Even though it won’t have as many cuts as a chopping board, your favourite cheese board will still accumulate little nicks and cracks over time. And those can very quickly become a bacterial breeding ground. Read on for our tips on how to clean your wooden cheese board.
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SEE ALSO: How to restore your favourite wooden cheese board to its former glory →
Can I use the dishwasher?
Before we delve into the many correct ways that you can clean your favourite wooden cheese board, let’s get this little bit out of the way. Your dishwasher is a great way to sanitise most things in your kitchen. The reason for this is the high temperature of the water and how fast it moves around. Hence, it is very effective at dislodging any food scraps and killing off any harmful pathogens.
However, the dishwasher is definitely not suitable for cleaning a wooden cheese board. Due to the high temperature of the water, it is very likely to damage the wood permanently. Indeed, if you put your favourite cheese board in your dishwasher, you will most probably cause it to crack and warp.
So, what can I use to clean my wooden cheese board?
Well, the good news is that there are a number of very effective and safe ways you can clean your wooden cheese board by hand. Let’s have a look at some of our favourites.
Cleaning wooden cheese boards with dish soap
This is an oldie but a goodie. Actually, all you need is hot water from your tap (turn it all the way!), a little bit of dish soap and a brush or sponge. Rinse the board thoroughly with hot water and apply the soap. You can use either regular dish soap and an antibacterial soap, if you happen to have some handy. Then, scrub away while paying particular attention to any knife marks, grooves or inconsistencies in the wood.
It is very important here that you repeat this process on both sides of the board, even if you typically use only one side to serve. Finally, thoroughly rinse off all the soap and dry the board with a lint-free microfibre cloth. You can also leave the board to drip dry in an upright position.
Cleaning wooden cheese boards with vinegar
If you want to use something that is a bit more natural, vinegar is a great option that does not contain harsh chemicals. In fact, mixing one-part white vinegar with four parts water produces a cleaning solution that is just as effective as dish soap. Did you know that vinegar has been demonstrated to have both antibacterial and antifungal effects? Due to this, it is a great natural disinfectant.
Next, dip a lint-free microfibre cloth into your vinegar mixture and apply it carefully across both sides of the board. Afterwards, rinse your board thoroughly with warm water and wipe it dry with a clean cloth. Once again, you can also let it drip dry if you’re not pressed for time.
Cleaning wooden cheese board with salt and lemon
One other great natural option for cleaning your favourite wooden cheese board is coarse salt and half a lemon. As always, the first step is to carefully wash your board with warm water. Then, make sure that it is completely dry. The best way to do this is to use a lint-free microfibre cloth. If you have the time, you can let it drip dry in an upright position.
Next, cut a yellow lemon in half and sprinkle coarse salt all over the cheese board. Using the lemon, scrub in the salt all over one side of the board. You are actually doing two things at once here. Indeed, the coarse salt helps work out the grit and the lemon’s bioactive compounds act as an antibacterial. Once you’ve done one side, rinse off any residue and repeat on the other side. Finally, thoroughly rinse both sides of the board with warm water and let it dry.
How about bleach?
Diluted bleach can be an effective way to disinfect your cheese board, especially if you have also been using it to serve charcuterie. But bleach is extremely harsh and is toxic if ingested. So, you would have to ensure that you’ve rinsed every particle of it off the board before being able to use it again.
When you consider how porous and uneven wooden boards are, it is very unlikely that you will be able to remove any trace of this harsh chemical. Therefore, we would not recommend using bleach to sanitise your cheese boards.
How to look after your favourite cheese board
Now that we’ve covered the best methods to clean your cheese board, let’s wrap up with some important tips on how you can maintain it at its best. Wood dries up over time and is likely to crack. To avoid this from happening, you will want to treat your board with wood butter once a month.
Using a clean, dry microfibre cloth, rub your wood butter into the board until the entire surface is covered. Be sure not to forget the edges and the back. Once this is done, leave the board to rest for 2 hours. Then, buff the entire board with a clean cloth to remove any residual surface oil.
Make your own wood butter
All you need is equal parts beeswax and mineral oil. Place 50 g of beeswax in a large glass jar and let it sit in a pan of simmering water. Once the beeswax has melted, add in 50 ml of mineral oil and stir until combined. All you have to do now is remove it from the heat and allow the jar to cool. Et voilà! You’ve got yourself some DIY wood butter!
Buy ready-made wood butter
Making your own wood butter is great. But not all of us have the time and space for such an endeavour. And melting beeswax can very quickly turn into an extremely messy business. Luckily, there are some great ready-made wood butters out there that you can buy and start using straight away.
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How do you clean your cheese boards?
Thank you for reading our article on how to clean a wooden cheese board. Have you used any of our tips before? Or do you have your own methods? Drop us a comment below because we’d love to hear from you.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
