How To Clean Your Bamboo Cutting Board

We've all experienced it at one point or another: that quick, terrifying thought that there could be anything living on that old kitchen cutting board you're about to use again. They're among the most-handled pieces of equipment in any home kitchen, touching just about everything that's cooked, but they remain a kind of mystery when they end up in the sink or the dishwasher.

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Joyce McGarry, a food safety educator at Michigan State University Extension and the author of dozens of articles about food safety, says that there's no one best kind of cutting board. "It comes down to preference, and sometimes cost," McGarry says. "They all have advantages and they all have disadvantages." (She owns a few different types herself.) No matter which type you own, though, it's clear when to get rid of them. "If it has cuts in it, when that surface isn't smooth anymore, it's a practical reason to replace," McGarry says. Even some hard-to-remove stains are reason enough to replacing your cutting boards.

There's also no clear answer to how many cutting boards home cooks should own. One trend, according to McGarry, is to own color-coded boards: red for red meat, blue for fish, yellow for poultry, green for produce. "It's a way of understanding the importance of avoiding cross-contamination between those varieties of foods," she notes. At the very least, you should own one cutting board for veggies and one for meat. If you don't feel like fully sanitizing your equipment every time, that's OK; it's only imperative that you do a deep clean if you're cutting meat.

It's probably about time to give your cutting boards a little TLC. Plus, proper maintenance ensures that they'll survive plenty of weeknight dinners, charcuterie spreads, barbecues, and anything else you might throw at them. Follow these guidelines and use your cutting board with confidence.

How to Clean Wood Cutting Boards

Wood is the classic cutting board material, but it's one of the hardest to clean, thanks to its porous surface and tendency to warp. The most important thing to remember when you're dealing with wood is to never put it in the dishwasher—that's a surefire way to shorten its lifespan. Start by washing your wooden board in warm, soapy water, washing off any bits of food left on it. Now it's time to sanitize.

"Wood can be sanitized with bleach solution: a tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach to a gallon of water," says McGarry, who recommends that users put it in a spray bottle. "Flood the surface with that solution—don't soak it—and allow it to stand for seven seconds." Once you've poured the solution on, simply rinse it with water and either air dry or pat dry with a paper towel. It's that simple!

To protect your wooden cutting boards even further, you can oil them. This process keeps them hydrated and protects against warping and splitting. Instead of using the olive oil you have laying around in the kitchen, buy a bottle of food-grade mineral oil and rub a bit on your wooden boards every few weeks or months, depending on usage. Running a sliced lemon over your oiled board will keep it smelling fresh and feeling even cleaner.

How to Clean Plastic Cutting Boards

Plastic is a cheap, easily replaceable alternative to wood. In many cases, too, it can even go in the dishwasher, which will wash and sanitize for you, McGarry says. Like wooden ones, though, knives will create cuts and grooves in plastic cutting boards, so users need to be diligent about replacing them.

Be aware that there are plastic boards that could warp in the dishwasher over time, leaving them anything but flat. If your board of choice is flimsy, the best solution is to wash and sanitize it on your own, avoiding the heat of the dishwasher. Vigorously wash the surface in warm, soapy water. Then sanitize using that same bleach solution from above and air drying or patting dry.

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How to Clean Composite Cutting Boards

Composite is a relative newcomer in the world of cutting boards. A composite cutting board a mix of plastic, which is often recycled, and plant fibers, which combine into a dense, cut-resistant surface. They're also often dishwasher-safe, making them quite easy to clean. Make sure the board is approved for dishwasher use first, then throw it in the bottom rack. If you're worried it'll warp, scrub it with dish soap and water, then sanitize it with McGarry's bleach mixture.

How to Clean Bamboo Cutting Boards

Bamboo cutting boards are very similar to regular wooden ones, but they're denser than their counterparts, despite being lighter. The result is a surface that's unlikely to end up getting scratched or warped by regular wear and tear. You can clean these ones much the same as other wood boards: warm water and soap followed by the bleach sanitizing solution, then air drying. Just keep these ones out of the dishwasher.

How to Clean Glass Cutting Boards

Glass has never been as popular as wood, plastic, or other materials—it's heavy and can shatter easily. Also, McGarry says, "it dulls your knives so badly." But if you don't mind sharpening your knives regularly, glass cutting boards are very easy to maintain; unlike boards made of almost any other material, they're all able to go in the dishwasher for cleaning and sanitizing, no solution needed.

How to Clean Countertops

At one point or another, you'll probably use your kitchen counter as a cutting station. We aren't here to judge—just to help you keep your prep surfaces clean. McGarry's bleach solution works just fine before and after using your countertop as a cutting board, but there are plenty of pre-made sprays that also work just fine.

"You have to read the manufacturer's directions first," McGarry warns. "Many of them you have to let sit for 30 seconds or a minute to be effective." And even without doing food prep first, it's in your best interest to keep a bottle on-hand for regular sanitizing.

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Jake Smith Jake Smith, an editorial fellow at Prevention, recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and just started going to the gym.

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