Caring For Your Kitchen Essentials: How To Clean A Chopping Board

Chopping boards are a kitchen essential that help make a large majority of recipes and culinary creations possible, so of course, it's important that you take care in maintaining them. How you care for your chopping boards will depend on what kind of material your cutting board is made from. For instance, how you clean a wooden chopping board differs from how you would clean a plastic chopping board. In this guide, we'll detail how to clean a chopping board properly depending on its material, and other care tips that will extend the life of your board and keep it looking pristine.

Quick Links

• Types of Chopping Boards
• How To Care For A Plastic Chopping Board
• How To Care For A Wooden Chopping Board
• Caring For A Bamboo Chopping Board
• How To Care For A Glass Chopping Board
• Maintaining Bamboo and Wooden Chopping Boards: How To Oil A Chopping Board
• How To Seal A Chopping Board With Oil

Types of Chopping Boards

When deciding how to clean a chopping board, the main thing you need to consider is what it is made of. Chopping boards can be made from a range of materials. The most common types of chopping boards include:

• Wood - Sturdy and rustic, these boards are also stylish
• Bamboo - Offer a similar appearance to wood, but made from grass
• Plastic - Easy to clean, available in a range of different colours
• Glass - Nonporous surface and sleek appearance
• Marble - Elegant, but best used for displaying your culinary creations

Want to find out more about the types of chopping boards? Check out our informational blog article to find out more about the types of chopping boards.

How To Care For A Plastic Chopping Board

Plastic chopping boards are light and thin, making them easy to use and store away. Because of their composition, there are a number of approaches you can take in their cleaning process.

How To Clean A Plastic Chopping Board

One of the great things about plastic boards is, because they are synthetic and non-porous, they can be popped in the dishwasher! Some plastic chopping boards can warp under high heat, so remove them before the drying cycle in your dishwasher to prevent them from becoming misshapen and unstable.

You can also hand wash your plastic chopping board using hot water and dish soap. This allows you to scrub off any potential stains and clingy scraps, which your dishwasher may miss. If your white plastic board needs a thorough scrub, you can create a mixture of bleach and water to sponge clean it before rinsing it with water and standing it up to dry.

If your plastic chopping board has a stain you just can't get rid of, create a paste using equal parts baking soda, salt and water. Scrub the paste into the stain, leave for a few minutes and then rinse off and clean as normal.

When To Replace Your Plastic Chopping Board

Once your plastic chopping board is showing multiple cuts and grooves, it's time to replace it. Unfortunately, plastic chopping boards cannot be mended and bacteria can live and grow in these cuts no matter how ferociously you try to clean them. Luckily, they are also the most affordable type of chopping board, so it's not hard to find another plastic board you'll love to use.

How To Care For A Wooden Chopping Board

Wooden chopping boards are a stylish and durable choice as a chopping board, although they require a bit of upkeep to maintain their condition and good looks. You can choose from a few different kinds of wood, but all will need to be cared for in the same way to prevent them from drying out and cracking.

How To Clean A Wooden Chopping Board

Deciding how to clean a wooden chopping board can go a long way in determining how long your wooden cutting board will last. The key to cleaning a wooden chopping board is to always hand wash them in your sink. Long exposure to high levels of heat (like in your dishwasher) can cause your wooden chopping board to expand, crack and retain the water, not only forcing it out of shape, but also proving a breeding ground for bacteria deep in the cracks of the board.

Scrape any stubborn bits of food off your wooden chopping board with a strong spatula or scraper, then use warm water and mild dish soap to clean it in the sink - avoid soaps with harsh chemicals like ammonia in them. Once it's clean, either hand dry the board with a tea towel or leave it standing up to dry, preferably on a rack. If it standing on a solid surface, make sure water doesn't pool at the bottom of the board, as sitting in this water for too long can encourage mould to grow in small speckles along the bottom of your wooden chopping board.

When To Replace Your Wooden Chopping Board

If your wooden chopping board has started to split or has warped, it may be time to replace it. Small chips and cuts can be sanded away, but any greater repairs should be done by a professional carpenter to ensure all materials used to repair the board are food-safe and water-resistant.

Caring For A Bamboo Chopping Board

While they may look and feel similar to a wooden chopping board, bamboo is actually a type of grass, meaning that bamboo chopping boards need to be handled a little differently to wooden chopping boards. They can still last you a long time if oiled and hand-washed like you would a wooden chopping board, and they are a less-expensive option as well.

How To Care For A Glass Chopping Board

Modern and stylish, a glass chopping board is as much a statement piece as a food preparation tool in the kitchen. Glass chopping boards are smooth and easy to clean, as most food and liquids will slide right off the surface of the board. However, they are very hard so your knives are easy to dull on them, plus they can break if dropped or even if they are cut into too heavily.

How To Wash A Glass Cutting Board

Glass cutting boards are dishwasher friendly, but they are so easy to clean by hand that you almost don't need to bother! Hot water and soap are enough to clean a glass cutting board, and you can pour boiling water over it at the end for a clear shine and to remove any suds. Make sure the board is still warm while you do this, as pouring boiling water over a cold glass board (or putting a very hot glass board in the freezer) can cause it to suddenly break! Dry in a rack or by hand to prevent water droplets from staining the board's surface.

When To Replace A Glass Cutting Board

You'll know when your glass cutting board needs replacing when it cracks or shatters into pieces! If your glass cutting board has a small chip, you should still replace it, as sudden changes in temperature may cause the chip to turn into a large crack.

Maintaining Bamboo and Wooden Chopping Boards: How To Oil A Chopping Board

Like seasoning a cast iron pan, learning how to oil a chopping board is vital to keeping it in good condition and ensuring any food you make on it is safe to eat. The smooth and slick surface that makes wooden chopping boards so nice to use is due to a coat of food-safe oil. This coat can run dry over time, so once your board has become dry, lightened in colour and absorbs water instead of repelling it, then it's time to add a new coat of oil.

Avoid oils used for cooking like olive, sunflower or vegetable oils, as these will turn rancid and give your board a nasty smell and taste, which will then be passed on to any food you chop on it.

Here are our favourite oils you can use to oil a wooden chopping board:

Mineral Oil Mixed With Beeswax

Mineral oil is made from paraffin, a by-product of petroleum that is clean, odourless and flavourless. Make sure the mineral oil you choose for oiling a board is food grade, as you can find mineral oil that is used to lubricate machine parts that you definitely don't want getting into your food!

On its own, mineral oil will do a decent job of lubricating your wooden cutting board, but we recommend blending it with beeswax for added shine and protection, or at least applying a layer of beeswax after your layer of mineral oil has dried.

Fractionated Coconut Oil

You can't just use the regular coconut oil you find at the grocery store, as the fats in coconut oil will go rancid if used to oil your board. Look for fractionated coconut oil (which has had the parts that turn rancid removed) to give your board a soft and smooth protective coat of oil.

100% Pure Tung Oil

Loved in woodworking for its long-lasting protection, Tung oil used for oiling a wooden chopping board must be 100% pure. If the bottle doesn't say either of these things on it, don't use it! The wrong Tung oil is toxic to humans, so you'll want the pure stuff. Please keep in mind Tung oil is made from a tree that bears nuts, so people allergic to nuts should avoid this oil altogether.

How To Seal A Chopping Board With Oil

If you're wondering how to seal a chopping board with oil, there are only a few steps you need to take once you've chosen which kind of oil you will be using. Once your wooden cutting board is clean and dry, add a few dollops of oil to your board and use a soft microfibre cloth to work the oil into the grain. Wipe away any excess and let the board dry overnight before using. You can use these same steps for how to seal a chopping board for other wooden utensils like stirring spoons and flat wooden spatulas.

Discover Quality Chopping Boards At Spotlight

Choose your next chopping board from the collection of chopping boards at Spotlight! Shop for chopping and cutting boards online, and we'll deliver them straight to your front door. You can also visit your nearest Spotlight store to choose your cutting boards in person.

For more ideas and inspiration for the kitchen, make sure to read our blogs on pantry organisation, how to clean a kettle and ceramic dinnerware explained. And if you need some more information on kitchen supplies and how to care for them, read our buying guides on kitchen tools and utensils, choosing a kitchen knife and how to care for your kitchen knives.

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