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Wooden chopping board care?

24 replies

happycat · 22/09/2004 16:21

I know a boring question but you lot seem to know everything.DH made me a large chopping board yesterday it is really nice.someone gave him some good quality wood to make it for me.Now I haven't done anything with it yet how am I supposed to look after it or preserve it.I have seen them in the proffesional cookshops and was wondering and if anyone has one ?

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littlemissbossy · 22/09/2004 16:24

Never soak a wooden chopping block. Instead, scrub with soap and hot water after use. Occasionally, you can use vinegar and lemon juice to clean and deodorise it. HTH

iota · 22/09/2004 16:25

don't do what dh did and put it in the dishwasher

sallystrawberry · 22/09/2004 16:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fio2 · 22/09/2004 16:36

i just wash mine in the sink

ks · 22/09/2004 16:43

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Aero · 22/09/2004 16:46

Be like my mum!!! Get out your old chopping board and set it on top of your new one and chop on that instead!! I was astounded last time I was 'home' (in N Ireland)visiting the folks and just as I was about to chop an onion, she took out the old one and shoved it underneath and told me to 'use that'! I found this hilarious and asked her why she got a new one - to which she answered 'because it looks nice'!! I don't think she'll have any problems keeping it good! I also hope she doesn't read this - you know who you are Mum!!!

happycat · 22/09/2004 16:46

I will put the oil on it after i have washed it can i use dettox to wipe it over.THANK YOU for you replies

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BooMama · 22/09/2004 16:56

I never use Dettox to clean mine, just hot soapy water. Every so often I use this fancy orange wax (from Town Talk Polish) which comes in this cute little orange tin.
"Real wood loves this wonderful zesty wax. Its unique blend of natural ingredients not only makes it ideal for clensing and preserving chopping boards, butchers' trolleys, wooden bowls and many other cooking and serving utensils, it also infuses them all with the zangy zest of freshly peeled oranges."
There's the spiel! I got mine from John Lewis. My chopping board is from Ikea but I've had it years and it's lasted fantastically.

zebra · 22/09/2004 17:02

Isn't dettox mildly poisonous???
I thought that real wood had natural anti-bacterial qualities, provided you let it dry out completely between daily usage then it won't grow any nasties.
That said, I don't chop raw meat on mine (just buy meat prechopped so I don't have to).

BooMama · 22/09/2004 17:05

Very true Zebra, and one of the reasons why we stopped using plastic chopping boards because of the germs that are supposed to fester in the cut marks.
Have recently purchased a second chopping board to keep meat prep separate but we always forget.
(Must add that it is washed before anything else touches it before I'm totally lambasted for terrible hygiene!)

happycat · 22/09/2004 17:11

didn't know that about dettox because it says no need to rinse but didn't say whether it could be used on wood.Pehaps I will think again about that then.I do have a plastic chopping board for meats.

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BooMama · 22/09/2004 17:14

I don't think you really need to use something like dettox but then I am probably a bit relaxed about germs!!! Maybe keep your old board for meats and use dettox on that whilst saving your nice board for everything else and keeping it clean with soap.

sweetkitty · 22/09/2004 17:16

Personally I wouldn't use a wooden chopping board, I have microban plastic ones that go in the dishwasher every few days. Saying that we very rarely have any raw meat on them (me veggie).

FWIW I'm a Microbiologist specialising in Food Safety

BooMama · 22/09/2004 17:18

Gosh - don't listen to me anymore! I'm really worried I'm giving you bad advice and will give your children stomach bugs!

ks · 22/09/2004 17:23

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happycat · 22/09/2004 17:28

Ahh he worked hard making it I can't say I will stick with my plastic ones .not just yet

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BooMama · 22/09/2004 17:28

I also use the dinner plates then shove them in the dishwasher for the same reason.

acnebride · 22/09/2004 17:33

I agree with zebra and others about wooden chopping boards - especially those made with one piece of wood (which mine aren't!) - I thought they are better than plastic boards at killing off germs. anyone know of any place I can read about this?

Would like to know proper science behind ecologists' advocacy of not using antibacterial substances and microbiologists advocacy of same?

happycat · 22/09/2004 19:07

Just found this information

Wooden Boards

To clean, simply rinse under hot water using detergent and dry with clean paper towelling as tea towels made from fabric are known to harbour germs. If a board has accidentally been soaked, the surface can be hardened again by scattering table salt thickly over the board and leaving it overnight to absorb all the moisture. Salt also has a slightly abrasive cleaning action if rubbed onto the board dry and will take away the smell of garlic and onion fairly successfully. Lemon juice can be effectively used to bleach out stains on chopping boards.

As with any wooden product a board should never be soaked in water for any length of time. If it is, it will swell and then warp once the drying process begins.

A common problem resulting from busy modern lifestyles is to rinse or wash a chopping board and then leave it standing to dry. It is important to point out that if this method is adopted the board should never be allowed to stand upright on its jointed end. The best way is to dry off excess water and rest it on its side.

Both sides of the board can be used for food preparation. However to prevent cross contamination, keep one side for raw meats and the other for cooked foods or vegetables. It is also important to store clean and dry boards so that their .

What Is The Most Hygienic Type Of Board

Undoubtedly, the most hygienic chopping board is going to be one that is washed most frequently, regardless of what it is made of.

Wooden boards are very hygienic, as recent research carried out at a leading American University has proved. Their findings have shown that wooden surfaces are capable of decontaminating themselves, without the aid of bleach or harsh cleaning solutions.

It is not entirely clear how wood's defence mechanism works, but seemingly the bacteria are sucked into the porous surface and "strangled" by the anti-microbial chemicals with which living trees protect themselves.

Their tests proved that bacteria died very quickly on wood, but thrived on boards made from all types of polymer and rubber, and wood was simply the best hygienic choice.

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acnebride · 22/09/2004 19:09

Thanks happycat, that's v interesting. Could you post a URL for that? cheers

happycat · 22/09/2004 19:17

whats a URL sorry to sound dim

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happycat · 22/09/2004 19:22

www.tg-woodware.com/care.html sorry I did try to do a link but failed.

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almost40 · 22/09/2004 19:26

This is one of the most educational threads I've ever read. ;) Absolutely fascinating, Happycat!

SecondhandRose · 23/09/2004 08:22

I have one from Tesco (wooden) that is dishwasher friendly. About £10.

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