Hi all,

Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board. It's
been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has (in parts) gone
dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.

Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about 'preparing'
the board & keeping it in good condition.

Many thanks,

Raelene
xxx

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:33:50 +0800, "Raelene"
> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board. It's
>been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has (in parts) gone
>dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.
>
>Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about 'preparing'
>the board & keeping it in good condition.

Wood is porous. I would give up on the moldy piece, but if you want
to try to salvage it, a swipe with very diluted bleach (1:100) would
be the minimum I would go. Vinegar can be used but it's not as sure
as bleach to kill molds.

As for your new board, wipe with Mineral Oil (available in drugstores
as a laxative), rewipe any areas that become dry within a few minutes.
Let set for 24 hours and wipe thoroughly. Cooking oils are not
recommended as they can turn rancid. Mineral oil is recommended by
all woodworking groups. Here is a situation that you should trust
wood people rather than cooks. ;-) Reapply the mineral oil only when
you see the board start to dry out.
------------
There are no atheists in foxholes
or in Fenway Park in an extra inning
game.
____

Cape Cod Bob

Delete the two "spam"s for email

On Mon 22 Aug 2005 11:37:50p, Cape Cod Bob wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:33:50 +0800, "Raelene"
> > wrote:
>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board.
>> It's been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has
>>(in parts) gone dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.
>>
>>Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about
>>'preparing' the board & keeping it in good condition.
>
> Wood is porous. I would give up on the moldy piece, but if you want
> to try to salvage it, a swipe with very diluted bleach (1:100) would
> be the minimum I would go. Vinegar can be used but it's not as sure
> as bleach to kill molds.
>
> As for your new board, wipe with Mineral Oil (available in drugstores
> as a laxative), rewipe any areas that become dry within a few minutes.
> Let set for 24 hours and wipe thoroughly. Cooking oils are not
> recommended as they can turn rancid. Mineral oil is recommended by
> all woodworking groups. Here is a situation that you should trust
> wood people rather than cooks. ;-) Reapply the mineral oil only when
> you see the board start to dry out.
> ------------

Yes, bleach and mineral oil is definitely the way to go, and it will work.
But I would add another couple of steps, as well.

The wood can tolerate more moisture than a mere swipe, as well as more
bleach for this cleaning process, and rather than give up on the moldy
piece, it's worth the risk.

First, scrub the board well with plain water and a soft bristle brush.
Then soak the board in a stronger bleach solution, at least 1:10, for 5
minutes. Rinse well, and then soak the board in plain water for 10
minutes. Dry with a towel.

Finally, thoroughly wet all surfaces of the board with hydrogen peroxide
and allow to air dry thoroughly.

It's possible that there may still be some traces of the stains, but the
mold will definitely be gone.

Last of all, apply mineral oil generously, then place on a rack in a 225
degree oven for half an hour. Repeat.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.


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"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon 22 Aug 2005 11:37:50p, Cape Cod Bob wrote in rec.food.equipment:
>
>> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:33:50 +0800, "Raelene"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>Hi all,
>>>
>>>Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board.
>>> It's been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has
>>>(in parts) gone dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.
>>>
>>>Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about
>>>'preparing' the board & keeping it in good condition.
>>
>> Wood is porous. I would give up on the moldy piece, but if you want
>> to try to salvage it, a swipe with very diluted bleach (1:100) would
>> be the minimum I would go. Vinegar can be used but it's not as sure
>> as bleach to kill molds.
>>
>> As for your new board, wipe with Mineral Oil (available in drugstores
>> as a laxative), rewipe any areas that become dry within a few minutes.
>> Let set for 24 hours and wipe thoroughly. Cooking oils are not
>> recommended as they can turn rancid. Mineral oil is recommended by
>> all woodworking groups. Here is a situation that you should trust
>> wood people rather than cooks. ;-) Reapply the mineral oil only when
>> you see the board start to dry out.
>> ------------
>
> Yes, bleach and mineral oil is definitely the way to go, and it will work.
> But I would add another couple of steps, as well.
>
> The wood can tolerate more moisture than a mere swipe, as well as more
> bleach for this cleaning process, and rather than give up on the moldy
> piece, it's worth the risk.
>
> First, scrub the board well with plain water and a soft bristle brush.
> Then soak the board in a stronger bleach solution, at least 1:10, for 5
> minutes. Rinse well, and then soak the board in plain water for 10
> minutes. Dry with a towel.
>
> Finally, thoroughly wet all surfaces of the board with hydrogen peroxide
> and allow to air dry thoroughly.
>
> It's possible that there may still be some traces of the stains, but the
> mold will definitely be gone.
>
> Last of all, apply mineral oil generously, then place on a rack in a 225
> degree oven for half an hour. Repeat.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
> ____________________________________________
>

I would not heat the board in the oven. Why bother? It may cause warping or
splitting.

If it is a treasured or expensive board you might find a local woodworker
with a power planer who can take 1/8 inch off to give you a nice new
surface. Then treat with mineral oil as others have described.


--
Peter Aitken

On 2005-08-23, Raelene > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board. It's
> been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has (in parts) gone
> dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.
>
> Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about 'preparing'
> the board & keeping it in good condition.

Others have suggested bleach to kill the mold. I would suggest
hydrogen peroxide as a less toxic, more environmentally-friendly
alternative. You can economically buy pretty big bottles of it at
larger pharmacies. It's a bit less deadly to mold and other critters
than chlorine bleach, so use it in higher concentrations (the straight
3% it's usually sold in is probably good) and allow it to soak in a
bit longer. I doubt it even needs to be rinsed from the board before
letting food touch it; just let it dry thoroughly.

--
Randall

On Tue 23 Aug 2005 05:48:55a, Peter Aitken wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon 22 Aug 2005 11:37:50p, Cape Cod Bob wrote in rec.food.equipment:
>>
>>> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:33:50 +0800, "Raelene"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Hi all,
>>>>
>>>>Just wondering how to go about cleaning a dirty bread/cutting board.
>>>> It's been left on the sink & the end touching the stainless steel has
>>>>(in parts) gone dark brown & there are spots of mould growing on it.
>>>>
>>>>Also, I have bought a good quality one (round) & was wondering about
>>>>'preparing' the board & keeping it in good condition.
>>>
>>> Wood is porous. I would give up on the moldy piece, but if you want
>>> to try to salvage it, a swipe with very diluted bleach (1:100) would
>>> be the minimum I would go. Vinegar can be used but it's not as sure
>>> as bleach to kill molds.
>>>
>>> As for your new board, wipe with Mineral Oil (available in drugstores
>>> as a laxative), rewipe any areas that become dry within a few minutes.
>>> Let set for 24 hours and wipe thoroughly. Cooking oils are not
>>> recommended as they can turn rancid. Mineral oil is recommended by
>>> all woodworking groups. Here is a situation that you should trust
>>> wood people rather than cooks. ;-) Reapply the mineral oil only when
>>> you see the board start to dry out.
>>> ------------
>>
>> Yes, bleach and mineral oil is definitely the way to go, and it will
>> work. But I would add another couple of steps, as well.
>>
>> The wood can tolerate more moisture than a mere swipe, as well as more
>> bleach for this cleaning process, and rather than give up on the moldy
>> piece, it's worth the risk.
>>
>> First, scrub the board well with plain water and a soft bristle brush.
>> Then soak the board in a stronger bleach solution, at least 1:10, for 5
>> minutes. Rinse well, and then soak the board in plain water for 10
>> minutes. Dry with a towel.
>>
>> Finally, thoroughly wet all surfaces of the board with hydrogen
>> peroxide and allow to air dry thoroughly.
>>
>> It's possible that there may still be some traces of the stains, but
>> the mold will definitely be gone.
>>
>> Last of all, apply mineral oil generously, then place on a rack in a
>> 225 degree oven for half an hour. Repeat.
>>
>> --
>> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
>> ____________________________________________
>>
>
> I would not heat the board in the oven. Why bother? It may cause warping
> or splitting.

If it is a treasured or expensive board, I probably wouldn't either.
However, the OP was considering tossing it if it couldn't be
cleaned/treated, so I think there was little to lose. The OP also had a
very good and more expensive board in good condition. This was a "last
resort" treatment.

FWIW, when I used wooden cutting boards (I now use poly), I always put the
board in a very low oven to insure sealing in the oil coating. They never
warped.

> If it is a treasured or expensive board you might find a local
> woodworker with a power planer who can take 1/8 inch off to give you a
> nice new surface. Then treat with mineral oil as others have described.

That's a great idea!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

I think I'd stay away from the chlorine unless of course you think the
cutting board is harboring the plague, dengue fever, or something.
Juice a couple of lemons. Apply the juice to the wood, then sprinkle it
liberally with salt. Let it stand for a while, over-night even. Then
scrub the board with more lemon juice and salt. After the scrub, put it
in the sun for a few hours.

It's an old way of sanitizing but it works fine.

On Tue 23 Aug 2005 07:23:19a, Will wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> I think I'd stay away from the chlorine unless of course you think the
> cutting board is harboring the plague, dengue fever, or something.
> Juice a couple of lemons. Apply the juice to the wood, then sprinkle it
> liberally with salt. Let it stand for a while, over-night even. Then
> scrub the board with more lemon juice and salt. After the scrub, put it
> in the sun for a few hours.
>
> It's an old way of sanitizing but it works fine.
>
>

Oh, now you've done it. You'll be getting the lemon/salt police after you!
(Actually, I think that's also a very good way.}

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue 23 Aug 2005 07:23:19a, Will wrote in rec.food.equipment:
>
>> I think I'd stay away from the chlorine unless of course you think the
>> cutting board is harboring the plague, dengue fever, or something.
>> Juice a couple of lemons. Apply the juice to the wood, then sprinkle it
>> liberally with salt. Let it stand for a while, over-night even. Then
>> scrub the board with more lemon juice and salt. After the scrub, put it
>> in the sun for a few hours.
>>
>> It's an old way of sanitizing but it works fine.
>>
>>
>
> Oh, now you've done it. You'll be getting the lemon/salt police after
> you!
> (Actually, I think that's also a very good way.}
>
> --

There's the old "spray with gin" approach too. Makes the kitchen smell
great!


--
Peter Aitken

On Tue 23 Aug 2005 08:03:54a, Peter Aitken wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Tue 23 Aug 2005 07:23:19a, Will wrote in rec.food.equipment:
>>
>>> I think I'd stay away from the chlorine unless of course you think the
>>> cutting board is harboring the plague, dengue fever, or something.
>>> Juice a couple of lemons. Apply the juice to the wood, then sprinkle it
>>> liberally with salt. Let it stand for a while, over-night even. Then
>>> scrub the board with more lemon juice and salt. After the scrub, put it
>>> in the sun for a few hours.
>>>
>>> It's an old way of sanitizing but it works fine.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Oh, now you've done it. You'll be getting the lemon/salt police after
>> you! (Actually, I think that's also a very good way.}
>>
>> --
>
> There's the old "spray with gin" approach too. Makes the kitchen smell
> great!
>
>

I'd like that! I love the smell of gin/juniper berries.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

The scoungy board was quite cheap but as it's rarely been used I'd try to keep
it before tossing it.

I'll definately be getting the Mineral Oil as the 'new' board cost quite a few
pennies.

Should I buy a 2nd one & use for meat or just use the underside of the board
(the new one, that is)?

R


"Cape Cod Bob" > wrote in message
...
> Wood is porous. I would give up on the moldy piece, but if you want
> to try to salvage it, a swipe with very diluted bleach (1:100) would
> be the minimum I would go. Vinegar can be used but it's not as sure as bleach
to kill molds.
>
> As for your new board, wipe with Mineral Oil (available in drugstores
> as a laxative), rewipe any areas that become dry within a few minutes.
> Let set for 24 hours and wipe thoroughly. Cooking oils are not
> recommended as they can turn rancid. Mineral oil is recommended by
> all woodworking groups. Here is a situation that you should trust
> wood people rather than cooks. ;-) Reapply the mineral oil only when
> you see the board start to dry out.