Wooden chopping board care
General Information
There are certain things to look out for when handling naturally treated, solid wood:
- Keep sharp and pointed objects away from the surface.
- Do not use abrasive cleaning or polishing agents.
- Ensure regular ventilation in damp rooms. Excessively dry air can also cause solid wood to warp.
- Avoid exposure to hot steam, e.g. when opening the dishwasher.
- If kept or stored incorrectly, in a damp or cold environment, the wood will warp.
- Wooden chopping boards have to withstand a lot of stress. Therefore, deformation and cracks arising during use cannot be ruled out, and no guarantee can be issued for these.
Care of your chopping board
It’s often enough to wipe your wooden chopping board with a damp cloth or rinse it under a running tap, without using washing-up liquid. But make sure that both the front and back are always dampened, to prevent any tension when drying.Please never leave your chopping board immersed in water or wash in the dishwasher!
Please rinse your wooden chopping board briefly with cold water before working with food that smells strong or stains. Rinse with cold water as soon as you have finished.
Cleaning
For normal cleaning and care, a slightly damp cloth is all you need. In case of heavier soiling, you can wipe the surface with a damp cloth - but please don’t ever use aggressive detergents. If the surface is slightly soiled, e.g. with water stains, etc., scour and re-treat.
Re-oiling
Oiled wooden surfaces need to be re-treated regularly. The oil on a surface wears off over time due to mechanical and physical stress. To re-oil, put a little cooking oil on a cloth and rub into the surface evenly, in the direction of the grain. After applying oil, wipe the cloth evenly over the oiled surface in the direction of the grain to remove excess oil. Allow the oil to work overnight, and polish briefly the next day.
FAQ
Can wooden chopping boards go in the dishwasher?
NO. The usual high temperatures in a dishwasher will change the structure of the board. The wood disintegrates and splinters form. Simply wash by hand using the scourer side of a sponge and a little washing-up liquid, and your wooden chopping board will be perfectly clean.
What oil should I use to oil my chopping board?
To clean a new wooden board thoroughly, we recommend regularly (i.e. every 3-4 weeks) immersing it in cooking oil, or applying oil thoroughly with a brush. This way, the wood cannot absorb any more water, preventing a damp microclimate that would attract bacteria and germs.
Sunflower and rapeseed oils are semi-drying:
These oils dry and harden to a certain extent, but not completely. So before the oil can dry fully on the surface and be absorbed into the wood, it can become rancid and sticky. Therefore, after rubbing in oil, thoroughly wipe away any excess before leaving the chopping board to dry in air.
Olive oil is a non-drying oil:
Olive oil does not dry or harden, and will remain as an oily film on the surface of the wood for weeks. Therefore, only use olive oil if you use the chopping board every day and therefore also wash it daily. Repeated daily wiping with a damp cloth will prevent the olive oil from becoming rancid and sticky.
Linseed oil is a drying oil:
Linseed oil hardens completely and is therefore very well suited for treating wooden chopping boards. It doesn't leave an oily film on the wood. The oil doesn’t become rancid, and provides good and lasting protection for chopping boards. Linseed oil is a pure and natural product and can also be used as a foodstuff. But please do not confuse pure (cold-pressed) linseed oil with linseed oil varnish. Use only natural, unadulterated linseed oil to treat your chopping board. You certainly wouldn’t want the various drying agents that are in linseed oil varnish on your chopping board.