How to care for your hardwood cutting board
A hardwood cutting board is not just a kitchen tool. It is an investment. With a little regular care it will serve you well for decades, developing character and patina along the way. The good news is that caring for your board is easier than most people think. A few simple habits done consistently is all it takes to keep it looking great and performing at its best for years to come.
What Your Board Is Built For
Hardwood cutting boards are built to take the daily abuse of a working kitchen and come out looking better for it over time. Whether you’re chopping vegetables, breaking down proteins, or putting together a charcuterie spread, a well made hardwood board is up to the task.
That said not all knives are created equal. Serrated blades like bread knives have aggressive teeth that tend to leave more visible surface marks than a straight edge blade would. Nothing a hardwood board can’t handle, it’s purely a cosmetic consideration. If preserving the appearance of your board over the long term is a priority, consider dedicating a separate board for serrated blades. Your board will perform either way.
Cleaning Your Cutting Board
Why Cleaning Matters
Hardwood cutting boards have natural antimicrobial properties. Research has shown that hardwoods contain natural compounds including tannins and lignin that actively work against bacteria on the cutting surface. Wood also draws moisture inward, pulling bacteria beneath the surface where they die off rather than sitting on top where they can spread. That said these natural properties are not a substitute for proper cleaning. Keeping your board clean and sanitary between uses is still critical, especially when handling raw proteins like various meats, poultry, and fish. A clean board is a safe board. There is no way around that.
There are many ways to effectively clean a hardwood cutting board, but in this guide we are going to cover the most practical and accessible method for everyday use. Depending on the size of your board you may need one of two approaches: In Sink Cleaning or Countertop Cleaning
If your board fits in the sink
What you need: Warm water, dish soap, and a dish brush or sponge.
How to do it: Scrub both sides of the board thoroughly with warm soapy water until all visible food particles are removed. If your board features a juice groove or finger holds, be sure to scrub those areas clean as well as they can trap food debris over time. Rinse clean and dry immediately with a dish towel. Drying right away removes the bulk of surface moisture before it has a chance to absorb into the wood. After towel drying there is still moisture present in the wood fibers that you can’t see. To fully dry the rest, stand your board upright so both surfaces are equally exposed to the air. Letting the environment around you do the rest of the work is the final and most important step in getting your board completely dry.
If your board is too large for the sink
No problem. You can still get it just as clean. First scrub the top surface down thoroughly with warm soapy water, paying attention to juice grooves or finger holds where food debris can collect. Wipe away all the soap with a damp dish towel, repeating until all soap residue is gone. From here, hand dry the top surface with a clean dry dish towel and repeat the entire process on the underside. Just like the smaller boards, we still need to let the environment do the rest of the drying. Stand your board upright so both surfaces are equally exposed to the air until fully dry.
Tips for standing your board upright
Air drying allows any remaining moisture in the wood fibers to equalize with the environment around it, evaporating evenly on both sides with the help of natural airflow. Standing your board on its edge is the best way to achieve that. It is not always straightforward though, especially with thinner boards. Here are a few easy options:
A dish rack or drying rack works great and keeps the board stable while allowing airflow on both sides.
Leaning it against a wall or backsplash on the countertop is another simple option.
A napkin holder or cookbook stand can also do the trick for smaller boards.
The goal is equal air exposure on both sides. However you get there works.
Things to Never Do:
Never submerge or soak your board in water.
Never leave your board sitting in or around moisture.
Never place your board in the dishwasher. The high heat and moisture will warp, cup, or crack your board over time and sometimes very quickly. No exceptions.
Board care and maintenance
Your cutting board is made from natural wood and like any natural material it needs occasional conditioning to stay healthy. Especially when exposed to the harsh rigors of repeated kitchen use. Over time the wood can dry out, losing the moisture balance that keeps it from cracking, splitting, or warping. Reconditioning your board replenishes that balance and keeps the surfaces in peak condition.
How you know when it is time to condition your board?
Let the board tell you. When the surface starts to look dull, feel dry to the touch, or develop a slightly rough texture, that is your cue. There is no strict schedule. Just pay attention to it and it will let you know. For most boards in regular use that works out to roughly once a month, but it varies depending on your environment and how often you use and wash the board. If you prefer to stick to a schedule then once a month is perfect, there are no rules as long as you are consistent with the maintenance procedure.
What to use
We recommend our own Wild Board Conditioner. It is food safe, developed specifically for hardwood cutting boards, and designed to protect and nourish the wood from the inside out. That being said any food safe cutting board conditioner or food grade mineral oil will get the job done.
What to avoid
Not all oils are safe or suitable for wood cutting boards. Avoid any cooking oils such as olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or canola oil. These oils will go rancid inside the wood over time, creating unpleasant odors and potentially introducing harmful bacteria to your food prep surface. The same goes for any oil or finish that is not specifically labeled as food safe. And for you gear heads out there, sorry to say, motor oil is never an option. Ever.
How to condition your board
Apply a generous amount of conditioner to all surfaces of the board including the sides and any juice grooves or finger holds. Work it into the wood with a clean cloth using circular motions. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes or longer if the board is particularly dry. The wood will absorb what it needs. If you see that the board has absorbed most of the application, we recommend applying another coat and following the same process. Once you feel the board is satisfied, wipe off any excess with a clean lint free cloth and your board is ready to use.
Store It or Show It Off
How and where you store your cutting board matters more than most people realize. Done right it is simple and takes no effort. Done wrong it can undo all the good work you put into cleaning and conditioning. The good news is that hardwood cutting boards are beautiful enough to live right out on your counter if you want them to. Functional and decorative. There is no rule that says a well made board has to be hidden away.
Upright and out in the open
Storing your board upright with both sides equally exposed to the air is the ideal scenario. It keeps both sides equally exposed to the air and allows the board to breathe between uses. Leaning it against the backsplash, or propping it on a dish rack all work well. However, dedicated cutting board stands are the best solution here. Using them accomplishes two things. They allow you to display your board as part of your kitchen aesthetic and honestly a great way to show it off. And they also allow for that ever important equal air flow around your board.
Flat on your countertop
Storing your board flat on the counter is also completely acceptable. And it is often the most practical option for larger boards. However this method does introduce risk. You’ll need to be mindful of the surface beneath it. Make sure it is clean and completely dry before setting your board down. Never leave moisture trapped between the board and the countertop. Everything we covered in the What to Avoid section applies here too. A flat stored board that is kept clean and dry will serve you just as well as one stored upright.
If you want to take preventative care a step further, non adhesive cutting board pads are a great option. They keep your board firmly in place while simultaneously creating a small gap between the board and the countertop, allowing airflow underneath. They are sold separately and widely available online and in kitchen stores.
Storing in a cabinet or drawer
Storing your board in a cabinet or drawer is completely fine if you are limited on space or if you choose to keep your countertops clean of items. Just make sure your board is completely dry before putting it away. Cabinets and drawers have limited airflow and trapping moisture inside with your board is a recipe for warping, cupping, or potential mold growth over time. When in doubt give your board a little more time to air dry before closing it away.
What to avoid
Never store your board flat on a wet or damp surface. Moisture trapped beneath the board has nowhere to go and will absorb unevenly into the wood over time leading to warping or cupping.
Never store your board in direct sunlight. Sunlight causes one side to dry faster than the other creating uneven tension in the wood that can lead to cupping over time.
Never put your board away wet. Always make sure your board is completely dry before storing it away.
Never submerge or soak your board. This applies to storage too. Do not leave your board propped in a sink or sitting near a water source where it can absorb moisture passively.
Common Problems
Even with the best intentions things can go wrong. Here is a breakdown of the most common issues hardwood cutting boards experience and what causes them so you can avoid them before they happen.
Warping
Warping happens when one side of the board absorbs or loses moisture faster than the other, causing opposing edges to move or shift out of parallel. The most common causes are washing only one side, storing the board flat on a damp surface, or leaving the board in direct sunlight. While there are ways this can be fixed or repaired in a workshop environment, the real true fix is prevention. Wash both sides, dry it properly, store it properly, and keep your board away from heat and moisture sources.
Cupping
Cupping is a form of warping where the board curves upward on the edges like a shallow bowl. It is almost always caused by uneven moisture exposure. One side gets wet and swells while the other stays dry and contracts. Washing both sides consistently and allowing the board to air dry upright goes a long way toward preventing it.
Cracking and splitting
Cracks typically develop when a board gets too dry, too quickly. Contrary to what we have been saying about moisture, wood cutting boards do need some balanced moisture to stay stable. When that balance is lost and the board dries out too fast, it can split along the grain and or a glue line. Regular conditioning is your best defense here. A well conditioned board is a resilient board.
Surface marks and scratches
Every cutting board will develop surface marks over time. That is not a flaw — it is evidence of a board being used the way it was meant to be used. Deep marks from serrated knives are the most noticeable. If the appearance bothers you, light sanding followed by a fresh coat of conditioner can restore much of the original surface.
When to Reach Out
This guide covers the most common care and maintenance scenarios but we know that every board and every kitchen is a little different. If you run into something that is not covered here or you have a question about your specific board, even if it’s not one of our Wild Boards, we are happy to help.
Whether it is a care question, a conditioning question, or a concern about something you’re seeing on your board, do not hesitate to reach out. We would rather you ask than guess.
You can reach us anytime at contact@wildboardstudio.com or through our contact page. We typically respond the same day but please allow up to two business days before following up.
And if you are ready to add another board to your kitchen, browse our full lineup here. Every board we make is built to last and backed by the same care and craftsmanship you read about in this guide.
Quick Refence
-
Never. None of our products are dishwasher safe. The high heat and moisture will warp, cup, or crack your board over time and sometimes very quickly. No exceptions.
-
Never submerge or soak your board in water. Never leave your board sitting in or around moisture.
-
Let the board tell you. When the surface starts to look dull, feel dry to the touch, or develop a slightly rough texture, that is your cue. There is no strict schedule. Just pay attention to it and it will let you know. For most boards in regular use that works out to roughly once a month, but it varies depending on your environment and how often you use and wash the board.
-
Avoid any cooking oils such as olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or canola oil. These oils will go rancid inside the wood over time, creating unpleasant odors and potentially introducing harmful bacteria to your food prep surface. The same goes for any oil or finish that is not specifically labeled as food safe.
-
Warping happens when one side of the board absorbs or loses moisture faster than the other, causing opposing edges to move or shift out of parallel. The most common causes are washing only one side, storing the board flat on a damp surface, or leaving the board in direct sunlight.
-
Cupping is a form of warping where the board curves upward on the edges like a shallow bowl. It is almost always caused by uneven moisture exposure. One side gets wet and swells while the other stays dry and contracts.
-
Cracks typically develop when a board gets too dry, too quickly. Wood cutting boards do need some balanced moisture to stay stable. When that balance is lost and the board dries out too fast, it can split along the grain and or a glue line. Regular conditioning is your best defense here. A well conditioned board is a resilient board.
-
Storing your board upright with both sides equally exposed to the air is the ideal scenario. It keeps both sides equally exposed to the air and allows the board to breathe between uses. Storing flat on a clean dry countertop is also completely acceptable. If storing in a cabinet or drawer, make sure your board is completely dry before putting it away. Never store your board flat on a wet or damp surface, in direct sunlight, or put it away wet.
-
Hardwood cutting boards have natural antimicrobial properties. Research has shown that hardwoods contain natural compounds including tannins and lignin that actively work against bacteria on the cutting surface. Wood also draws moisture inward, pulling bacteria beneath the surface where they die off rather than sitting on top where they can spread. That said these natural properties are not a substitute for proper cleaning. Keeping your board clean and sanitary between uses is still critical, especially when handling raw proteins like various meats, poultry, and fish. A clean board is a safe board. There is no way around that.
-
First scrub the top surface down thoroughly with warm soapy water, paying attention to juice grooves or finger holds where food debris can collect. Wipe away all the soap with a damp dish towel, repeating until all soap residue is gone. From here, hand dry the top surface with a clean dry dish towel and repeat the entire process on the underside. Stand your board upright so both surfaces are equally exposed to the air until fully dry.