How to clean a chopping board?

How often do you wipe a chopping board dry after work? Not always, but in vain. That is why black mold spots form on it. Getting rid of them is not so simple. Boards are made from a variety of materials, but the most popular are wood and plastic. Does everyone know how to clean a chopping board? We’ll talk about this so that you don’t have any doubts about whether you are doing everything right or if you missed something.

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Features of wood and plastic

Of course, these materials have been at the peak of popularity for more than a dozen years, but they have both positive and negative sides.

Wood

The positive properties of this material are:

• Strength;
• Environmental friendliness;
• Low cost;
• Convenience in operation.

Important! The disadvantages can be called obvious, they are presented:

• Rapid wear and pollution;
• The ability to absorb material from vegetable and fruit juice.

Plastic

This material is distinguished by the following advantages:

• Ease;
• Strength;
• The rapid disappearance of odors;
• Color variety.

Important! Cons are presented:

• Lack of environmental friendliness;
• Often a slippery surface;
• Lack of antibacterial coating.

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We clean a wooden board

The most common cleaning method is washing the board in hot water with a dishwashing detergent.

Important! A cutting board made of wood cannot be soaked in water, since after drying wood will crack, and then bacteria will grow.

Classic mistake

It seems that there is nothing complicated in washing the board, but many housewives make a common mistake: they use a kitchen towel to wipe the washed cutting board. Thus, the transfer of bacteria and microbes occurs. This bad habit must be discarded. After the board is washed, it is rinsed and placed vertically so that it dries.

Important! Do not wipe the board with a sponge or a kitchen towel. If you need it immediately dry, use a paper towel to wipe it.

Disinfection - The Best Ways

In order to disinfect a wooden cutting board, you can use baking soda:

1. Baking soda (1 tsp) is dissolved in hot water (500 ml).
2. This mixture is used to wet the surface.
3. Ten minutes later, the board is washed and set to dry.

Important! Soda can be replaced with hydrogen peroxide, which is used in an amount of two teaspoons.

To disinfect, clean and remove unpleasant odors, you can use half a lemon:

1. The board is rubbed with a lemon.
2. After ten minutes, it is washed and dried.

Important! White table vinegar, which can remove salmonella, E. coli and staphylococcus, has the same antibacterial effect.

To clean a cutting board from a tree, several methods can be combined. For example, the use of lemon and salt:

1. Rub the cutting board with half a lemon.
2. Pour salt on top.
3. After a quarter of an hour, wipe the surface with salt again with a lemon. In this case, you need to make little effort, to press.
4. Rinse the board with water, dry.

Important! If scratches or cracks appear on a wooden board, you must not use it.

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We clean a plastic board

Many housewives have long preferred plastic cutting boards.The main reason for this is the inexpensive price and high-quality manufacturing. But after some time, the inventory will begin to absorb odors and become covered with unsightly spots. So how to clean a chopping plastic board? It is important to understand that such a procedure certainly benefits your health. Consider a few recipes.

Method 1:

1. We collect water in a container.
2. Add bleach to a tablespoon per liter of liquid.
3. The board sinks into the solution for a quarter of an hour.
4. Rinse the surface thoroughly.

Method 2:

1. Mixed soda, citric acid and water.
2. The resulting paste is applied to the surface.
3. After half an hour, the board is washed with a mixture of hot water and a soap solution.

Important! This eliminates stains of natural origin and unpleasant odors.

Method 3

Suitable for removing stains from carrots:

1. Vegetable oil is used to wipe the board.
2. The surface is washed thoroughly with detergent.

Important! It is necessary not only to know how to wash the cutting board plastic, but also how to remove odors from its surface. In this case, table vinegar is used for processing. Thanks to it, an acidic environment is created and microbes are destroyed.

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Helpful hints:

• For all products, it is better to have a separate board. Disinfection is required, after which the equipment is thoroughly washed and dried.
• For cleaning, it is better to use one tool, and it is better to opt for the least toxic. How to clean the cutting plastic board from black? It is better to use not aggressive chemicals, but a mixture of water and vinegar. Such a composition will help to cope with mold, bacteria and even viruses.
• In the kitchen, you should have a spray bottle with a mixture of water (2 tbsp.) And tea tree essential oil (2 tsp). It will help destroy mold.

Important! In order for the essential oil to dissolve better, a small amount of alcohol or vodka can be poured into the container. In addition, oil can be dripped onto salt, and then dissolved in water.

• In order to prevent fungal damage, a mixture of five percent vinegar (⅓ capacity) and water (⅔ capacity) is prepared. Using a spray bottle, not only boards are periodically processed with such a mixture. It can be used to disinfect tables, sponges and other kitchen utensils. Such a solution does not need to be washed off immediately. It can even be left to dry on the surface, while the characteristic vinegar smell will not be heard after a few hours.

Important! Utensils and plumbing thanks to this tool will be cleaned of mineral deposits, powdery mildew, soap traces, wax or grease.

• To prepare a homemade antibacterial spray, you can use lavender or thyme oil. It can be used to process not only chopping boards, but also switches, door handles, etc.
• Do not use cleaning powders. They manage to cope well with various odors and impurities, but their particles often remain on the surface and then end up in food.

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Stock footage

Clean cutting boards are kitchen hygiene, because they are used for the cooking process. If used unhygienically, harmful bacteria, such as E. coli or Salmonella, can be found in food. But this is easily avoided if timely cleaning and disinfection of all kitchen utensils is arranged.