Keep Your wooden cuttingboard fresh and clean. All natural.

A little Hello from my kitchen today and some all natural cleaning solutions.

My favorite kitchen tool has to be my wood cutting board – it gets a workout every day for almost every meal.

I even use my wooden cutting boards to serve bread and cheese and spread for lunch or bread slices for soups.

To keep a classic wood cutting board in good shape, here’s how you should clean and care for it in a all natural toxic free way.

STEP 1: CLEAN

Mostly it’s ok to just wipe the cutting board clean with a damp cloth – no soap or cleaning products needed.

I tend to being sceptical to use soap or toxic cleaners on my cutting board … really! It’s the place I cut the food I eat – I don’t want any harmful stuff here.

When a quick wipe won’t cut it, bust out this scrub to give the wood a deep clean. Do NOT put it in the dishwasher.

A few simple ingredients, like salt, baking soda and liquid castile soap, you can have your home spotless without the toxic chemicals in store-bought cleaners. Salt adds scouring power while baking soda helps neutralize odors. Naturally antibacterial and antiseptic, lemon essential oil degreases stubborn stuck food as well as freshens the air.

Don’t have soap flakes? Add a squirt of liquid Castile soap or Thieves household cleaner (or even all natural “grønnsåpe” will do.)

Or combine baking soda and salt and simply use water to make a scrubbing paste for both plastic and wooden boards.

STEP 2: DISINFECT

Vinegar or apple cider vinegar make an excellent disinfecting spray that won’t destroy the surface of the wood. Fill a separate bottle with the vinegar Then spray on to the surface you want to clean – counters, cutting boards, even fruits & veggies.

Or try using lemon. Rub with the cut side of a lemon to not only disinfect but help kill odors and brighten wooden boards.

STEP 3: DRYING

A wooden cutting board soaks up water during the scrubbing and rinsing process. Proper drying is important so the wood can contract again as the water evaporates. Too much water can damage the glue and cause warping and in worst case mold.

Don’t leave the board soaking in water. When you’re done cleaning, wipe it dry and let it air dry. A good tip (and something I’ve been doing wrong for years): don’t just set it flat on the counter. Prop it upright so that the underside is exposed to the air and can dry evenly.

STEP 4: CONDITIONING

wooden boards need a little extra TLC. But take care of them and they will last forever!

Every couple of months condition your wooden boards with pure vegetable oil (sunflower oil or any odour free vegetable oil, not olive oil).

You might use wax every once in a while to give the board extra protection. beeswax is all natural and perfect to protect the surface.

Wiping the cutting board down with oil fills in the little cracks and crevices, which is where water and bacteria love to hide. So don’t skip this step; it’s an important part of keeping a cutting board sanitary.

Now, most wood contains enzymes to Keep bacteria and mould away, so no need to deep clean your wooden cutting board every day.

Hope you enjoyed this little tip on how to maintain your wooden cutting board all natural and hope to see you back soon.