Here’s a quick tutorial on how to clean/care for your cutting board. A few things to keep in mind is that if you care for your board it will last for decades. Another thing that is important is that you should NEVER submerge your block in water, it’s a big no-no! Some people may throw theirs in the sink and wash it like it’s a dirty dish but that’s not the way to keep it lasting long. By doing that the wood will completely dry out. What you want to do takes three simple steps. 1. Clean 2. Sanitize 3. Seal
1. CLEAN: The first thing you want to do is clean the board by simply taking a clean cloth and wiping it down and getting rid of any crumbs or stuck on food.
2. SANITIZE: Using a mixture of white distilled vinegar and water (equal parts) spray your butcher block and wipe down.
3. SEAL: The next product you need to use is mineral oil. It’s important that you use mineral oil and not cooking oil because mineral oil is food safe and is meant for wood. You can find it in any grocery store and most certainly wherever you purchased your butcher block. You”ll want to pour about 3-4 tablespoons and then using a cloth or paper towel rub it in. You may need more depending on how dry your block is.
That’s it, you’re all done! That’s all that is needed to clean your butcher block. No soap, No soaking!
When you first purchase a butcher block you should oil it once a day for a week and then once a month after that or whenever dry.