How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board

There are many ways to ensure that your wood cutting board will last forever. Your most beloved kitchen item needs proper care and upkeep. Hydration of a wood cutting board is key, and this doesn't come from water, it comes from the right oil. If you don't remember anything else remember this - NEVER let your wood products sit in water or go in the dishwasher.

Continue reading below to learn all of Words with Boards' best kept secrets on keeping your cutting boards looking their best for years!


Wooden Cutting Board Care:

  1. Clean your wooden cutting board after each use. Clean your cutting board with mild, soapy water. For a deeper clean, use a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Let it stand upright, on a clean dish towel, to dry after cleaning. You could also sit in on a cooling rack so the air can circulate all around.
  2. Oil your wood cutting board. After the board is clean and completely dry (approx. 24 hours later), spray your cutting board with our lemon essential cutting board oil or coconut oil. Make sure you get in between those letters! (We do not recommend using any oil made of vegetable or animal fat as these oils may go rancid.)
  3. Let it soak. Let the food-grade mineral oil soak into the board for as long as possible (overnight is best). Wipe off any excess oil with a lint-free cloth.
  4. Repeat. You should repeat these steps when the cutting board feels dry. More often in the beginning and less often over time.
  5. Restore. Return your cutting board to its original finish by hand-sanding the surface with 320 grit sand paper. Wipe off with damp cloth then follow instructions from step #1.

Meat Board Care:

Our Meat Carving Boards will arrive to you finished with a beeswax/mineral oil coating. This gives the board a thin seal of wax that protects the surface from water penetration.

When the board looks or feels dry, follow the care instructions above for wood cutting boards. You can use Food-Grade Mineral Oil, butcher block paste or conditioner with beeswax to condition the board.

Lazy Susan Care:

A Lazy Susan purchased from our website has either a finish that is food-safe or finish that isnot food-safe.

If it is food-safe, it has a coating of mineral oil and beeswax. The beeswax provides a thin barrier to the wood but will start to wear off with each use. After each use, simply wipe down with a damp cloth. When your lazy susan looks dry, apply food-safe mineral oil or butcher block oil. It is best not to get the hardware on the bottom wet.

A lazy susan that is not food-safe means that it has a poly coating and that you should not cut on the surface. Just wipe down with a damp cloth as needed. There is no other maintenance for these lazy susans.

Trivet Care:

XO Trivet

The care instructions for our Trivets are the same as the wood cutting board.

Just remember to never put your trivet, or any wooden product, into the dishwasher or submerge it in water for any period of time.

 


Cutting Board Oil

Lemon Essence Cutting Board Oil

Words with Boards' Lemon Essence Cutting Board Oil is a lovely blend of food-grade mineral oil and lemon essential oil, sure to keep your wooden products looking and feeling like new.

The spray top of our oil makes it easy to spray onto your wood cutting board and especially right in between those tiny letters! The lemon essential oil adds just the right amount of fragrance to your wood.

For best use, pair with our instructions above for cutting board care.

Which is Safer Wood or Plastic Cutting Boards?

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We received our board and it is PERFECT!!!!!! Thank you so much for the beautiful work and for getting the board to us so fast. It is going to be such a wonderful gift.

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I've purchased 2 personalized words with boards for wedding gifts for my nieces and they absolutely love them and use them all the time! It's a very special and unique gift for anyone! You can be sure they will not receive a duplicate and they will think of you every time they use it for years to come!

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We believe Made in America matters for our economy and our Planet.

Each character is hand cut with a scroll saw by one of our very talented artisans.

We use sustainably forested American hardwoods. For each wooden product sold, a tree is planted in the U.S.