The #1 Way to Take Care of Your Cutting Boards

Although I’m a food writer, I’d be embarrassed to show you my current cutting boards. They’re stained, nicked, faded and certainly “well loved”—to say the least. They are workhorses in my kitchen, used for preparing nearly every meal, so it’s not surprising that they take a beating. But how do you go about keeping cutting boards looking like new? According to the manufacturers I heard from, it all comes down to how you care for them. Specifically, you need to be washing and drying both wooden and plastic cutting boards correctly.

“The most common mistake people make regarding proper care of their wooden cutting boards is putting them in the dishwasher,” says Henry Liu, founder and CEO of Cangshan Cutlery Company. “The prolonged exposure to water, in addition to the heat involved, can cause warping and cracking,” he explains.

Some plastic cutting boards may be able to go in the dishwasher, but they also require deeper cleanings and regular care so that they don’t develop odors and stains. Both plastic and wood cutting boards need to be dried on their side, too, in order to avoid mold growth. 

Wood Versus Plastic Cutting Boards

Each kitchen should have two cutting boards: a wooden one and a plastic one. Wood cutting boards are ideal for fruits and vegetables, herbs, bread and pastries and cooked meats, while plastic should be reserved for raw meat, poultry and fish, as they are easier to disinfect. Plastic is also better for highly pigmented fruits or vegetables that could stain your board, like beets. The USDA recommends having one board dedicated to meat, poultry and fish and another for vegetables and breads to avoid cross contamination.

How to Maintain Wood Cutting Boards

Rather than putting your wood cutting board in the dishwasher, Liu recommends using warm water and dish soap to hand-wash it, and washing it soon after using it. “For a deeper clean, you can use salt or baking soda combined with half a lemon to naturally disinfect the board,” he adds. The acidity of the lemon combined with the baking soda can help cut through any grease or food buildup. Similarly, you can use baking soda and vinegar to fight tough stains, as well as salt and a lemon if you need to cut through more buildup.

Drying the board on its side is also key to avoiding any mold or mildew growth, Melissa Ledbetter, director of marketing and e-commerce at Kuhn Rikon, says. “Always be sure to stand the board up so all sides are drying,” she says, adding that you shouldn’t fully submerge a wooden cutting board in water or use harsh chemicals to disinfect it.

Wooden boards also need to be oiled regularly to maintain their moisture and prevent cracking. A food-grade mineral oil or beeswax will keep the board hydrated, and Ledbetter recommends oiling your board every few weeks, more often if it’s used more frequently in your kitchen. “Apply the oil generously, let it absorb for a few hours or overnight, then wipe off any excess,” she says. 

How to Maintain Plastic Cutting Boards

Plastic cutting boards are generally easier to clean, as they can handle higher water temperatures and stronger chemicals without warping or discoloration, which is why they are often recommended for raw meat, poultry and fish. If you don’t have a dishwasher, use hot soapy water (dish soap is fine) to clean your board. Once it’s washed, give it a rinse with clean water, and let it air-dry on its side.

Plastic cutting board manufacturer Oxo also recommends sanitizing plastic cutting boards after cutting raw meat on them. To do this, mix a solution of 1 gallon of water with 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach. Pour it over the cutting board, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse with clean water and let it air-dry.

How to Restore a Cutting Board

As cutting boards are such workhorses in the kitchen, they’ll often get stained, sometimes harbor odors or just need a bit of restoration to look their best. A coarse salt scrub and half a lemon can be used on either wood or plastic to neutralize a stain. Baking soda and white vinegar can also get stains out, and hydrogen peroxide is best for the toughest stains, Ledbetter says.

With wood boards, use a fine-grit sandpaper to buff out any stubborn stains, she adds. Sunlight will also naturally bleach the board, so you could stand it on its side in the sunlight to dry to reduce the appearance of stains as well.

When it comes to nicks and scratches, this is actually a positive sign that your cutting board is softer than your knife, which means that the board isn’t damaging your blade. If they become too deep, though, it’s time to replace your board. Deep cuts, gouges, warping or splinters all make it difficult to keep your board sanitized.

The Bottom Line

In order to keep your cutting boards looking like new, you have to make sure they are being washed and maintained properly. For wooden cutting boards, this means hand-washing with soap and warm water, as exposure to water that is too hot for too long will cause warping and cracking. Plastic cutting boards are more forgiving and can be washed in the dishwasher. Both need to dry on their side in order to avoid growing mold or mildew.

While it’s important to wash your cutting boards correctly, it’s also important to know when it’s time to replace them. Deep scratches, gouges, cracks and splinters are all signs it’s time for a new wooden board, while gouges, stubborn stains and smells are indicators you need a new plastic one. As for my sad cutting boards, let’s just say I’ve added two new ones to my Amazon cart as I’ve written this piece.