How to Protect Cutting Boards

• 1). Choose an appropriate cutting board for your kitchen. Use plastic cutting boards primarily for raw meats, fish and shellfish. Save wood cutting boards and butcher blocks for vegetables, herbs and fruits. You should avoid putting any food that may contain e.coli or other detrimental bacteria on a wooden surface because fine nicks may hold on to bacteria, regardless of a rigorous cleaning regimen.
  
  
• 2). Clean your cutting board with soap and warm water after each use, but do not submerge a wooden board in water. This may eventually cause the wood to dehydrate and splinter. Do not use a sponge that has cleaned up the juices of raw meat. You may elect to use a sponge primarily for cleaning wood cutting boards and butcher blocks. Use precaution and keep sponges that have been in contact with bacteria separate from your cutting board sponge.
  
  
• 3). Allow plastic cutting boards to dry completely after use. Store plastic boards in a dry, dark cabinet to prevent bacteria growth. Leave wooden cutting boards and chopping blocks on counter tops to dry thoroughly. Avoid areas of direct sun, or the board may ultimately fade or dry out.
  
  
• 4). Apply a thin coat of mineral oil, sometimes called butcher block oil, to a wooden board once a month. Ensure the board is completely dry before application. Fold a clean, dry white cloth into quarters and squirt the oil on the cloth. Rub a generous amount of the oil on the board in circles, coating both flat surfaces and all four sides. Allow the oil to soak in for 15 minutes. Wipe the excess off with the other white cloth.
  
  
• 5). Permit the board to dry thoroughly before you use or wet it. Depending on the amount of oil used, this could take an hour or longer. When it has dried completely, wipe the board with a damp cloth. Use as normal when no excess oil is on the surface of the board.