How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board: 5 Easy Ways for Long-Lasting

If you've invested in a quality wooden cutting board, you're probably wondering how to clean a wooden cutting board without ruining it. These boards are gentle on your knives, naturally beautiful, and when you take care of them right, they'll outlast any plastic board by years or even decades.

In this guide, Flowyline walks you through everything you need to know about how to clean a wood cutting board, keep it safe, and look great for the long haul. You only need a few simple techniques, supplies you already have in your kitchen, and a bit of know-how about what works versus what just looks good on social media.

Why Wood Cutting Board Care is Important

Unlike plastic cutting boards that you can throw in the dishwasher, wooden boards need a gentler touch. Wood is a natural, porous material that soaks up moisture.

• When wood fibers absorb too much water, they swell up.
• When they dry out completely, they shrink back down.

This constant wood movement back and forth causes warping, cracking, and splitting, which basically ruins your board.

Interestingly enough, that same porous quality that makes wood vulnerable to water damage also makes it surprisingly good at killing bacteria.

Researchers at PubMed found that at least 98%, and often more than 99.9% of bacteria placed on a wooden cutting board start dying within a few minutes.

99.9% of bacteria placed on a wooden cutting board start dying within minutes

Photo: Instagram

Now, some studies do show that bacteria can hide in deep knife scars. But when you clean and oil your wooden board regularly, as you should. It's every bit as hygienic as a well-maintained plastic board, with the added benefit of natural antimicrobial properties.

Wooden boards are also easier on your knife blades, which helps them stay sharper for longer. Not to mention, a quality wooden cutting board can easily last 5 to 10 years or more.

Compare that to plastic boards that usually need replacing every year or so. When you look at it that way, the extra wood cutting board maintenance is totally worth it.

You might like: Craft Your Own Stunning Epoxy Resin Cutting Board: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board: 5 Easy Ways to Keep It Safe & Long-Lasting

Here are 5 quick and easy ways to clean a wooden cutting board you need to try:

1. Soap and water for daily cleaning
2. Salt and lemon for deep cleaning
3. Hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting after cutting raw meat
4. Baking soda paste for removing stains
5. Fresh lemon juice for persistent garlic and onion smells

Each method works well for different situations. We've put together a quick overview below so you can see when to use which approach. Now let's get into the details of each one.

After Cutting...	Daily Cleaning	Deep Clean/Sanitize	When to Sanitize
Vegetables, fruits	Soap + water	Not needed	Never
Bread, cheese	Soap + water	Not needed	Never
Cooked meats	Soap + water	Salt + lemon (optional)	Optional
Raw chicken/poultry	Soap + water	Hydrogen peroxide*	ALWAYS
Raw beef/pork	Soap + water	Hydrogen peroxide*	ALWAYS
Raw fish/seafood	Soap + water	Hydrogen peroxide*	ALWAYS
Strong odors	Soap + water	Fresh lemon juice spray	When smelly

1. The Soap and Water for Daily Wood Cutting Board Cleaning

Daily cleaning is basic maintenance that keeps bigger problems from happening later. A quick, proper clean after each use stops food from building up in those knife grooves, keeps stains from setting in, and prevents your board from turning into something gross.

The important part is doing it the right way. And by "right way," we don't mean soaking it in the sink or throwing it in the dishwasher.

Seriously, don't do either of those. Your board will warp so fast it'll make your head spin. The right way is actually simple. It's a routine that takes about 2 minutes but makes a huge difference in how long your board lasts.

Whether your board's looking worn out from months of chopping vegetables or it's still pretty new, this daily cleaning method works for any wooden cutting board.

How to clean a wooden cutting board after chicken

Photo: YouTube | Jose.elcook

What you'll need:

• Warm or hot water
• Mild dish soap (unscented works best)
• A sponge or dishcloth
• A clean towel
• Food-grade mineral oil (Look for something labeled "butcher block oil" or "cutting board oil" at the store).

How to clean a wood cutting board after each use:

• Step 1: We grab a bench scraper or knife edge and scrape off anything stuck to the board. It's easier to deal with dried food now than after it gets soggy.
• Step 2: As soon as we're done cooking, mix a cup of warm water and just a little dish soap
• Step 3: Wash the board by dampening a sponge (not soaking wet) and scrubbing the board thoroughly, including handles and any cracks. Honestly, the volume of water's doing most of the heavy lifting here.
• Step 4: You need to pay special attention to any knife scars or grooves where food can hide. These spots trap particles and need extra attention.
• Step 5: Make sure all soap residue is gone with hot water. Leftover soap will make your food taste weird next time you use the board.
• Step 6: Pat the board dry with a clean towel right away. Don't just leave it on the counter. When you do that, the bottom stays wet and the top dries, which isn't suitable for the wood.
• Step 7: Lastly, prop the wooden cutting board vertically on its edge or put it on a drying rack. Air needs to hit all sides evenly.

What NOT to do:

• Don't soak your cutting board in water
• Keep it out of the dishwasher, no matter what (the heat with water exposure will warp and split your board faster than anything else).
• Never lay it flat to dry where moisture can pool underneath and get trapped.

2. Salt and Lemon for Deep Wood Cutting Board Cleaning

Once a week or whenever your board starts looking dingy, we do a deeper clean with salt and lemon. It's like a spa treatment for your cutting board, and it works really well.

How to clean wooden cutting board with salt and kemon

Photo: YouTube | @hailscatalano

What you'll need:

• Coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 — 2 fresh lemons, halved
• Warm water

How to clean a wooden cutting board: deep cleaning & sanitizing

• Step 1: Sprinkle coarse salt all over the board
• Step 2: Take a lemon half and use it as your scrubber. Squeeze it as you work, rubbing the salt and lemon juice into the wood in circular motions.
• Step 3: With stubborn stains, squeeze extra lemon juice right on those spots and let it sit for a few minutes before you scrub them again.
• Step 4: You'll see the mixture turning grayish as you scrub. That's all the grime lifting off the wood. It looks gross, but it's pretty satisfying to see.
• Step 5: Make sure you scrub both sides of the board and get the edges too. People always forget the edges, but they need cleaning just as much.
• Step 6: When you're done, rinse everything off with warm water until all the salt and lemon juice are gone.
• Step 7: Dry the board completely with a clean towel quickly, then stand it up so it can finish air drying.

3. Hydrogen Peroxide for Disinfecting Cutting Board After Raw Meat

If you've ever had food poisoning, you know how awful it is. Let us show you how to clean a cutting board wood properly after raw meat, so nobody in your family has to go through that. This is one of the most effective ways to kill bacteria without damaging your cutting board.

How to clean a wooden cutting board after cutting raw meat

Photo: YouTube | @novacleaners

What you'll need:

• 3% hydrogen peroxide (the standard drugstore kind, DO NOT use higher concentrations)
• White vinegar
• Food-grade mineral oil
• Spray bottle (optional but helpful)
• Clean cloth or paper towels

How to clean a wood cutting board after cutting raw meat:

• Step 1: First, wash the board with hot, soapy water to get rid of all the visible meat bits and debris.
• Step 2: Pat the board dry with a clean towel or paper towels immediately after washing.
• Step 3: Now, spray or pour 3% hydrogen peroxide, making sure to cover every inch of the surface. We usually take a clean cloth or sponge and spread it around to make sure we don't miss anywhere.
• Step 4: After a few minutes, take a clean, damp cloth or paper towel and wipe away all the hydrogen peroxide.
• Step 5: Make sure the board is totally dry before this next part. If it's still damp, let it air dry for a bit. Once it's dry, pour a little food-grade mineral oil on there.
• Step 6: Take a clean cloth or paper towel and wipe that oil evenly over the entire board. Get all the sides, the edges, everywhere.
• Step 7: Prop the board up and let it sit so the oil can really soak in while it finishes drying. Now your board is clean, disinfected, and protected until next time.

Alternative: If you don't have hydrogen peroxide, you can use white vinegar instead in the same way from step 3. It's not quite as strong, but it still does a solid job killing bacteria.

We usually save the vinegar for boards that have handled cooked food or veggies, and stick with the peroxide after raw meat.

4. Baking Soda Paste for Removing Stains on Cutting Board

Stains happen, especially if you've been cutting a lot of beets or berries. Here's our go-to wood cutting board maintenance method for getting them out.

What you'll need:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon water
• A lemon half (grab this if you want extra cleaning power)

How to properly clean a wooden cutting board with baking soda paste:

• Step 1: Mix the baking soda, salt, and water together in a small bowl until you get a thick paste.
• Step 2: Spread that paste over any stained spots on your board.
• Step 3: We wait about 5 to 10 minutes for it to work.
• Step 4: Grab a sponge and scrub the paste into the stains. If the stains are really stubborn, use that lemon half instead.
• Step 5: Rinse the whole board really well with warm water and a bit of soap
• Step 6: Dry it off completely with a clean cloth or paper towel, then prop it up to finish air drying.

5. Fresh Lemon Juice for Persistent Garlic and Onion Smells

Ever notice how garlic and onion smells just cling to your board, no matter how many times you wash it? Yeah, we've all been there. And, we know how to clean a wooden cutting board to solve that smell.

After you've washed the board like normal, squeeze fresh lemon juice all over the surface. After that, just let it sit there for about 10 to 15 minutes. The citric acid in the lemon breaks down those stubborn onion and garlic odors. When the time's up, rinse it off really well and dry it completely.

Alternatively, we keep a spray bottle of strained lemon juice in the fridge. Just strain out the pulp so it doesn't clog the sprayer. Then, whenever your board starts smelling like garlic, you can just spray it down without having to cut and squeeze a fresh lemon every time.

The Step Everyone Forgets: Oiling Your Cutting Board

We see a lot of people clean their boards after every use, which is great, but they never oil them. It's like washing your face every day but never using moisturizer. Eventually, your skin gets dry and starts cracking.

The same thing happens to your cutting board. Without oil, the wood dries out, cracks, and you'll end up replacing it way earlier than you should.

When you oil your board, you're creating a protective layer that keeps water, bacteria, and stains from soaking into the wood. It also keeps the wood fibers saturated, which stops them from swelling up and shrinking back down with every wash.

That constant expansion and contraction? That's what causes warping and cracking. Oil prevents all that.

How Often Should You Oil Your Wooden Cutting Board?

From our perspective, there's no universal schedule since it really depends on your situation. Where you store the board, what kind of wood it's made from, how often you use it, all that matters.

There is an easy way to tell if your board needs oil. You sprinkle a few drops of water on it with your fingers. If the water beads up as it does on a freshly waxed car, you're good. If the water spreads out or soaks into the wood, your board's thirsty and needs more oil.

• New boards: We recommend oiling it every couple of days for the first week. Then switch to once a week for about a month. After that initial break-in period, once a month is usually enough, or whenever the board starts looking dry.
• Regular use: If you're using your board a few times a week, oil it about once a month. That keeps it in good shape.
• Daily use: Suppose you're using the cutting board every single day, oil it every 2 to 3 weeks instead.
• Not sure when to oil: Just look at your board. If the wood looks dry, dull, or lighter than usual, it needs oil. That's your visual cue.

What is the Best Oil for Wood Cutting Board?

The best oil for most wooden cutting boards is food-grade mineral oil. You can find it at any hardware store or online, and it's pretty cheap. It works great and doesn't go bad.

But note that you shouldn't use regular cooking oils like olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc. They might seem like they'd work, but they'll go rancid on your board over time.

1. Food-Grade Mineral Oil (Best Overall)

Food-grade mineral oil is what we use and recommend to everyone. It's basically the gold standard for cutting board care, and for good reason. This oil has no color, no smell, and no taste, so it won't affect your food at all. And it's FDA-approved for food contact, so it's completely safe.

You can pick it up at any pharmacy, kitchen supply store, or order it online. Just make sure the label says "food-grade" or "cutting board oil."

Don't grab the mineral oil from the hardware store. That stuff's made for machinery, not food, and you definitely don't want it on something you're cutting food on.

Clean wood cutting board with food-grade mineral oil

Photo: YouTube | Jose.elcook

2. Beeswax or Board Cream

Mineral oil soaks into the wood and conditions it from the inside. Beeswax works differently. It sits on top of the wood and creates a protective layer that repels water and keeps moisture out.

A lot of cutting board creams you'll see in stores combine both mineral oil and beeswax, so you get the benefits of both at once.

How to clean a wooden cutting board with Beeswax

Photo: YouTube | Ryan Hawkins

3. Fractionated Coconut Oil (MCT Oil)

Some people like using coconut oil because it's plant-based and feels more natural. Yet, regular coconut oil will eventually go rancid, just like other cooking oils. It might take longer than olive oil, but it'll happen.

If you really want to use coconut oil, go with fractionated coconut oil instead. You might see it labeled as MCT oil. It's been processed to remove the parts that spoil, so it stays good indefinitely.

It works pretty well, though honestly, we still think mineral oil is the easier and cheaper option for most people.

4. Walnut Oil

Walnut oil is another natural option some people use. It creates a really nice, rich finish on the wood. But it will go rancid eventually, so you'd need to reapply it more often than mineral oil.

And, if anyone in your house has nut allergies, skip walnut oil completely. Even though it's just oil and not actual nuts, it's not worth the risk.

7 Mistakes that'll Ruin Your Wooden Cutting Board and How to Avoid

Look, we all mean well, but it's surprisingly easy to accidentally wreck a good cutting board. Here are the mistakes we notice people make all the time when learning how to clean a wooden cutting board, and how to avoid them:

Wood cutting board care tips

Photo: YouTube | Ryan Hawkins

1. Throwing the board in the dishwasher: The combination of crazy high heat, all that water, and harsh detergent will warp, crack, and split your board faster than you'd think. We've seen beautiful boards get completely ruined after just one dishwasher cycle. Even if it looks fine at first, the damage is already done.
2. Letting it soak in water: Never leave your board sitting in a sink full of water, even if you're just letting it "soak for a minute" while you do something else. The wood absorbs that moisture like a sponge, swells up, and then when it dries out, it cracks.
3. Laying it flat to dry: When you just lay your wet board flat on the counter, the bottom stays soaking wet while the top dries off. That uneven drying is what causes warping.
4. Only washing one side: Some people figure they'll save time by only washing the side they actually used. However, the dry side starts to contract while the wet side expands, and that difference pulls the board into a warp. Always wash and dry both sides, even if you only cut food on one.
5. Using board as a drying rack: You're washing dishes, and your board's sitting there on the counter, so you stack some wet bowls or a pot on top of it. Don't. All that constant moisture sitting on the wood without proper drying makes it dull, causes warping, and can even lead to mold if you do it enough.
6. Never oiling it: An unoiled board is basically a slow-motion disaster. The wood dries out, gets brittle, and eventually cracks. Wood needs moisture to stay healthy, but it has to be the right kind of moisture from oil, not from water.
7. Using harsh cleaners all the time: Bleach is fine once in a while when you really need to sanitize after raw meat. But if you're reaching for bleach or other harsh chemicals every time you clean your board, you're going to dry out and damage the wood fibers. For everyday cleaning, just use regular dish soap and warm water. That's all you need.

FAQs

1. Can You Use Dawn Dish Soap on a Wood Cutting Board?

Yes, absolutely! Dawn dish soap is perfectly safe to use on wooden cutting boards. In fact, it's one of the most popular choices among home cooks and professionals alike. Dawn and other mild dish soaps are designed to cut through grease and food residue without being harsh on surfaces.

2. How Do Chefs Clean Their Cutting Boards?

Professional chefs use their cutting boards way harder than most of us do at home. We're talking dozens of different ingredients in a single shift, raw meat one minute and vegetables the next. Here's how to clean a cutting board wood through all that heavy use:

During service (quick clean between tasks):

• Scrape debris off with a bench scraper or the back of a knife
• Wipe down with a damp cloth
• For boards used with raw proteins, spray with sanitizer between uses
• Keep separate boards for different food types (meat, vegetables, allergens)

End of shift (deep clean):

• Scrape off all food particles
• Wash with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush
• Rinse thoroughly under hot running water
• Sanitize with either:
  • Commercial food-safe sanitizer solution
  • Diluted bleach solution (1 tsp per quart of water)
  • Vinegar followed by hydrogen peroxide
• Air dry standing upright overnight

4. Should You Wash Wooden Cutting Boards with Soap?

Yes, you should wash wooden cutting boards with soap. Soap is essential for removing food particles, grease, and bacteria from your cutting board's surface. Water alone won't cut through oils or lift stuck-on debris. The important thing is to use the right soap and technique.

5. How to Clean and Sanitize a Cutting Board Step by Step?

Here's the complete process for cleaning and sanitizing your wooden cutting board, whether it's after everyday use or after handling raw meat:

• Step 1: Use a bench scraper or the back of your knife to scrape off any stuck-on food particles
• Step 2: Wash both sides of the board with soap and water
• Step 3: Rinse under hot running water and make sure all soap residue is completely gone.
• Step 4: Pat the board dry with a clean towel on both sides
• Step 5: Stand the board upright against the wall, on a drying rack, or propped at an angle for 60 minutes
• Step 6: Spray or pour 3% hydrogen peroxide over the entire surface
• Step 7: Stand the board upright and let it air dry for several hours or overnight
• Step 8: If your board looks dry or hasn't been oiled in a while, now's a good time for oiling it.

How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board: Final Conclusion

Wood dries out from all that washing, so you need to oil and wax it regularly to keep it from getting brittle and cracking.

When you condition your board properly, you're creating this protective layer that keeps moisture out. This helps the board stay clean, prevents warping and cracking, and stops it from picking up stains or strong smells.

There are tons of ways to condition a cutting board. If you've found something that works well for you, stick with it. Different oils, different waxes — they all work as long as you're using them consistently.

Got questions about how to clean a wooden cutting board? Our team's here to help. Check out our other helpful blogs, too, if you want more woodworking tips. Thank you for reading!