The ultimate guide of wood cutting board care

Wood cutting boards are functional pieces of art that require maintenance due to all of the things we put them through constantly – runny juices, soapy water and of course, knives. Wood cutting board care can seem daunting since there is a lot to think about. In this article, you will learn the best methods for caring for your cutting board. At the same time we will hopefully provide some insight on why some of these things are important. Let’s go!

Understanding wood movement

Understanding that wood still reacts to its environment even after it has been cut down is the basis for understanding how to care for a wood cutting board. In nature trees are exposed to various weather conditions and must adapt to survive. Because of that exposure, the trees are reacting to those conditions non stop. While the wood in a cutting board isn’t standing in a forest anymore, your cutting board should be treated like the living, breathing being that it once was.  It’s hard to believe, but wood still reacts to the environment in your house. Things like the temperature, humidity, etc. inside your home have an influence on wood, even if it is years removed from the forest! 

If you have ever had hard wood floors installed in your house, you know that the wood boards have to acclimate to your house. This means that the boards sit in your house for a few days to adjust to the environment before the installation takes place.  You may even notice the boards shrink or swell somewhat. Skipping this acclimation period puts you at risk having floor seams with gaps or buckling between boards. This same concept occurs with all other wood items in your house – furniture, doors and your cutting board.  That background information on wood behavior is key to understanding the different aspects of wood cutting board care.

Caring for your cutting board

In this post we will discuss 3 main care topics in relation to wood cutting board care – how to properly store, clean and protect your cutting board to keep it looking great and functional for a long time to come.

1) How to store your cutting board

When it comes to storing your cutting board, there are 3 things to keep in mind:

• Allow for good ventilation
• Store vertically
• Avoid big shifts in temperature and humidity fluctuations

When storing your cutting board, it is best to allow it to get good ventilation.  The best way to accomplish adequate ventilation is to store your cutting board vertically (on its side, not flat). Storing on the counter, opposed to a cabinet, is ideal.  Good ventilation ensures that any exposure the board gets to the environment is equal across all parts.  

Like we discussed in the introduction, big shifts in temperature and humidity can cause the wood your board to swell, shrink, or otherwise “move”.  This usually manifests as bowing, cupping or cracking. 

Consequences of poor storage and environmental care

If a board is stored where the climate is controlled (like in your house) and then taken outside on a hot humid day, you may notice the board bow in response to that environmental change.  The board can start to absorb the moisture in the air and the grain will begin to swell unevenly, thus causing a bow. 

In more extreme situations, the board can even crack.  When we see a crack develop it is usually because a very hot piece of meat was placed on the cutting board.  The intense heat and heavy moisture from the meat can have the same affect as the outside conditions, except the result can be more intense, like a crack.  I know it can be very tempting to take your juicy, mouth watering meat right off the grill and place it directly on the board where you are going to slice it. Best practice is really to allow your meat to rest and cool before carving on your board.

Fortunately, most wood cutting boards are works of art so incorporating a cutting board into the aesthetic of your kitchen isn’t too hard to do. 

2) How to clean your cutting board :

Over the course of its life cutting boards are exposed to fruit, vegetable and meat juices.  Best practice is to clean this material off your cutting board as quickly as possible using the following method :

• If there is a lot of liquid or other food material, blot or wipe up with a towel or napkin.
• Wash with a gentle detergent in warm (not hot, not cold) water.  Do not submerge the board in water. Absolutely, under no circumstances, put your board in the dishwasher.  Let’s repeat together “Do not put the wood cutting board in the dishwasher”.
• Towel dry immediately and then allow the board to finish air drying while standing vertically.  Don’t let anything else lay or rest on the board while its drying, the goal is to allow all parts of the board to dry evenly at the same rate.

3) How to protect your cutting board :

Protection from normal abuse is biggest factor in determining the longevity of your wood cutting board. Protecting your cutting board is a two part process that consists of oiling and waxing. 

Oiling your cutting board

Maintaining proper moisturization is the first part of the adequate protection.  The way that you get “good” moisture (good moisture is going to come from oil, not water) into your board is by applying a food safe cutting board oil.  There are so many options out there for cutting board oil, that the options are seemly endless, but there are a few differences between them that I will touch on.  If you want an in depth analysis of cutting board oils and waxes, stay tuned because that topic is on the content calendar!

Generally, cutting boards are submerged in a mineral oil bath at the time of production. This bath allows the board to soak up as much oil as it can.  At home, once you notice your board looking dry, go ahead and apply some oil. Just pour the oil over board and let it “drink” it up.  Apply in coats at several hour intervals until the board no longer drinks it up.  At this point, wait about a day or so to apply a good wax.

Types of Oils

The most popular cutting board oils are primarily composed of mineral oil as it is food safe and inexpensive.  Mineral oil is considered safe and has several medicinal uses.  However, it is a by product of the petroleum production process so there is some skepticism on how “good” it really is for us.  There are many organic options out there including coconut oil, hempseed oil, tung oil, linseed oil, jajoba oil, and walnut oil, among many others.

Of course, there are many cutting board oil products out there that you can purchase commercially. Our favorite is the line of products from Walrus Oil. All of their products are eco friendly, food safe and really great quality. To check out their line of products, visit them here http://walrusoil.sjv.io/LP22n0.

One last note about cutting board oils, there are two types of oils out there – drying and non-drying oils.  If you select an oil that is non-drying, it will always have a slightly oily feel. I won’t go into great depth here on all the differences between the various cutting board oils available.   That is a future post in and of itself.

Waxing your Cutting Board 

The wax on the board is does a lot of water repelling and gives protection that your board needs.  One of the most common ingredients in a good cutting board wax is actually beeswax.  Other waxes that you commonly see incorporated into cutting board waxes in smaller amounts are candelilla wax and carnauba wax. Both candelilla and carnauba waxes are extracted from plants.

Waxing your cutting board is much like waxing anything else – wax on, wax off. For application, wax applicator pads are recommended as the wax spreads more evenly and they are usually lent free.  When applying, apply in circles and spread evenly across all surfaces of the board (top, bottom and sides).  Allow the wax to sit for a little bit (30 minutes or so is a good target). At this point, you can then buff the wax off.  

Frequency of care

A question that we get a lot is “how often do I need to oil and wax my cutting board”?  This is difficult to answer because it is different for each board and each environment.  Frequency of care varies based on level of use and environment from after each use to every couple of months. This can be a little subjective, but you will learn your cutting board’s “behavior” and when it needs attention.  

And that sums it up for wood cutting board care!  Wood cutting boards are an investment but you can do it with this steps!  They are extremely durable  and with the proper care and maintenance they are sure to last a very long time.

If interested, we have our handmade cutting boards available for purchase at our Esty shop here : https://ninetenwoodshop.etsy.com. We also proudly take custom orders. Feel free to reach out if you have an idea you would like to see come to fruition! To learn more about us at 9:10 Wood Shop, check out our About page here : https://910woodshopblog.com/about-910-wood-shop/

Thanks for visiting! I hope you learned something new! Please let us know in the comments if you have any questions! We’d also love to hear if have other tips for caring for a wood cutting board!

–9:10 Wood Shop