Caring for Your Board

In general, changes in climate, temperature and humidity can affect all the wood in your house and that includes your board! Thus, keeping your board hydrated is the most important contribution to its longevity. Below are some general care instructions for cleaning and maintaining that fresh board look.

Cleaning Your Board:

Clean your board after each use.

  • Wipe your board with a damp cloth (if the board is not heavily soiled)

    • A simple damp cloth or paper towel will do the trick when you are using the board as a serving piece. Just make sure to remove all remnants of food.

  • Clean your board with a little dish soap and warm (not hot) water (if the board is more heavily soiled or damp from use)

    • Gently wash your board with a little soap, warm water and a soft sponge. After washing the board, dry immediately with a towel and let it air dry standing up or on a raised rack with air flow. Cooling racks work well for this.

Care and Maintenance for Your Board: 

Apply oil and conditioner at least once a month if you’re not using your board regularly. Boards need more than monthly maintenance with regular use and in dry environments. 

  • Treat your board with food safe mineral oil (moisturize your board and prevent drying)

    • Evenly coat the board with oil (a little goes a long way)

    • Let the oil soak into the wood for a few hours

      • If the oil appears to have soaked in completely and there is little to no excess sitting on top of the board, your board is still thirsty! 

      • Oil the board again and let it sit for a few hours (repeat until the oil is no longer soaking into the board and sitting on top of the surface)

    • Remove excess oil with a paper towel  (again, you do this when the oil is resting on the surface of the board - this means it’s been properly oiled)

    • Allow this to dry until the board is no longer tacky (likely overnight)

  • Treat your board with a board conditioner - a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax (this creates a more stable and reliable surface, seals in moisture and repels water and food contaminants)

    • Cover the board in its entirety with the conditioner rubbing it in with small circles

    • Allow the conditioner to dry for a few hours

    • Buff the board with a paper towel or soft cloth to remove excess conditioner

      • **Remember to treat all sides of the board - treatment of just one side of the board may lead to bending due to differences in humidity

Your board is built to last, but a few tips and tricks to keep it fresh for years to come:

  • Do not immerse your board in water or leave it wet for an extended period of time

  • Boards are not dishwasher safe or microwavable. Do not put your board in the oven or broiler. 

  • Do not use edible oils as a board treatment. This includes but is not limited to: sunflower, olive, coconut, and vegetable. Over time these types of oil become bitter and will transfer that flavor to the food you consume from the board.

  • Foods like beets, pomegranates and other similar pigment heavy foods could stain lighter color boards.

  • Your end grain cutting board is studier and lives longer but is thirstier than your edge grain board or your charcuterie board. It just loves mineral oil! Please keep this in mind when caring for your board.