Wooden cutting boards are one of the most preferred type of cutting boards in Singapore’s households. Not only are they affordable, wooden cutting boards come in various sizes and can be aesthetically pleasing. They are the go-to serving boards for your 21st birthday parties, 100 days celebration parties, and festive gatherings if you want to “WOW” your guests.
It is no wonder why Singaporeans love the common wooden cutting board. Besides its aesthetic purposes, they are also extremely knife-friendly, and a practical choice of cutting board to protect your knives from losing its sharpness. However, the very fact that it is made of wood, extra care is needed when it comes to cleaning and washing your wooden cutting boards.
The Importance of Taking Good Care of Wooden Cutting Boards
Recently, the ChinaPress released an article regarding an old couple with no habits of practicing proper hygiene for their wooden cutting board. They do not clean it often, and used it for both raw and cooked food. This is the biggest mistake when it comes to using a wooden cutting board.
Because wooden cutting boards are made of wood, they can shrink or expand depending on the humidity and temperature in the area where its being stored. Have you seen cracks or gaps in yours after a few months of using? This could be the very reason why!
Furthermore, wooden cutting boards are porous. They are the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus. The juices from your raw food can seep through, taking the bacteria with them, and stay there without you knowing. Imagine the bacteria spreading all over your food the next time you use the wooden cutting board again. Yucks!
If you think about it, it is a never-ending cycle! Over time, your wooden cutting boards accumulate the cuts made by your knives as well as cracks and gaps due to humidity. The juices and bacteria from the raw food seep into these gaps posing a danger to your health. Then it comes the time, when your wooden cutting boards can no longer function as per usual, and you have to get a new one. This cycle goes on and on.
#4 Tips to Prolong the Life of Wooden Cutting Boards
Despite the cons, there are many ways to prolong the life of your wooden cutting boards! Here, we share some of our favourite tips we often share with customers who own a wooden cutting board.
#1. Never Put Them in the Dishwasher
One of the most important, yet most neglected tip of owning wooden cutting boards is to never put them in the dishwasher! We often have people telling us that their cutting boards split after putting them in the dishwasher.
No matter how tired or lazy you are after preparing your ingredients, never, ever put your wooden cutting boards into the dishwasher! The prolonged exposure to heat and water is the very reason why they warp, crack or even split. We always emphasise to wash wooden cutting boards by hand as it is the safest, and the best way to keep them going for a long time.
#2. Never Soak Them in the Sink
Who else gets lazy to clean up after cooking? (We are!) We admit we get a little lazy sometimes but one thing we promise ourselves is to never soak wooden cutting boards in the sink. The effects of doing so is similar to putting them in the dishwasher. The prolonged exposure to water can eventually destroy your aesthetically pleasing wooden cutting boards. We strongly advise to wash them immediately after using so as to avoid these dreadful consequences that follow.
#3. Make Sure to Dry Your Wooden Cutting Boards Thoroughly
When you wash your wooden cutting boards, it is perfectly normal for them to soak up some of the water and expand. It will naturally contract again once its dried, and only when its dried entirely. This is a natural process. Therefore, it is important to let them air dry evenly to allow the expansion and contraction process to be carried out.
Leaving them back on the countertop wet or letting them sit in the sink to dry may cause uneven contraction which leads to the warping of wooden cutting boards. When warping occurs, your cutting boards may bend and twist out of shape. This is definitely not something you would want to happen to your wooden cutting boards! Instead, dry it thoroughly with a microfibre cloth, and prop it upright or on a drying rack so that both sides are exposed to air.
#4. Maybe Consider Regular Oiling and Conditioning
This is a slightly time consuming tip to follow but if you are determined to prolong the life of your wooden cutting boards, then consider regular oiling to keep it in good shape and condition. “How often is regular?” you may ask. It could be fortnightly, monthly or once every few months depending on how often you use your wooden cutting boards.
However, not all kinds of oil are suitable for oiling your wooden cutting boards. Food oils like olive oil may become rancid and make your cutting boards smell. Instead, opt for mineral oil for your regular oiling sessions. Spread the mineral oil out evenly on all surfaces, allowing it to soak into the wooden cutting board for at least 2 hours (it would be best if you could let it soak overnight). After which, prop it upright to let both sides air dry completely, and it is good to go!
If you follow these #4 golden tips carefully, you can definitely prolong the life of your wooden cutting boards!
Why Do Wooden Cutting Boards Smell Bad After A While?
Wooden cutting boards may start to smell bad over time when bits of food get stuck in the cracks and cuts. Sometimes the smell becomes too overwhelming that we cannot take it anymore! We have 3 natural, and chemical-free solutions to counter the bad smell!
The Vinegar Method
Vinegar contains acetic acid that can disinfect the cutting board, remove any bad smell, and protect users against common food-related illnesses. Simply apply vinegar on a clean microfibre cloth, and scrub your wooden cutting board.
The Baking Soda Method
When your wooden cutting board starts to smell, try the baking soda method! Make a paste with baking soda and water, then scrub it on your wooden cutting board. After which, rinse off with water and make sure to dry it thoroughly. The smell will be gone by then!
The Salt and Lemon Method
This is by far our favourite method because the lemon leaves a very fresh smell! Firstly sprinkle coarse salt on one side of your wooden cutting board. Then, using half a lemon, scrub the salt over the surface with the flesh side down. Do the same for the other side, and let it sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off with water. Always remember to dry it entirely so that your wooden cutting board does not crack or warp.
The Right Time to Change Out Wooden Cutting Boards
When you start to see your wooden cutting boards crack or warp, its probably time for you to switch out for a new one. Keeping a cracked wooden cutting board will only increase the risks of more bacteria accumulating in it, posing greater health problems to you and your family.
If the mold on your wooden cutting boards is not going away, chances are it will never go away, and you should change out for a new one too. In the article by ChinaPress, the old couple stuck with their moldy wooden cutting board for a very long time which led to liver cancer ultimately.
Believe us, its not worth saving that few dollars over your health. When its time to change, do it.
Maintaining Wooden Cutting Boards Seem Like a Lot of Effort
Perhaps you may now think that maintaining wooden cutting boards seem like a whole lot of effort up till this point. As much as we love how reasonably priced some of them are, and the fact it can be very aesthetically pleasing, we also cannot forgo the cons they bring.
At V-Care, we always strive to bring the best products to meet and exceed your expectations. With that, our Sage cutting boards are what we pride ourselves on. It is a cutting board we use diligently in our kitchens. We previously shared our reasons why Sage cutting board is the only cutting board you need for your kitchen, and we are sure you will love it too!
Sage Cutting Boards
Remember the never-ending cycle we mentioned earlier about wooden cutting boards? Some of us may already be used to it but others may want to break the cycle. Sage cutting boards are breaking this very cycle with the core benefits they bring!
| Sage Cutting Boards | Wooden Cutting Boards | |
| Knife-friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Non-porous & anti-bacterial | Yes | No |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes | No |
| Long-lasting | Yes | No |
| Easy to clean | Yes | No |
| Smell | No | Yes |
Sage cutting boards are made of Woodfiber sheets saturated with plastic resin and heat-pressed by skilled artisans in Seattle, WA. They are not your typical wooden cutting boards, and will far outlast wood, plastic and bamboo cutting boards.
On top of that, V-Care provides lifetime warranty for all Sage cutting boards. They are warranted against material and workmanship defects such as molds, cracks, and stains. Should you find molds on your Sage cutting board, or it starts to smell bad (Which is practically impossible!), we will replace a brand new one for you. We also offer free polishing services for all Sage cutting boards. Once you feel its time for polishing, drop us a message via our contact form!
Are Sage Cutting Boards Available in Singapore?
Sage cutting boards are available in Singapore! V-Care is the sole distributor for all Sage cutting boards in Singapore. You can find them here on our online shop or on Lazada, Shopee, and RedMart. Alternatively, you can head down to OG Albert, OG Orchard Point and OG People’s Park to enjoy daily demonstrations by our friendly promoters.
Our knife-friendly, non-porous and anti-bacterial, dishwasher safe and long-lasting Sage cutting board will definitely make you think twice before getting another wooden cutting board! If you have any questions regarding Sage cutting boards, feel free to drop us your queries via our contact form or leave us a comment here. We will get back to you at our soonest!
