# Caring for a cutting board



## Michi (Jan 27, 2020)

I just stumbled across this. It seems like decent and pragmatic advice, but I'd be interested in @John Loftis take on it.


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## John Loftis (Apr 22, 2020)

Seems like good advice, overall. I don't see anything I disagree with. The one clarification I'd offer is about oiling-- when oiling an end grain butcher block, you REALLY pour it on. The little tablespoon they dribbled on the board might be fine for an edge grain board, but an equivalent end grain board could hold as much as 12 ounces of oil. 

David and I disagreed on this topic, by the way. He was always concerned about over-oiling, I think mostly because he was frugal. I am absolutely, 100% convinced there is no such thing as too much oil. Under-oiling is a rampant problem that can easily lead to warping and cracking, so I'd rather see folks load up their boards with oil than not.

Thanks much for sharing!


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## ian (Apr 22, 2020)

I bought a 1 gallon jug of mineral oil on Amazon now for under $20. I used to feel stingy with oil when I bought it specifically marketed for cutting boards (and at much higher prices), but no longer. 

(Haven’t actually opened the big jug yet, but I’m already less stingy getting through the last of my fancy oil.)


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## John Loftis (Apr 22, 2020)

ian said:


> I bought a 1 gallon jug of mineral oil on Amazon now for under $20. I used to feel stingy with oil when I bought it specifically marketed for cutting boards (and at much higher prices), but no longer.
> 
> (Haven’t actually opened the big jug yet, but I’m already less stingy getting through the last of my fancy oil.)
> [/
> just make sure you’re using food grade or pharmacy grade stuff. Often times the larger jugs will be a veterinarian grade (or worse, industrial grade) and there is a difference in quality/safety.


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## ian (Apr 22, 2020)

Yes, that's important! This is the one I got, fyi. Seems ok.


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## Cliff (Apr 23, 2020)

I use a ton of oil on my end grain board. I also make a board butter with a mix of mineral oil and beeswax in about a 3/1 ratio.


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## Michi (Apr 23, 2020)

I use mineral oil on my Tasmanian celery wood edge grain board every few weeks. It is stunning how much oil I can get into that thing. I pour the oil on at night and spread it around such that there is a clearly visible thick film of oil all over the board. By morning, all the oil has disappeared except for maybe one or two small patches where a bit of oil still forms a visible film on the surface.

Oiling seems to be worth the effort. The woodworker who made the board warned me that warping might be an issue over time because, with changing humidity (high in summer, low in winter), the wood works all the time, and the exposure to ingredients adds moisture to the top surface continuously. But, so far, I have zero warping.

Of course, I don't have a control board next to it, so I can't check what would have happened without oiling. But I suspect that the oil helps, and I'm certain that it doesn't do any harm. It seems that the oil I keep pouring on is going some place useful, at least


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## John Loftis (Apr 23, 2020)

Michi said:


> I use mineral oil on my Tasmanian celery wood edge grain board every few weeks. It is stunning how much oil I can get into that thing. I pour the oil on at night and spread it around such that there is a clearly visible thick film of oil all over the board. By morning, all the oil has disappeared except for maybe one or two small patches where a bit of oil still forms a visible film on the surface.
> 
> Oiling seems to be worth the effort. The woodworker who made the board warned me that warping might be an issue over time because, with changing humidity (high in summer, low in winter), the wood works all the time, and the exposure to ingredients adds moisture to the top surface continuously. But, so far, I have zero warping.
> 
> Of course, I don't have a control board next to it, so I can't check what would have happened without oiling. But I suspect that the oil helps, and I'm certain that it doesn't do any harm. It seems that the oil I keep pouring on is going some place useful, at least



You've got a good plan/system in place, I think.

One other thought that I read on the forums rather than coming up with myself-- dish-soap is made/marketed to remove oil ("Dawn--  , etc, etc). So logically, washing a butcher block with dish soap is going to.... remove (?) butcher block oil. (This is the moment where I wonder quietly and briefly what an oil-attacking dish soap actually does to the oil...then I lose interest and go back to chewing my cud.) The solution I've heard proposed is to use diluted vinegar to clean boards rather than dish soap. That plan also makes sense to me, and I suspect it would lessen the amount of oil needed for butcher block upkeep. I buy oil by the drum, so I'm not as worried about re-oiling my butcher blocks. But for others, a vinegar and water wipe-down might work well.


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## Cliff (Apr 23, 2020)

I seem to remember the woodworker recommended putting on a generous amount of oil, spreading it around and then buffing it a few hours later. That has been working for me. I do that when it looks a little thirsty, and then every once in awhile I put on the board butter. I tend not to use the wood board for the messiest jobs. Traditionally, people used vinegar or lemon and salt. At the end of the day, mineral oil is cheap.

ETA -- Just noticing that you made my board! It's been great. I love it.


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## ian (Apr 23, 2020)

Cliff said:


> ETA -- Just noticing that you made my board! It's been great. I love it.


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## banzai_burrito (Apr 23, 2020)

Good info in the vid. I just use whatever Walmart/target brand USP mineral oil they have. Should've seen the cashier's face when it was on sale and I bought a basket full


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## Ultrafiche (Apr 24, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> You've got a good plan/system in place, I think.
> 
> One other thought that I read on the forums rather than coming up with myself-- dish-soap is made/marketed to remove oil ("Dawn--  , etc, etc). So logically, washing a butcher block with dish soap is going to.... remove (?) butcher block oil. (This is the moment where I wonder quietly and briefly what an oil-attacking dish soap actually does to the oil...then I lose interest and go back to chewing my cud.) The solution I've heard proposed is to use diluted vinegar to clean boards rather than dish soap. That plan also makes sense to me, and I suspect it would lessen the amount of oil needed for butcher block upkeep. I buy oil by the drum, so I'm not as worried about re-oiling my butcher blocks. But for others, a vinegar and water wipe-down might work well.



John,

Do you think it's fine from a sanitary standpoint to leave a butcher block in situ and to clean it by spraying it down with a vinegar solution followed by a wipe down (vs. washing it down in the sink)?

I'd love to get a board from you guys, but can't fit the size I want into the sink!


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## John Loftis (Apr 25, 2020)

banzai_burrito said:


> Good info in the vid. I just use whatever Walmart/target brand USP mineral oil they have. Should've seen the cashier's face when it was on sale and I bought a basket full


The only difference with the pharmacy stuff is viscosity (and price). Ironically, the stuff sold in the pharmacy is much less expensive, but also much more viscous. So it won't penetrate the wood fibers quite as much, but still should work just fine.


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## John Loftis (Apr 25, 2020)

Ultrafiche said:


> John,
> 
> Do you think it's fine from a sanitary standpoint to leave a butcher block in situ and to clean it by spraying it down with a vinegar solution followed by a wipe down (vs. washing it down in the sink)?
> 
> I'd love to get a board from you guys, but can't fit the size I want into the sink!


I do. In our kitchen, our walnut butcher block is integral to the island itself, so there's no way to wash it in the sink. Washing it in place with soap and water or vinegar in water is just fine.


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## mobiledynamics (May 28, 2020)

Do boards dry out over time ? 2nd house in another state/summer retreat. While I keep my boards oiled well, always amazed that coming back 6-7 months later, with no -usage-, when I go to oil up the boards, they seem thirsty. Does mineral oil dissipate/evaporate, with with the -final coat- being a butter board mix as the last app, before -storage-


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## Nemo (May 29, 2020)

I clean the board with vineagar. Almost never with detergent.

If it needs to be sanitised I use either a quarternary ammonium sanitiser (benzalkonium in Au) 1% peroxide then rinse with water or vinegar.

I use pharmacy grade parrfin because it's cheap and the board uses a lot of it. Works well. Then wax with a teaspoon or two of board conditioner (just beeswax melted in parrafin), then wipe off.


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## Michi (May 29, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> Do boards dry out over time ? 2nd house in another state/summer retreat. While I keep my boards oiled well, always amazed that coming back 6-7 months later, with no -usage-, when I go to oil up the boards, they seem thirsty. Does mineral oil dissipate/evaporate, with with the -final coat- being a butter board mix as the last app, before -storage-


I think it's much the same as with wooden furniture: whether you put things on top of it or not, it needs to be oiled regularly, otherwise the wood dries out and becomes prone to cracking.


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## valdim (May 29, 2020)

For my end grain block I am using natural thick finishing oil with beeswax and carnauba, which contains real boiled linseed oil combined with natural waxes and carnauba wax. 
Last time I heated it up in water bath (not sure I use the right term...I hope so...) and then used the kitchen silicone brush to apply it on both sides of the board. The higher temp allows the wood sells to open and accumulate easier the ingredients.
I left it like this for 2 days and wiped out (the little) excessive oil.
Now the board can take moisture and/or smelly stuff without any problem and when I wash it I see the water drops rolling down as if they are on goose feathers.


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## spaceconvoy (May 29, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> David and I disagreed on this topic, by the way. He was always concerned about over-oiling, I think mostly because he was frugal. I am absolutely, 100% convinced there is no such thing as too much oil. Under-oiling is a rampant problem that can easily lead to warping and cracking, so I'd rather see folks load up their boards with oil than not.



I've heard that over-oiling can potentially loosen the bond between wood and glue, and cause the whole board to fall apart. I've only read that as a warning, never seen an example of it. Perhaps it was more of an issue in the past with lesser-quality glues.


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## John Loftis (May 29, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> Do boards dry out over time ? 2nd house in another state/summer retreat. While I keep my boards oiled well, always amazed that coming back 6-7 months later, with no -usage-, when I go to oil up the boards, they seem thirsty. Does mineral oil dissipate/evaporate, with with the -final coat- being a butter board mix as the last app, before -storage-



This is one of the greater mysteries in my (admittedly small) world. Maybe there's a chemist/scientist/spiritual guru out there who can explain this coherently because it's a head-scratcher to me. Yes, boards dry out if they are unused. I have no idea why. Mineral oil doesn't evaporate; it doesn't contain water (fact check 'oil doesn't evaporate,' please). But as Michi said, wood cutting boards need regular oiling, regardless of whether they are washed/used. Maybe the oil sinks deeper into the wood fibers. Maybe it is lapped up by pixies in the wee hours of the morning. All I know for sure is the boards need to be oiled.


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## John Loftis (May 29, 2020)

valdim said:


> For my end grain block I am using natural thick finishing oil with beeswax and carnauba, which contains real boiled linseed oil combined with natural waxes and carnauba wax.
> Last time I heated it up in water bath (not sure I use the right term...I hope so...) and then used the kitchen silicone brush to apply it on both sides of the board. The higher temp allows the wood sells to open and accumulate easier the ingredients.
> I left it like this for 2 days and wiped out (the little) excessive oil.
> Now the board can take moisture and/or smelly stuff without any problem and when I wash it I see the water drops rolling down as if they are on goose feathers.



I need to research carnuba wax a bit more. I know of another person or two who are adding a touch of carnuba to their beeswax/mineral oil combo. I don't know anything about it, however. I think it has a significant (positive) impact on repelling moisture, but I'm less confident about food safety/taste/etc. I'm fairly sure that BLO is poisonous. You don't want to eat that.


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## esoo (May 29, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> I need to research carnuba wax a bit more. I know of another person or two who are adding a touch of carnuba to their beeswax/mineral oil combo. I don't know anything about it, however. I think it has a significant (positive) impact on repelling moisture, but I'm less confident about food safety/taste/etc. I'm fairly sure that BLO is poisonous. You don't want to eat that.



Carnuba wax is used to make hard candies shiny - for example Canadian Smarties list it as a food ingredient.

Like everything I suspect it is about concentration.


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## valdim (May 29, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> I need to research carnuba wax a bit more. I know of another person or two who are adding a touch of carnuba to their beeswax/mineral oil combo. I don't know anything about it, however. I think it has a significant (positive) impact on repelling moisture, but I'm less confident about food safety/taste/etc. I'm fairly sure that BLO is poisonous. You don't want to eat that.


As always the devil is in the details...The BLO in my case is really boiled pure l. oil, not oil with drying agent added, which allows somebody to sell as BLO. It is the drying agent which makes the end product not suitable for 4-food-involved applications.


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## mobiledynamics (May 29, 2020)

OT John. Mind if I pick your brain since u happen to be in the millwork/cabinetry world of things.

What chemical cleaner is safe to use on kitchen cabinets for grease ? Aka, atomized grease - slight buildup on the cabinets closest to the hood on left and right ?

We have cherry cabinets in a -low sheen finish-. No clue what the finish coat is. I have used -Krud Kutter- sparingly as I don't want to induce -sheen- onto the satin finish we have on the cabinets. KK works, although it's not knocking the heavier buildup.


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## John Loftis (May 29, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> OT John. Mind if I pick your brain since u happen to be in the millwork/cabinetry world of things.
> 
> What chemical cleaner is safe to use on kitchen cabinets for grease ? Aka, atomized grease - slight buildup on the cabinets closest to the hood on left and right ?
> 
> We have cherry cabinets in a -low sheen finish-. No clue what the finish coat is. I have used -Krud Kutter- sparingly as I don't want to induce -sheen- onto the satin finish we have on the cabinets. KK works, although it's not knocking the heavier buildup.



If they are custom cabinets (high end) or well-made factory cabinets, then they were likely sprayed with conversion varnish or (at worst) pre-catalyzed lacquer. Both of those are fairly durable; my finish salesman has often bragged that conversion varnish is impervious even to nail polish remover (I haven't tested that). So I suspect most cleaners that don't have abrading agents (eg pumice) would be ok. Have you tried Simple Green? That's gentle, organic, and effective for most stuff.


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## John Loftis (May 29, 2020)

esoo said:


> Carnuba wax is used to make hard candies shiny - for example Canadian Smarties list it as a food ingredient.
> 
> Like everything I suspect it is about concentration.


I just ordered a pound of it and will play around with adding it to some board butter to see what happens.


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## mobiledynamics (May 29, 2020)

Krud Kutter says you can even eat -their product- or digest or something to that effect. I suppose it's some high Alakine based cleaner, as it does -melt- atomized grease off the hood grills quite easily by just a swipe of the product. I'm just super -careful- with the millwork as the last thing I want to do is change the sheen on it....and actually make the spot shiner, or even worse, eat the finish on it.

Car detailing nerd here.....have not used Simple Green in ages. Mainly I think more from a past experiece, I've seen SG etch a set of aluminum wheels. It's pretty strong stuff ....and yes, I have not sat down and put my thinking cap on as I posted this.

fwiw, murphy's oil, which I know if a big NONO to use on wood floors, also works great as a spot treatment to dissolve said atomize oil on the wood cabinets. I also do test spots though just to see what would happen if the said -cleaner product- did not work as expetected


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## Michi (May 30, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> Mineral oil doesn't evaporate; it doesn't contain water (fact check 'oil doesn't evaporate,' please).


Oil does evaporate, but only very slowly. (Oil has a smell, meaning that some volatiles are leaving it, otherwise there would be nothing to smell.) But, considering how much oil I manage to soak into my board every few weeks, I'm not at all sure that the oil disappears due to evaporation. Oil also oxidises but, again, only very slowly. So, I'm at a loss, too, as to why/how wood dries out.

I guess one way to find out would be to have a piece of test wood, weigh it, oil it, weigh it again to see how much oil it absorbed initially, and then leave it lying around for a few weeks, weighing it periodically. (You would have to use fairly precise scales.) Then see by how much the weight goes down, and by how much it goes up again after re-oiling.


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## Nemo (May 30, 2020)

Michi said:


> I guess one way to find out would be to have a piece of test wood, weigh it, oil it, weigh it again to see how much oil it absorbed initially, and then leave it lying around for a few weeks, weighing it periodically. (You would have to use fairly precise scales.) Then see by how much the weight goes down, and by how much it goes up again after re-oiling.



Looks like you've found yourself a lockdown project


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## Michi (May 30, 2020)

Nemo said:


> Looks like you've found yourself a lockdown project


Nope. I have plenty of mineral oil left, so I'll just keep pouring that on every few weeks. I'm a curious and scientifically-minded person, but not _that_ curious!


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## Michi (Jun 2, 2020)

John Loftis said:


> This is the moment where I wonder quietly and briefly what an oil-attacking dish soap actually does to the oil...


Soap emulsifies the oil and keeps it floating in the water in very small droplets.

Oil is hydrophobic because it doesn't have any charged portions on its molecules. In contrast, each water molecule has a positively and negatively charged side; the differently-charged ends of the water molecules attach themselves to other molecules that also have a charge and, in the case of salts, even wedge themselves into the crystals to separate the salt into ions.

Water is such a good and universal solvent (other than for fats and oils) because many substances also have an unevenly-distributed electric charge on their molecules. The water molecules attach themselves with their positive side to the negative side of what they dissolve (or vice versa), and then the water molecules attach to each other by linking up opposite charges. The net effect is that the substance ends up in solution because individual molecules are "carried" by the water molecules.

Soap molecules have no charge at one end, but do have a charge at the other end. The uncharged ends align with the oil, and the charged ends align with water molecules. You can think of soap molecules almost as a bridge that likes to stick to fatty things at one end, and to watery things at the other end.



Soap - how does it get things clean?


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## LostHighway (Jun 2, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> Krud Kutter says you can even eat -their product- or digest or something to that effect. I suppose it's some high Alakine based cleaner, as it does -melt- atomized grease off the hood grills quite easily by just a swipe of the product. I'm just super -careful- with the millwork as the last thing I want to do is change the sheen on it....and actually make the spot shiner, or even worse, eat the finish on it.
> 
> Car detailing nerd here.....have not used Simple Green in ages. Mainly I think more from a past experiece, I've seen SG etch a set of aluminum wheels. It's pretty strong stuff ....and yes, I have not sat down and put my thinking cap on as I posted this.
> 
> fwiw, murphy's oil, which I know if a big NONO to use on wood floors, also works great as a spot treatment to dissolve said atomize oil on the wood cabinets. I also do test spots though just to see what would happen if the said -cleaner product- did not work as expetected



I share your wariness with regard to Simple Green. It is definitely corrosive to aluminum.

I use Optimum Power Clean around the house on occasion at the 3:1 or lower dilution. I don't know how your cabinet finish would react but you might try it on a small unobtrusive spot. The SDS is here. IME it is the least nasty of the general purpose cleaners for automotive use.

When I want a household surface cleaner that is extremely benign I usually use Purity Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner. Insufficiently aggressive is more likely to be the issue here but it has been safe on every surface I've tried it on and it seems to be at least a little more effective than competing products from Method, Seventh Generation, etc.

To get back on topic for cleaning cutting boards I just use vinegar and water or dish soap and water, followed in either case buy a just water rinse. If for some reason I felt the need to try something else for cleaning/disinfecting I might give 3% (or less) hydrogen peroxide a thought but I'm not sure how it might react with type 2 or 3 wood glue.


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## Blerghle (Jun 11, 2020)

This is quite a useful thread. I picked up a larger volume of mineral oil - I hadn't given it much thought before and wasn't using nearly enough. Board's already looking/feeling better. Thanks.


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## mobiledynamics (Jun 15, 2020)

Off topic or on, but is -all food safe mineral oil- the same ? Seeing prices for gallon jugs at ------different pricepoints---


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## Slim278 (Jun 15, 2020)

I get my mineral oil from Dollar General. It is $2 for 16oz in the medical isle. It is 99.9% mineral oil for a lubricating laxative. Works great on my board. I, however, have not tried to make a greasy turd with it.


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## M1k3 (Jun 15, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> Off topic or on, but is -all food safe mineral oil- the same ? Seeing prices for gallon jugs at ------different pricepoints---


There's food and medical grade. You want those. If not labeled those, it's not "clean".


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## mobiledynamics (Jun 15, 2020)

I have just purchased medical grade @ Walgreens....went to grab a bottle this week and it was $$ for 16 oz. So I look online, and $19 gets you a whole gallon of this stuff...it's labeled NSF certified, etc...


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## Bear (Jun 15, 2020)

Walmart $1.98 for 16oz, medical grade.


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## JakeLoveshighCarbon (Jun 16, 2020)

It's hard to say what a board needs. I think it depends on how it was made and how consistent your humidity is. My grandmother never oiled her board over 50 years and regularly washed it in the sink without a crack, and yet sometimes your new boos block will crack within months. I think sometimes they dont dry the wood enough, use young wood planed only once, or dont use an appropriate amount of quality glue then blame the owner for improper care. 

I do a handful of boos block conditioner every couple months and clean with light soapy water. I think people can be obsessive about their boards, but it is better safe than sorry I suppose. Just dont soak it in water.

As far as the oil disappearing, that is a curiosity that I've wondered about. The wax seems to go with the soap and food. I bet some oil gets broken down, some gets sucked into the block, some into the food, and some goes to the angels like fine Irish whiskey.


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## Ceriano (Apr 1, 2021)

Michi said:


> I just stumbled across this. It seems like decent and pragmatic advice, but I'd be interested in @John Loftis take on it.



So how do clean larger boards that don’t fit in the sink? I’m thinking to order a 24x18 board but there is no way I can fit that in the sink.


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## Cliff (Apr 1, 2021)

Lemon juice and salt is traditional


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## Ceriano (Apr 1, 2021)

Cliff said:


> Lemon juice and salt is traditional


Don’t need to rinse it afterwards?


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## Bodine (Apr 1, 2021)

No , just wipe it off with a wet cloth or paper towel.
Be sure to oil all sides and edges until it will take no more..


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## Cliff (Apr 1, 2021)

Yes, I think it is always important to keep wood well oiled, and especially if it gets hit with moisture, acidity, and salt.


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## John Loftis (Apr 1, 2021)

Ceriano said:


> So how do clean larger boards that don’t fit in the sink? I’m thinking to order a 24x18 board but there is no way I can fit that in the sink.



Or a spray bottle with 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water. More and more of my customers seem to be doing this.


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## Chef Doom (Apr 9, 2021)

As someone who has eaten raw steak before, I find their excessive sanitizing pointless.


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## Chef Doom (Apr 10, 2021)

JakeLoveshighCarbon said:


> It's hard to say what a board needs. I think it depends on how it was made and how consistent your humidity is. My grandmother never oiled her board over 50 years and regularly washed it in the sink without a crack, and yet sometimes your new boos block will crack within months. I think sometimes they dont dry the wood enough, use young wood planed only once, or dont use an appropriate amount of quality glue then blame the owner for improper care.
> 
> I do a handful of boos block conditioner every couple months and clean with light soapy water. I think people can be obsessive about their boards, but it is better safe than sorry I suppose. Just dont soak it in water.
> 
> As far as the oil disappearing, that is a curiosity that I've wondered about. The wax seems to go with the soap and food. I bet some oil gets broken down, some gets sucked into the block, some into the food, and some goes to the angels like fine Irish whiskey.


I suspect the reason is that older generations were not obsessed with having different boards for meat and vegetables. So when you regularly carve, chop or slice fattening meats be it raw or cooked the board will get some oil with daily meal prep. Especially when you carve roasts. That warm meat juice is also mixed with fat.


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## WildBoar (Apr 10, 2021)

Chef Doom said:


> That warm meat juice is also mixed with fat.


This should be the definition of Heaven.


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## John Loftis (Apr 11, 2021)

mobiledynamics said:


> Off topic or on, but is -all food safe mineral oil- the same ? Seeing prices for gallon jugs at ------different pricepoints---



According to one of the two main wholesale distributors of mineral oil, there are only two manufacturers of mineral oil in the U.S. Lots of different companies market the same product, branding it as their own. That's one of the reasons I haven't sold cutting board oil... it would be just like everyone else's. However, there are there are the key differences in mineral oils that you should be aware of:

1) grade: medical/food grade vs veterinary grade vs industrial/non-food grade. If you buy oil at Tractor Supply or some of the stuff on Amazon, it can be veterinary grade. A lot of cutting board makers use it, but it is NOT the same as food/medical grade oil. It is a different product and is not certified for human consumption. I got this from the distributor, and I believe them. The stuff in a pharmacy, and most stuff sold as 'cutting board oil' will be food/medical grade, and that's what you want. 

2) viscosity: the stuff in the pharmacy sold as a laxative is MUCH more viscous than what is typically sold as cutting board oil. The thinner stuff generally penetrates wood fibers better, but costs more. The pints you buy at the pharmacy work just fine, you just have to be much more patient about letting the oil soak in and then re-applying.

I generally steer customers towards Howards Cutting Board Oil (no affiliation at all), simply because it's a relatively good price point per ounce on Amazon for the 'good stuff.'


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## mobiledynamics (May 31, 2021)

Anyone know what happen to mineral oil when u reach the melting point.
Been tinkering with 900F stone temps - pizza.....
Just oiled up this paddle I made.


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## Slim278 (May 31, 2021)

It is past its melting point at room temp or it would be solid. It is a distillate of petroleum, a by-product of making gasoline and will catch fire, if that is what you are asking.


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## coxhaus (May 31, 2021)

I just buy mineral oil at Walmart. It is people grade and cheap.

I use it for my knife handles as well as cutting boards.


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## branwell (Jun 1, 2021)

You all are doing this wrong. Get one of those hard bamboo boards. You don't need to oil it often and as a side benefit, you will get to use all those super nice sharpening stones you have stashed away a lot more often. Win, win.


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## John Loftis (Jun 4, 2021)

branwell said:


> You all are doing this wrong. Get one of those hard bamboo boards. You don't need to oil it often and as a side benefit, you will get to use all those super nice sharpening stones you have stashed away a lot more often. Win, win.


Plus formaldehyde tastes delicious!


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## mobiledynamics (Jun 14, 2021)

Moisture, uneven drying, expansion, contraction - it's all on my wiki in the realm of cutting boards.

I by far am not a woodworker. Ha, maybe call me a weekend warrior woodworker.
I had some leftover 1/2" thick walnut so I routed out a 14" round to be a beater pizza cutting board.
Just routed it, sanded, and mineral oil it.

After 1st used, it did get a wash.....and wiped dry. It was sitting on a sheet pan cooling rack as it dried.
Got a good split right on the board the entire length just from drying. So whaddya say. Begginers luck or it needed -more oil- ?

The split ran the whole length of the board but not the depth. About 3/16" deep into the board.


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## John Loftis (Jun 15, 2021)

mobiledynamics said:


> Moisture, uneven drying, expansion, contraction - it's all on my wiki in the realm of cutting boards.
> 
> I by far am not a woodworker. Ha, maybe call me a weekend warrior woodworker.
> I had some leftover 1/2" thick walnut so I routed out a 14" round to be a beater pizza cutting board.
> ...


Could be any of those things. I never make things that thin; thicker woods tend to resist warping and cracking better than thin woods. Wood 'wants' equilibrium-- even exposure to heat, moisture, oiling, etc. So if one side of your pizza board got hit harder than the other, that can induce warping/splitting. Out of curiosity, did your cutting board get exposed to 900 degree heat? I wonder how long it would take for a cutting board to catch on fire in that kind of heat...


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## Slim278 (Jun 15, 2021)

Maybe try gluing a few of those thin boards together in alternating grain directions. Then you would essentially have a thick plywood board.


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## mobiledynamics (Jun 16, 2021)

For discussion sake, re: thin/thickness of wood, for sure when it comes to endgrain, thicker is better, just due to the short (vertical grains).

Does the same theory/principal apply when we speak of edgegrain.

I've been tinkering between the wood and aluminum peel. I -launch- better with the wood and while the leading edge has seen some 800+ temps when it touches the stone, and has scorched...but not instant fires yet


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## NotAddictedYet (Sep 8, 2021)

John Loftis said:


> Or a spray bottle with 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water. More and more of my customers seem to be doing this.



Hi John, what percentage is the white vinegar that you used here? Thanks


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