Okay so this page exists because people keep ruining their boards. Good boards. Expensive boards. And almost every time it’s the same two things — the dishwasher or neglecting the oil. So let’s fix that.
Dishwasher
Never
ruins the board
Oil to use
Mineral
food-safe, cheap
Storage position
Flat
prevents warping
Hand wash
Warm water, mild soap, dry right away.
Oil when dry
Pale, dull wood means it needs mineral oil.
Store flat
Cool, dry spot. Away from sun and heat.
Raw meat
Use a separate board. Every time.
Never do these
The dishwasher thing
Just don’t. I know it’s tempting. I know it’s faster. But you put a hardwood board through a dishwasher cycle and the heat and steam get deep into the wood fibers. It comes out cracked. Or warped. Sometimes both. And there’s no coming back from that. It’s not like a stain you can sand out. The board is done.
Warm water. Bit of soap. Thirty seconds. Rinse. Dry it off right away — not in an hour, right away. That’s all washing a cutting board takes.
The oil thing
Mineral oil. Not olive oil, not coconut oil, not whatever’s sitting next to the stove. Those go rancid inside the wood and then your board smells like something died in it.
Mineral oil is like two dollars at the pharmacy. Food-safe. Does exactly what wood needs. When your board starts looking kind of pale and dull — not shiny, kind of thirsty looking — that’s when you grab the mineral oil. Rub it in good, leave it for a couple hours, wipe off the extra. Board looks brand new.
Don’t do it on a schedule. Just look at it. The wood tells you.
Where to keep it
Flat. Always flat.
Standing a board upright sounds fine but it actually dries unevenly and warps over time. Flat is always the right answer.
Three enemies to keep away from the board. Sunlight. Heat sources. Moisture. Don’t store it next to the stove. Don’t leave it in a sunny window. Cool and dry is all it needs.
Raw meat
Separate board for raw meat. Full stop. Cross contamination is real and it doesn’t matter how nice the wood is. Keep the hardwood for bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables. Raw meat gets its own surface. Every time.
Had a board arrive with a problem? That’s different from a care issue — check out our warranty page for that.