How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board & Maintain It Like a Professional

So you’ve just bought a gorgeous, artfully crafted wooden cutting board, and you’re ready to start (responsibly) slicing, dicing and chopping away. If there’s one thing to know about wooden cooking tools, however, it’s that they can require a more sophisticated level of care than many plastic or metal ones (read: resist any and all temptations to put them in the dishwasher).

To keep your beautiful chopping block in tip-top condition, you’ll want to establish a separate cleaning regimen for it, which we’ll detail later along with sanitizing, deodorizing and long-term care tips. In the meantime, here’s a quick rundown on how to clean a wooden cutting board.

• Step 1: Brush or wipe off loose food scraps.
• Step 2: Scrape off stuck-on food particles.
• Step 3: If necessary, scrub out stains with water and/or a baking soda slurry.
• Step 4: Rinse and wash both sides with hot water and a gentle soap.
• Step 5: Pat the surface dry and leave out to air dry thoroughly.

What You Need to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board

First, you’ll need to gather your cleaning materials when it comes time to clean your cutting board. If you need to deodorize, sanitize or condition your cutting board, we’ll go over those items later on in the guide. But for everyday cleaning, here’s what you’ll need.

• Spatula or bench scraper
• Dish soap
• Dish sponge
• Dish towel
• Optional (for stains): Baking soda

How to Clean Wood Cutting Boards

Before you clean it for the first time, be sure to check any cutting board care instructions that came with it. Since these are specific to the wood, finish and design of your specific cutting board, they should take precedence over these general cleaning instructions.

Whether you’re using it for chopping carrots or serving up the ultimate cheese board, here’s a reliable daily cleaning process you can follow to keep your cutting board sanitary, strong and striking!

Step 1: Brush or Wipe Off Loose Food Scraps

The first step is a pretty simple one. While your board is still dry, use your hand, a gentle brush or a clean dish towel to wipe away any crumbs, fluids or other loose food scraps. Any particularly stubborn bits you can’t wipe away can wait for the next step.

Step 2: Scrape Off Stuck-on Food Particles

Look, we’ve all been there. If you spent an evening preparing a delicious meal and couldn’t get to cleaning your entire kitchen immediately afterward, we totally get it. If that’s left your cutting board with some less-than-savory dried-on residue, give it a good scrape with the flat edge of a spatula or a bench scraper.

In a pinch, the back (or dull) side of a knife blade can work as well. You want a metal kitchen utensil with a clean, straight edge. We don’t recommend wood or plastic, as these are prone to chipping and could damage the surface of your cutting board.

Step 3 (Optional): Scrub Out Stains

Whether you’ve been dicing beets or just spilled a little red wine on your cutting board, you should be able to scrub the stains out. For lighter discolorations from veggies like tomatoes and red onions, water, a sponge and a little elbow grease alone may do the trick.

For stains with a little more staying power, a slurry of roughly 2:3 baking soda to water makes for an effective, all-natural cutting board cleaner. Rub the slurry into the stain with a sponge or dish rag and then proceed with the cleaning process.

Step 4: Rinse & Wash Both Sides

To help the wood release stains and fight bacteria, always start with hot water. Gentle dish soap should work well for most cutting boards unless your piece’s care instructions state otherwise. Scrub the surface thoroughly with a sponge, and avoid overly abrasive tools like steel wool or brushes with stiff bristles.

Once you’ve finished with the side of the board you did your dirty work on, you’re not done yet! Even if the bottom only touched a clean countertop, it’s important to wash both sides of the board so it can soak and dry evenly. This will help keep the wood from warping.

Step 5: Pat the Surface & Air Dry

Your cutting board will soak up a decent amount of moisture, but remaining beads on the surface should be patted to promote even drying. Even if you can’t feel or see any water beading on the surface, the board may feel slightly heavier and appear a little darker.

To complete the cleaning process, always allow your wooden cutting board to finish air drying before storing it by positioning it upright in a dish rack.

How to Sanitize a Wood Cutting Board

Since wood is porous and easily dried out, sanitizing wood cutting boards without damaging them can be tricky. The best solution is to not need to disinfect a wood cutting board to begin with. It’s best to cut or handle raw meat (and even execute this cutting board hack) on a separate board, ideally a synthetic or plastic one that’s dishwasher safe.

For a more heavy-duty clean, you can also use a vinegar solution to help sanitize your cutting board as needed. It’s worth noting, though, that cleaning with vinegar isn’t as effective as cleaning with commercial cleaners when it comes to killing germs. It’s also worth noting that this method should be done in moderation, as vinegar can damage the wood with too much exposure.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to sanitize your wooden cutting board.

• Step 1: Make a vinegar solution. Combine 1:4 parts white vinegar to water in a container or as a bath in your sink basin.
• Step 2: Apply solution. To spot clean your cutting board, dip a towel into the solution and scrub the surface.
• Step 3: Soak (optional). For a deeper clean, soak the cutting board in the solution for no more than two to three minutes. Note that it’s generally not recommended to soak cutting boards, so this should only be done if absolutely necessary.
• Step 4: Rinse. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
• Step 5: Dry. Blot the cutting board dry immediately with a dish towel.

For an even deeper clean, in dire circumstances, the USDA has approved a tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of warm water for disinfecting. However, this beefed-up cleaning power comes at a cost. Bleach can damage, dry out and discolor wood (the three dreaded D’s of wood care).

For that reason, we recommend using bleach only as a last resort if you deem thorough disinfecting to be essential. (But ideally, we recommend not bleaching wood cutting boards at all.)

How to Remove Smells from a Wooden Cutting Board

Unfortunately, the tastiest ingredients tend to leave something behind to remember them by. As a porous material, wood can have a hard time letting go of some of the more fragrant foods you use them to chop. If you’re looking to get the garlic smell out before using your cutting board to rough-chop chocolate for chocolate chip cookies, for example, here are two options.

Option 1: Baking Soda

Baking soda: You can bake with it, you can clean with it—and you can even deodorize with it. If your cutting board is a little more fragrant than you’d like, Test Kitchen Director Belle English offers this solution as a solution.

• Step 1: Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda into 1 cup of water.
• Step 2: Spread the slurry on the afflicted surface with a sponge.
• Step 3: Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dish soap.
• Step 4: Give it the smell test—don’t be shy; the only way to know for sure it worked is to get in there and have a sniff!
• Step 5 (optional): Repeat if needed, letting the slurry sit for a little longer each time.
• Step 6: Finish by patting dry and letting fully air dry in an upright position.

Option 2: Salt & Lemon or Vinegar

Also seemingly infinitely useful, acids like vinegar can help remove smells but should be used sparingly on wood. While this isn’t quite as effective as the baking soda method, it can come with the nice bonus of a lemony-fresh scent!

• Step 1: Halve a lemon or mix 1:4 parts white vinegar to water in a spray bottle.
• Step 2: Sprinkle kosher salt all over the board.
• Step 3: Squeeze lemon or spritz a fine layer of the vinegar solution onto the cutting board’s surface.
• Step 4: Rinse with warm water and dish soap.
• Step 5 (optional): Repeat if needed.
• Step 6: Let the board air dry completely in an upright position.

How to Treat Mold on a Cutting Board

If you haven’t been letting your wooden cutting board fully dry before storing it, you may discover a few dark spots popping up around the edges. Before it has a chance to continue spreading, here’s how to treat small amounts of mold or mildew with (as you may have guessed) vinegar.

• Step 1: Mix 1:4 parts white vinegar to water in a spray bottle.
• Step 2: Spray the patches of mold or mildew and scrub with a cloth.
• Step 3: Allow to sit for about an hour.
• Step 4: Soak a cloth in warm water and blot the area clean.
• Step 5: Let air dry completely.
• Step 6 (optional): If this doesn’t work, try again with a solution of 1:2 parts white vinegar to water.
• Step 7 (optional): If the mold is too deep to spot clean, as a last resort, you can try sanding the area down until no more mold can be found.

If your wooden cutting board is showing heavy amounts of mold or mildew or if the above process doesn’t work, it may be time to enlist the help of a professional. In some cases, the mold could have spread so deep into the wood that it’s simply beyond repair. If you’ve reached that point, then it’s time, unfortunately, to part ways with your trusty cutting board.

How to Care for a Wooden Cutting Board

With proper care, your cutting board should hold up for years on end to all the cuts, slices, scratches and pokes you could ever subject it to. Aside from the cleaning processes outlined above, that care includes periodic oiling and sound storage practices to help keep it from warping, cracking or growing mold.

Here’s how to keep your cutting board looking ready for an Insta-worthy appetizer board at all times!

How to Oil a Cutting Board

Regularly oiling a cutting board is an important (and often overlooked) part of proper cutting board maintenance. A well-oiled board helps fend off mold, bacteria, warping and splintering.

Don’t think you have the time for yet another kitchen chore? Don’t worry, it only takes a few minutes and shouldn’t need to be done too often.

• Step 1: Pick out a food-grade mineral oil or commercial wood oil.
• Step 2: Make sure your cutting board is clean and completely dry.
• Step 3: Apply a generous dose of your chosen product—just enough to coat (but not drench) the entire surface of your cutting board.
• Step 4: Moving in slow, steady circles, rub the product in with a dry rag.
• Step 5: Wipe off excess oil.
• Step 6: Repeat this process on the other side of the cutting board.
• Step 7: If the wood can still take in more oil after one round of application, repeat this whole process for a second coat.
• Step 8: Air dry your board until it’s no longer damp to the touch.

How Often to Oil a Cutting Board

The short answer: You’ll have to feel it out (literally). An easy test is to flick water onto the surface—if it beads, your board is right as rain. If the water soaks in, it’s time for a refresher.

Like seasoning a cast iron skillet or maintaining a knife, wood cutting board care is an ongoing process. With regular use, you can likely expect to go anywhere from a few weeks to a month or so between coats. You’ll learn to tell when it’s time for another oiling session over time.

How to Store Cutting Boards

Wooden cutting board care doesn’t stop at oiling—you’ve got to store it properly as well. Proper storage starts with proper drying. If you keep your board in a drawer or cabinet, always ensure it is 100% dry before stowing it away. Overnight air drying in a well-ventilated dish rack should do the trick. Alternatively, open kitchen shelving can help ensure your cutting boards are never in danger of being damp and musty.

How to Repair a Damaged Cutting Board

Cutting boards with heavy amounts of cracking and warping may be better left to professionals—or, unfortunately, even the garbage. Even the most capable DIYers may not be able to salvage wood that can’t lie flat on a countertop anymore.

If you’re looking to repair a few stray knife marks on a cutting board, however, you may be able to do the repair work yourself.

• Step 1: Pick up one or two sheets of sandpaper in progressively higher grits. At a minimum, get one medium-grit (80), one fine-grit (100 or 120) and one very fine-grit (150 and above). For the best results, don’t skip any numbers between 80 and 220.
• Step 2: Clean your cutting board and make sure it’s free of any crumbs or food particles.
• Step 3: Using an electric sander or sanding block, start sanding with the coarsest sheet (the lowest grit). For deep grooves, you’ll probably need to start with an 80-grit sheet. For lighter scratches, you might be able to start with 100 or 120.
• Step 4: Once you’ve sanded down past the divots, move up to the next finest grit to smooth out the surface.
• Step 5: After you’ve made it through the finest grit, it’s not a bad idea to sand the other side as well, even if it isn’t as dinged up.
• Step 6: At this point, your cutting board will be feeling pretty gritty. Wipe it off with a dry rag or brush, and then give it a thorough cleaning like we’ve outlined above.
• Step 7: Once your freshly sanded cutting board is completely dry, apply two coats of oil using the process described in the previous section.

Can You Put a Wooden Cutting Board in the Dishwasher?

To put it bluntly: Under no circumstances should you put a wooden cutting board in the dishwasher. At best, the constant barrage of high heat and water is a surefire way to warp and/or crack this gorgeous hunk of wood. At worst, it can do both plus incubate mildew and bacteria growth.

Always hand-wash your wooden cutting board using the steps listed in this post. If you prefer a more hands-off approach to cleaning, you can always opt for an alternative board material. Synthetic cutting boards, for example, are both beautiful and dishwasher safe.

Wood can be an immensely attractive, durable material—but only if treated with care. Now that you know how to clean a wooden cutting board properly, you can apply many of the same principles to other wood pieces like butcher block counters, serving utensils and other kitchen tools.