from food prep. It'll still make a lovely serving tray or plant stand.
A Little Care Goes a Long Way
Wash it, dry it, stand it up, and feed it a little oil and beeswax now and then. That's really all a wooden cutting board asks for, and in return, it can last you a lifetime.
Curious where our beeswax comes from? Check out What Is Beeswax and Why Do We Love Using It? Or skip the mixing and grab a tin of our Beeholden Farms Board Butter. 🐝
