Of course, those old and marked boards give an impression of dirt, even if they are clean, it turns out that a badly sanitized board can actually cause damage to health.

Two types of boards are the most common in Brazil, wooden and polyethylene (white ones). Discussing which one is the best is like discussing football or religion, we will never reach an agreement. So I will limit myself to explaining how to take care of each one, but before that we will talk about some advice that are valid for both:

Preferably have specific boards at least one for red meat, one for vegetables and one for vegetables. Cross-contamination between foods greatly increases the risk of producing contaminated food.

Have boards of different sizes, especially some very small ones that can be used with practicality to cut just a slice of cheese, for example. We often end up cutting food (cheese, fruit, bread, etc.) over the sink or table which can cause contamination. For the Australian Timber Trainers Association this is important.

How to care for your wooden cutting board

We must use oil on wooden boards frequently. When buying a new board the application must be daily, after 5 days weekly and after a month the application can happen only once a month. In addition to improving the appearance, the oil penetrates the wood helping to leave it sealed.

We must not use chlorine and other chemicals on wooden boards. In addition to damaging the sealing made by oil, they damage the wood and leave residues.

Using common cooking oils is not the best option. Besides most of them do not polymerize (do not form a homogeneous layer) they are oils that oxidize (become rancid) very fast which can leave a taste in the ingredients handled on the board. The ideal is to use a mixture of mineral oil (the one found in pharmacies and used a lot in babies) with beeswax in the proportion of 1 teaspoon of wax for each 300ml of oil.

Do not wash in the dishwasher. The high temperature can affect the structure of the wood and can leave the board completely bent.

See in the photos below the difference in the look of a board that just received the oil:

take care of your board

take care of your board

Board with oil applied

Detail of the board without oil

How to care for your polyethylene cutting board

In this type of board the oil does not help at all since they are not absorbent. The ideal is to wash well with detergent after each use and once a week soak it for 15 minutes in bleach. Simply place the board inside the tank and spread the bleach over its cutting surface.

This type also works very well with washing machines, especially when set to high temperatures. In addition to not being damaged during washing at high temperature, it kills all existing microorganisms.

And when our board is already in the last?

If you have a board that you like a lot or if you are stingy, a way out is to reform your board. What you need to do is sand to remove the cut marks using coarse sandpaper (80 or 90) and then use two finer sandpapers, one 150 and another 300. Your board will look brand new. If it is a wooden board after sanding wash, let it dry and apply the oil with beeswax. Do this for 5 consecutive days. If it's a polyethylene board, just wash it and start using it.

About the Company: Towie Timber Training (TTT) provides nationally recognised training, safety and a consultancy service specialising but not confined to the forestry and timber products industry. TTT is a family business based in Mandurah, Western Australia. Bill Towie is the principal of TTT and a Forester with 40 years of experience in Forestry and aligned industries in Western Australia. Bill understands the pressures, difficulties and needs of the industry in Western Australia.