Cutting Board Cleaning Tips

We use cutting boards on a regular basis. Whether it is to cut fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, or seafood, cutting boards make the task quite simple. And since it is one of the most handy products for your kitchen, you will find a variety of materials used to make them. The two most popular materials used are plastic and wood. Giving cutting boards distinct shapes and sizes, consumers can select them as per their personal requirements. We don't give it much thought but cutting boards literally cut our time in the kitchen in half. There's no waiting around, cutting vegetables, fruits, and other food items is faster, and you can easily rinse the board with water once finished. But, is rinsing with water enough? Does it take care of the bacteria that might have infected the board's surface? Is using plastic cutting board better than the wooden kind? Why don't we go over each of these questions one by one and try to answer them in this article.

Clean a Cutting Board

While choosing cutting boards, the dilemma with plastic vs wood cutting boards obsesses many. When one thinks about it rationally, a plastic cutting board is more prone to bacteria as its surface is not porous. As compared to a wooden cutting board, due to its porous surface, even though bacteria may penetrate, it won't have the sufficient condition to reproduce and will die eventually. Plus, a wooden cutting board lasts longer than its counterpart.

Now I can't comment on what your personal choice may be. Perhaps you like the idea of having plastic or wooden cutting boards. Which is why, you should be thoroughly aware of how both these cutting boards are cleaned. The steps are not only help you in removing the stains off the boards, but they are useful for disinfecting them as well.

Wooden Boards
There are variety of woods used in making cutting boards. Out of them, the most popular one is bamboo cutting board. However, regardless of which wood is used to make the cutting board you own, the following cleaning tips should be administered.

• To clean, place drain stopper in the kitchen sink and fill it halfway with hot water. Wear rubber gloves and add 2 squirts of dishwashing soap.
• Use one hand to mix the soap in water properly and place the cutting board in. Take a Scotch-Brite and scrub the surface of the board.
• Once done, unplug the stopper so the soapy water drains. Turn the hot water tap on and rinse the board thoroughly.
• To sanitize, again place the stopper and fill the sink halfway with hot water. Mix in 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach with the water.
• Submerge the wooden board completely in the bleach water and leave it in for about 10 minutes. Rinse under hot water and leave the board in the sun to dry completely.
• If you don't want to use bleach, then add some lemon juice into the hot water and submerge the wooden board in it.
• Rinse the board properly, let it dry completely, and then use it.

Plastic Boards
Over time, plastic cutting boards tend to have deep cuts because of the sharp knives. If these deep cuts on the board are not disinfected properly, you could be risking the chances of passing on bacteria. It is advised that you change plastic cutting boards after sometime as plastic boards are used for cutting meat and poultry. Now before you comply with the following tips on cleaning and sanitizing plastic cutting board, read the instructions to clean it that are printed on the wrapping. If there are any discrepancies, follow the instructions given on the wrapping instead.

• To clean, take a sponge and wipe the board after every use. With a plastic brush, scrub the surface of the cutting board.
• First, fill the sink with hot water with few squirts of dishwashing soap. Submerge the board in and scrub with the plastic brush.
• To sanitize, empty the sink and fill it again with warm water. Add sanitizing soap (available in stores) and again submerge the board for 10 minutes.
• Empty the sink and rinse the board under warm water. Let the board dry completely and lastly, place it inside the dishwasher.
• Run it through one cycle, rinse one last time, and leave the board in the sun to dry thoroughly.

These cutting board cleaning tips mentioned in the article should be followed on a regular basis. Just rinsing plastic and wooden cutting boards under water isn't enough. Keep proper care of the cutting boards and avoid the risk of spreading bacteria.