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Cutting Board Care

I’m going to demonstrate how to revive a dried-out and abused cutting board and bringing it back to life.  If you maintain this routine, your cutting boards can last a lifetime. Here’s how to restore a cutting board. 



Gear:

  • 60-80 Grit Sandpaper

  • 120-150 Grit Sandpaper

  • 220 Grit Sandpaper

  • Mineral Oil (I use Boos Board Mystery Oil)

  • Board Cream (I use Boos Board Board Cream)


10 Steps to Restoring Your Wooden Cutting Board

  1. Determine if the board is damaged enough to require sanding it down, or if it is just dehydrated and needs sanitizing and mineral oil.

  2. If it doesn’t need sanding, then sanitize with salt, and scrub in with a lemon, wash off, and let it completely air dry before moving on to the next step

  3. If it is damaged and needs sanding, then it doesn’t need sanitizing because you’re removing layers of wood from the board.

  4. Sand with 80 Grit to start. Use a circular motion, ensuring you sand the entire surface of the board evenly. This work is best done with an electric sander. Sand until any major cuts are buffed out. Wipe off the sawdust. 

  5. Spray the entire board with water. Then stand it up and allow it to air dry. After drying, run your hands on the board, and you’ll notice it feels fuzzy. Those are some of the imperfect edges from the coarse sanding. Now we can buff them out with the next level of sandpaper.

  6. Repeat that whole sanding process with the 120-150 grit sandpaper. Wipe off the dust. 

  7. Repeat the process with the 220-grit sandpaper. 

  8. Rinse off the board to remove any wood bits and let it completely dry before the next step. It is very important that it is dry before the next step. 

  9. Add a generous amount of the mineral oil and rub it into every inch of the board, including the sides. Then rub in food-grade mineral oil, then stand the board up or lean it up against something with towels and allow the board to absorb the oil like a sponge. Place some plastic down or towels wherever you do to contain the oil. Repeat once more if the board is extremely dry.

  10. Repeat the same process with the board cream, allowing the board to fully absorb the cream overnight. The next day, your board is like brand new and ready to use again. 

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