The cutting board is the shield between your kitchen knife and the table cover or countertop, and the stage of preparing a good portion of your great meals.
Having it properly cleaned offers many benefits, both healthwise and food-quality-wise. Why should you clean your board effectively and why should do it? Let’s have a look.
Reasons why you should clean your cutting board
The more food you prepare the greater the need is to give your cutting board a proper scrub. Cutting food leaves behind trails and leftovers, can deteriorate and become a breeding ground for bacteria. This can lead to ruining the taste of your next meal, as well as to more serious problems, such as food poisoning, for example.
How to effectively clean your cutting board
The methods of cleaning your cutting board will slightly differ depending on the type of staining that is plaguing it and the material it is made out of.
There are a variety of detergents and generally home remedies that will help you achieve a clean cutting board, which is ready for use. It is a good idea to clean your cutting board after every single use. Here are some of the general steps you will need to take when cleaning your cutting board:
- First, you will need to remove any leftovers from your cutting board.
- Rinse with water and use a scrubber to remove more persistent leftovers.
- Apply a detergent like dish soap or another combination of home remedies like vinegar and baking soda.
- Rinse with cold water to wash off detergent.
Depending on the type of board you have santising process can be different. It is important to sanitise your cutting board from time to time especially after you have been using it for raw animal products.
Cutting boards made out of metal or glass could easily go in the dishwasher or be sanitised, by using chlorine bleach and water solution. They cannot be damaged by water or harsh chemicals
If your chopping board is wooden, though it is advisable to use hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, vinegar or a mix of them all together, in order to prevent damage to the surface of the board. Excess water can also be damaging to a wooden chopping board.
Tips for preserving your chopping board and keeping it healthy for you
For one, owning different cutting boards for different kinds of foods can be very handy. Raw meat and seafood can go on one chopping board, vegetables and fruits on another, and a third one for everything else in between, which will save you a lot of time on maintenance.
Try to oil and refinish a solid wood chopping board from time to time. Cracks and seams form due to cutting and moisture exposure, and bacteria might make their way in there, becoming harder to clean. Refinishing and oiling will keep damage low and fix the already existing one
Wooden cutting boards should be stored in a clean and dry place to prevent moisture from compromising them.
Conclusion
A well-maintained chopping board is bound to make your meals safer and tastier so make sure to give it proper care. And in case you need help in maintaining your home clean, as well, while you work to improve or you simply want to spend more time with your loved ones instead of cleaning, make sure to check out our professional cleaning services list!