Best way of cleaning wooden chopping boards?

[Hairballs]

I have a lovely wooden chopping board. Only used for fruit / veg / bread / other inoffensive stuff. I usually give it a scrub with hot soapy water and leave to dry. Is this enough or are there other more thorough or more clever ways of cleaning wooden boards?

[gaggiagirl]

A light sanding! Saw a butcher doing it on his block many moons ago. I don't know how effective it is though.

[Scoobydoo8]

I heard a prog on the radio years ago where they said that wooden chopping boards were much more hygienic than plastic. For some reason not explained (or possibly not known) the bacteria did not survive on wooden boards.
Here's a link which might show the same conclusion
news.ncsu.edu/2014/09/cutting-boards-food-safety/

[Hairballs]

Sanding? I can imagine gradually sanding/eroding it until I have the skinniest chopping board ever

Interesting about the bacteria...My wooden board is part of my wider family of chopping boards which include the multi-coloured ones for meat, veg, hot and fish. They get the life anti-bac'd out of them.

[wowfudge]

I never use anything other than a wooden chopping board. I am careful not to cross contaminate meat/fish with other foods and just scrub with hot, soapy water. It is simply not necessary to use anti bacterial products. Most bacteria are actually harmless anyway.

[gaggiagirl]

hair that's what happened to the butchers block, my dad used to make them new ones as an apprentice back in the day. Awwww olden times!

[rabbit123]

Put it in the dishwasher on the hottest wash?

[Hairballs]

Oh fudge but I LOVE my anti-bac spray Don't spoil my fun!

rabbit I've done that before and it now has a war wound in the form of a big crack. Might give it another bash though.

[VulcanWoman]

I have a glass one, couldn't be doing with the messing.

[Hairballs]

Chopping on a glass board gives me goosebumps.

[Bunbaker]

"Put it in the dishwasher on the hottest wash?"

No

It will warp and crack.

[MaillotRojoPan]

Nope. Just scrub it hard in the wash at the sink with everything else. No nasties will survive.
Next?

[CremeEggThief]

You shouldn't put any wooden stuff in the dishwasher!

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

I give it a good scrub with one of those metal things, just soapy water.

Anti bac is bleugh.

[wowfudge]

Plastic and glass chopping boards blunt your knives. And the glass ones just put my teeth on edge with the noise.

[Hairballs]

wow My knives are fucking shit anyway

I love the way wooden boards look in a kitchen tosser

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

I have a wanky Jamie Oliver butchers block style chopping board. It's too fucking big and heavy to lift into the sink to clean properly so sits on the windowsil looking all pretty and pretentious. Sodding thing:o

[VulcanWoman]

General, you must have one heck off windowsill.

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

It's a massive round bastard, and I have a small council issue sink as well as bad wrists so it just sits there. It's hard to use as well, it's about three inches tall so you feel like you need to stand on a step stool to chop spuds comfortably.

[VulcanWoman]

Yes, best to be admired on the windowsill. :)

[mermaidbutmytailfelloff]

If it has a crack in it then bin it. The bacteria will hide in the crack waiting to creep out into your salad.

Wood is supposed to be more hygienic but not when cracked

[girlandboy]

A good scrub in hot soapy water, but if I'm in any further doubt about it then I scald it with a kettle of boiling water.

[Bippidee]

I scrub mine with hot soapy water, and I oil it with olive oil every so often if it's starting to look a bit peaky.

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

It was a gift from my ex Vulcan. It's outlasted him and could be said to be in better shape :o

[TheOddity]

I just use washing up liquid and hot water like the other dishes. If I have chopped onions or something with a lingering smell, I liberally pour on white vinegar, scrub with a metal scourer and then soapy water again and rinse.

I don't use for fish, just don't think the smell would ever come out so do that on a separate little ceramic one usually.

[AlpacaLypse]

I usually scald the wooden boards with boiling water straight from the kettle. The other day the oldest one (which originally belonged to DP's GRANNY!) finally split in half lengthways. In fact, those two boards are now the most useful of all, they're a really sensible size!