While it is important to keep your cutting board and all kitchen tools clean, you'll likely only find mold on wooden or plastic cutting boards and on butcher blocks. Glass cutting boards are generally free of this problem because they are not porous and are much harder to scratch with during use. You can try removing mold and other stains with lemon and salt, but you may need to resort to bleach to remove tough mold. Once your cutting boards are free of mold, you can use one of several tricks to keep them that way.
Removing Mold
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Natural Cleanser
Because cutting boards come in direct contact with food, you may want to try a natural cleanser first. If your cutting board is moldy, sprinkle a coarse salt, such as sea salt, generously over the board. Cut a fresh lemon in half and use it to work the salt into the surface of the cutting board. The salt will lift tough stains and minor mold out of any cracks, grooves and cuts in the cutting board, and the lemon will leave it smelling fresh.
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Bleach It Clean
Though it may not be the first chemical you reach for when cleaning your kitchen, bleach is a safe disinfectant to use around food when used properly. Plus, it's an excellent mold killer. Bleach will keep any kind of cutting boards clean and free of bacteria -- whether it's wood, plastic or glass. For cutting board cleaning and mold removal, mix 1 teaspoon of bleach into 2 quarts of water. Dip a scrub brush into the mixture and scrub the cutting board with it, moving the brush in small circles to work the solution into all the nooks and crannies. When cleaning a wooden board or butcher block with bleach and water, use the mixture sparingly to avoid saturating the board. If the mold is resistant, try a more potent solution of 50/50 bleach and water,
but do not make the mixture any stronger.
Preventing Mold
Proper Washing Techniques
Though glass and plastic cutting boards can be washed in the dishwasher, keep wooden cutting boards out of this appliance. Always wash wooden boards by hand and dry them with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible when finished. Allow the board to air dry the rest of the way before putting it away, standing it upright in the dish drainer to allow air to reach all sides of the board. Once a week, clean your cutting boards with white vinegar. Apply vinegar to the board with a sponge or paper towel and let it set for 10 minutes before rinsing.
Apply Some Oil
Wooden cutting boards and butcher blocks stay much cleaner and mold-free when they are given a regular coating of oil. Once a month, soak a cloth with food-grade mineral oil and rub the oil into the cutting board, rubbing with the wood grain. Apply the oil liberally and allow it to soak into the wood for five to six hours before wiping off the excess with a clean towel.
Avoid Meat
To help keep wooden and scratched plastic cutting boards clean, avoid cutting raw meat on them. The juices from the meat will soak into wood grain and seams on wooden cutting boards and into scratches on plastic ones, taking bacteria with them. Glass cutting boards are much better suited to cutting raw meat.