How to Look After Wooden Chopping Boards

This is a natural and effective way of cleaning all wooden chopping boards – of every type of wood. I always make sure to prepare a work surface by covering it with a towel before I start this job, because it can get messy.

Firstly, I wash my boards in the sink with warm, soapy water and a strong brush.

Then I create a paste out of ordinary table salt, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and a little hot water {a small amount of fizzing occurs because citric acid and an alkali mixed together create carbon dioxide}.

I scrub the paste into the boards and leave for anything up to one hour. The sodium chloride in the salt kills germs and bacteria, and the lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda neutralise food smells and help remove stains.

I then rinse the boards again with warm water and dry with a clean tea towel. If there is sunshine, I leave the boards to dry out directly in the sun, or on a sunny, airy window sill if not. Ultraviolet rays also kill bacteria.

After the boards are completely dry, I rub them with a little light oil – I use vegetable oil or you could use mineral oil. Kitchen paper is the best for this purpose, as it also helps to mop up any excess oil – you only need a small quantity to be absorbed by the wood. The oil never turns rancid on my boards because I use and wash them so frequently.

All my boards are stored in such a way that air passes between them, so they are kept dry and clean until used again.

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