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Cutting board cleaning.

 
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SgtNickFury



Joined: 20 Nov 2006
Posts: 37

PostPosted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:15 pm    Post subject: Cutting board cleaning. Reply with quote

I have a heavy duty Butcher's cutting board we got for wedding present I dearly love, but I'm wondering about cleaning it, it already has stains of colors from fruits and veggies that were cut on it........

I clean usually with regular dishwashing liquid and scrubpad/cloth, then I usually put on some mineral oil afterwords......if I can't get the stains out I can live with that, but i do wonder given the porous nature of wood, if where there are stains, there can be bacteria........this is a BIG BIG block no way I can get it in the sink.
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DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Cutting board cleaning. Reply with quote

SgtNickFury wrote:
I have a heavy duty Butcher's cutting board we got for wedding present I dearly love, but I'm wondering about cleaning it, it already has stains of colors from fruits and veggies that were cut on it........

I clean usually with regular dishwashing liquid and scrubpad/cloth, then I usually put on some mineral oil afterwords......if I can't get the stains out I can live with that, but i do wonder given the porous nature of wood, if where there are stains, there can be bacteria........this is a BIG BIG block no way I can get it in the sink.


If you're cleaning it as you say, it's not bacteria. Myself and my family have been using wood cutting boards since the early 1940s. It's 2006 and so far, no guest or family member has ever had food poisoning from our kitchens. Don't believe the hype about how dirty & dangerous wood cutting boards are, it's bull poop.

Also keep in mind wood is a natural product. It's going to change color over the years and get some 'staining'.

If you can't live with the discoloring of your beloved wood, you need to find a vibrating finishing sander. They're those little square sanders that vibrate all over the place. If you don't have one someone you know has one, borrow it. Then buy a few sheets of 60 or 80 grit, 120 and 220 grit paper for it.

You can try sanding it clean with the 120 first. If that doesn't do enough, step down to the 60 or 80 grit. Sand and make nice all surfaces, edges as well. Finish up with the 220 to make glass smooth. Wash with warm sudsy water to remove sanding dust. Let thoroughly dry.

Oil as you normally do. It should look new or close to new.

Clean as you have, it's safe.

Biggles
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danemodsandy



Joined: 28 Sep 2006
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi:

If the cutting board is small enough to go in a sink, it will also probably help to wash it down with water in which you have put a small amount of household bleach. Try about 2 tablespoons in a quart of water. This both lightens stains and sanitises. Rinse VERY thoroughly. Once you have the board clean, oil it; oiling helps keep stains from penetrating into the wood. Use mineral oil from the drugstore for this; it's safe for human ingestion. Other oils, like furniture polish and lemon oil, contain petroleum distillates, not good for ingestion. Wipe a heavy coat of mineral oil onto your board, and let it soak in. Repeat if the board soaks it all up. If necessary, repeat again.

If you have your board well-saturated with mineral oil, other fats and meat juices are not able to soak into the board, because the mineral oil is already in the little voids between the cells of the wood. Mineral oil is cheap, safe, and easy to find. P.S.- periodic sanding of any wood board is a good idea, to renew the surface, but go easy.

Hope this helps.
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senojjones



Joined: 17 Aug 2007
Posts: 2
Location: Jacksonville, Florida

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:46 am    Post subject: Cleaning Cutting Boards Reply with quote

I clean plastic cutting boards with isopropyl alcohol. It removes grease, and evaporates quickly leaving nothing behind. I suspect it will kill any bacteria.

I also clean granite counters with isopropyl.

I once had an entire meal ruined because we had left soap on a cutting board, it does little to the flavor of steak.
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GaryProtein



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 535

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Disinfectants available for home use won't kill all bacteria and viruses, but they will kill the ones you would be concerned about in your home. The truth is, a 70% ethyl alcohol solution (7 parts ethyl alcohol and 3 parts water is a much better surface disinfectant than the 70% isopropyl alcohol sold in drug stores. You can make it with denatured alcohol from a hardware store. The 70% solution is a medically accepted surface disinfectant. On a plastic cutting board, just apply it, let it stay wet and wipe it off 5 minutes later and rinse. On wood boards a 10% bleach solution (one part clorox to nine parts water) for a few minutes and then blot dry and then rinse it off with a wet paper towel and blot dry, will also do the trick. Don't worry about the chlorine, it dissipates when it dries.
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bozzy



Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 3:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wood cutting boards have some natural antibacteral properties, so after you've washed with soap and water, there is a good chance whatever bacteria is left in the grooves won't survive in the wood after you dry it.

With plastic boards, it's a little different... The plastic can actually trap the bacteria in the grooves which will be hard to get rid of in a heavily used board. Once a plastic board gets to the point where you can no longer remove the stains, it's probably time to replace it to be safe.

More info on cutting boards at

http://damngoodrecipes.com/articles/18_WhichCuttingBoardtoUse.html
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SirShazar



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bozzy wrote:
More info on cutting boards at

http://damngoodrecipes.com/articles/18_WhichCuttingBoardtoUse.html


I can't trust that link, they claim the only con of glass boards is that they break, when really, you should NEVER use a glass cutting board. It will ruin your knives.

I've used or eaten from food prepared on both wooden and plastic cutting boards all my life and I've never gotten sick.

Personally, I like using wood cutting boards for produce and plastic for meats.
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Guest






PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SirShazar wrote:
bozzy wrote:
More info on cutting boards at

http://damngoodrecipes.com/articles/18_WhichCuttingBoardtoUse.html


I can't trust that link, they claim the only con of glass boards is that they break


Hmm?

First item in the con list is "Dulls knives"

Quote:

* Dulls knives
* Can break
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SirShazar



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, I missed that. I apologize.
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The BoardSMITH



Joined: 14 May 2008
Posts: 8
Location: High Point, NC

PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some stains can be removed using hydrogen peroxide. Apply to a cloth or towel and blot the stain. Some, it not all, will be removed but it takes time. Just keep the board clean and oiled which will help to repel stains.
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ERdept



Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 39
Location: LA

PostPosted: Thu May 15, 2008 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Boardsmith,

Just wanted to say Hi. I've commissioned you to do the Japanese butcher board, based table, outside of this forum. Glad we bumped into each other here.

I found you on the Japanese chef's knife sharpening site.
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