--- slug: how_to_care_for_a_wood_cutting_board category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/kitchen_utensils_gadgets/cutting_boards type: informational title: "How to Care for a Wood Cutting Board" lead: "Hand-wash it with warm soapy water and dry it standing on edge — never the dishwasher and never a long soak, which warp and crack the wood. Rub in food-grade mineral oil whenever the surface looks dry, and it will last for decades." recommendation: name: "Hand-wash and dry upright, never the dishwasher or a soak, and oil it whenever it looks dry" reason: "Wood swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, so the whole game is keeping that even: wash by hand with hot soapy water right after use, rinse, and stand the board on edge or lean it up so both faces dry at the same rate — a board dried flat or left in the sink cups and cracks. The dishwasher's heat and long soak are the fastest way to ruin one. Every few weeks, or whenever the wood looks pale and dry, rub a food-grade mineral oil (or a board cream cut with beeswax) all over, let it soak in overnight, and wipe off the excess; never use cooking oils like olive or vegetable, which go rancid. To sanitize or deodorize, scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon, or wipe with a little diluted vinegar, then re-oil. Scrape it clean, keep raw meat on a separate board, and it outlives most of your kitchen." published: 2026-07-08 updated: 2026-07-08 ---