Easy Chemical Free Way To Clean Wooden Chopping Boards.

To clean your chopping board, in particular your wooden boards and keep them in good condition you should avoid using soap or chemical cleaners which might be absorbed into the wood and eventually make their way into your foods.

Instructions for cleaning your chopping board naturally are as follows:

• Wet your board well under a tap
• Generously sprinkle table or rock salt on to the board. Cover the whole board.
• Rub the salt in with a natural paper towel or natural cloth. Beware that paper, cloth and sponges can contain bleaches, antibacterial and antifungal chemicals as well as surfactants to make them perform better.
• Leave for 30-60 minutes to absorb any potential food residue and odours.
• Rinse well with warm water and leave the board out to dry.

When the board is dry, rub in a little bit of olive oil. The oil will help seal the wood and make it easier to clean off food residue after each use. Also olive oil has natural antibacterial properties so will also help control bacterial nasties.

We recommend using different chopping boards for your meat and vegetables. Stone is a great material for cutting on but it will ruin your knives.

If your boards are really smelly or have stains on them you can add some lemon juice or white vinegar to remove them and use baking soda to neutralise the smell. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water (add the water to the baking-soda until a paste forms) and spread it over the board in the same way as you would apply the salt above.

Products To Try:

If you need a good wooden chopping board try something like this:

• Organic wooden chopping board

For more cleaning tips try the following book.

• Natural Home Cleaning: Over 100 Ways to Clean Your Home Naturally