How To Repair a Split in a Bamboo Cutting Board

Bamboo cutting boards with minor damage such as splits can be repaired.

Bamboo cutting boards are popular alternatives to traditional wooden varieties. Bamboo is a "green" product. It grows faster than hardwood trees and is less expensive to cultivate. Like wooden boards, bamboo blocks must be carefully maintained to avoid damage. The kitchen can be potentially hostile to both wood and bamboo. The heat of appliances can dry out inherent moisture, causing shrinking. Standing water on a board's surface from faucets or wet foods can make a board swell. These changes may result in defects such as cracking and splitting. Before you throw away your board, learn how to correct the damage.

Things You'll Need

• Wood filler
• Sponge or small putty knife
• Sandpaper (80-grit, 120-grit, and 240-grit textures)
• 1-2 tbsp. food-grade mineral oil (may substitute raw tung oil)
• Soft cloth(s)
• 100 percent pure beeswax

Instructions

1. Apply wood filler with a sponge to the gaps created by the splitting of the board. Permit the wood filler to dry as long as the packaging recommends.

2. Sand the filled-in areas with 80-grit sandpaper to level the surface of the board. Smooth the surface further with 120-grit sandpaper to eliminate rough areas. Finally, use 240-grit sandpaper if more smoothing is desired.

3. Pour food-grade mineral oil onto the bamboo cutting board and rub the oil in with a soft cloth. Make sure that the cloth doesn't "catch" on any rough areas that weren't properly sanded in the previous step. Sand these areas if you find them, and continue oiling the board for at least two coats.

4. Rub a piece of pure, solid beeswax over the entire surface of the board to complete the repair. Apply a thin, even layer. This will help to make the cutting board waterproof, discouraging swelling and any resulting splits and cracks.

Tips & Warnings

• It is best if all split areas are addressed at the same time.

• Oil your bamboo cutting board once a month, then apply a layer of beeswax to maintain the correct internal moisture levels in the board, and to repel standing water or humidity.

• Monitor your board's condition more closely during the extreme temperature fluctuations of the winter and summer months. Air conditioning and heating systems can negatively impact its surface, causing expansion and contracting. This stress may trigger warping and/or cracking.

• Never submerge your board in water or place it in a dishwasher.

References

• Ayais: Butcher Block Care & Maintenance-- Problems and How to Deal with Them
• Easy Salad Recipes: Cutting Board Care

Resources

• American Standard: Bamboo Cutting Board-- Use And Care Instructions