How to Clean a Wooden Chopping Board With Lemon and Salt

Wooden chopping boards are popular kitchen items that are very useful as well as nice to look at. For many people, a wooden chopping board offers up a nice surface for cutting on that cannot be replicated by any other kind of cutting product.

The trouble that often comes into play when using a wooden chopping board, is confusion about how to clean this item.

You might be noticing that your wooden chopping board seems stained, or that it is sticky to the touch. This can be quite common, particularly if your chopping board is made of a porous kind of wood that tends to absorb liquid readily.

Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure that your cutting board is clean and sanitary every time that you use it.

If you want to learn more about how to clean a wooden chopping block with lemon and salt, you should read on!

Wooden chopping board on blue background with napkin

Why Are Wooden Cutting Boards Hard to Clean?

Wooden chopping boards are hard to clean because wood cannot tolerate the extreme heat of the dishwasher or soak in soapy water in the sink. It can be easy to warp or ruin your wooden chopping board by getting it too wet or too hot.

If you have been worried that your wooden chopping board is not clean enough to use after a simple wash with mild soap, you just need to learn this handy method of cleaning and sanitizing your cutting board.

Even though wooden cutting boards are not as easy to clean as plastic ones, you will find that the application of some lemon and salt will make your cutting board as good as new right away.

This is one of the best methods of cleaning a wooden chopping board and it is very easy to accomplish.

How to Clean a Wooden Chopping Board With Lemon and Salt

You will need half of a lemon for this project and some coarse salt. Table salt is not coarse enough in most cases, so you should think about using Kosher salt or sea salt.

Make sure that you have some warm water and a sponge or cloth available as well.

1. Apply the Salt

You will want to sprinkle the salt liberally over the cutting board to make sure that you do not miss treating any of the cutting surfaces.

You do not need to apply an even sheet of salt, but you will want to be liberal with your sprinkling so that you have enough salt on the board to generate results.

2. Scour the Surface of the Board

Use your lemon with the cut side down and scour the surface. Make sure to squeeze lightly as you work so that the lemon juice is released onto the cutting board surface.

Use a circular motion and go over stained areas more carefully than other spots.

Make sure that you are not pushing so hard on the lemon that you are leaving bits of the lemon pulp behind. A light circular motion should do the trick.

3. Let the Juice Rest

You will want to let the juice and salt rest for about five minutes. You can let it rest slightly longer if your cutting board is quite dirty or there are a lot of stains on the surface of the cutting board.

Make sure that you do not leave the board in the sun while the juice sits on the surface. This can bleach the cutting board or dry it out too much.

4. Rinse

Rinse your cutting board in the sink with some warm water. Make sure to remove clinging salt with a sponge or a rag.

You do not want to leave any salt or lemon juice on the board once it is done being cleaned. These two items can be caustic when left on the surface of your cutting board for too long.

5. Dry The Cutting Board

You can allow your cutting board to dry by itself if you wish or you can use a soft and clean towel to remove excess moisture.

Stand the cutting board on the end and let it finish drying completely. You do not want to leave it lying flat as it dries since this will encourage the board to hold onto any moisture that is standing on the surface of the wood.

6. Rub With Mineral Oil

If your board is feeling very dry or looks like it might have some light cracking on the cutting surface, rub it with some mineral oil.

Wipe off the excess oil and then allow the board to rest as it soaks up the remainder. This will prevent your cutting board from breaking down and it will help to seal the wood so that it does not absorb excess moisture.

Always be sure to store your cutting board in a cool and dry place that is not exposed to excessive heat or lots of humidity.

Your cutting board can warp if it is stored in these kinds of locations or you might find that it has begun to grow mold. Making sure that your cutting board is stored correctly will ensure that it will stand up to years of use.

Taking Care of a Wooden Chopping Block is Easy

While it might seem like caring for a wooden chopping block is more work than caring for a synthetic one, cleaning your wooden chopping block does not have to be hard.

Always make sure to remove excess moisture from the surface of your wooden chopping block and wash it with warm water and light dish soap after each use.

You can always use this method of cleaning to disinfect it and remove stains if you find that you need to do a thorough cleaning on your wooden chopping board.

Few kitchen items are as nice to use as a wooden chopping block and they are well worth the little bit of added care that they require.

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