If your butcher block is emitting an odor, wipe down its surface with warm water and liquid dish soap to remove food residue. Once it is dry, sprinkle baking soda on the block's surface and let it sit for 15 minutes.
If your cutting board has some lingering odors, spray in down with white vinegar. Keep a spray bottle filled with white vinegar and use it regularly on your wood board. The vinegar will neutralize odors while working as a natural disinfectant. Alternatively, you can also use a lemon to eliminate odors.
Scrape off any caked-on dirt and wipe away crumbs. Next, add a few drops of dish soap to a wet sponge, and give the butcher block a good scrub. Scrubbing along the grain of the wood will make the countertops cleaner. Rinse the sponge, and wipe the counter down with the rinsed sponge.
Combine 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water. Put the solution in a spray bottle, spray it onto the wood, then wipe the spray over the surface with a cloth. Wipe the area with a damp cloth that has only water on it to rinse. Pat the wood dry afterward.
For Everyday Cleaning
Wipe down your butcher block table with warm water and liquid dish soap after each use. Be sure to avoid soaking the wood as it will soak in the water. You don't need a whole lot of soap either, just a dab should do.
Bleach: Bleach should be used as a last resort as it may discolor the wood and the smell may linger for days. If you must use bleach, create a solution using equal parts bleach and water and apply to your butcher block using a damp sponge or rag.
Disinfecting. To disinfect your Traditions butcher block after cleaning use Lysol® or Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. These wipes are available at Lowe's, and report to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria when used as directed.
Because vinegar is acidic, it helps disinfect the board by killing bacteria and mold and preventing their further growth. It can also help deodorize your board. Spray the board with a solution of 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar and wipe it down with a washcloth or sponge.
After cutting raw meat, poultry or seafood on your cutting board, clean thoroughly with hot soapy water, then disinfect with chlorine bleach or other sanitizing solution and rinse with clean water.
The porous surface of a wood cutting board—whether the board itself is made from maple, walnut, cherry, beech, teak, or bamboo—can all too easily soak up juices and absorb odors from meats, alliums, and fish.
If you have an old, stained, or slightly damaged butcher block kitchen countertop, you can refinish it to make it like new again. The only tools required are sandpaper and mineral oil (a palm sander is optional). Here are some tips and tricks to refinish the butcher block countertop in your home.
While butcher block countertops do require routine maintenance, resealing the surface is only required after every 6-12 months depending on the level of use. The same goes for natural stone countertops, which must be resealed over time to maintain the original quality and look.
Follow these steps to easily waterproof your butcher block countertops with Polyurethane: Sand the counters until they're completely clean. Vacuum any dirt off the surface and apply a natural stain. Apply a thick coat of Polyurethane, a liquid coating that dries into a plastic.
Varnished butcher block countertops can be cleaned with Murphy's Oil Soap or with white vinegar and water (1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water). White vinegar is a good antibacterial cleaning agent.
Sprinkle the salt liberally over the board, then slice a lemon in half and use it to rub the salt into the board. The salt acts as an abrasive to lift stains and the lemon juice leaves everything smelling great.
Baking soda can remove stains by drawing the stain out of the wood. Work the baking soda into the block, let stand for a few minutes and clean off. If these natural ways cannot remove the stuck on stain, you can sand the stain away with coarse papers from 80-220.
Because wood is porous, butcher block countertops can hold onto a lot more germs than other surfaces—though countertops are always dirtier than we'd like to admit. To combat dirt, grime and germs, make sure you clean the counter after every use with mild soap and water or vinegar (psst…
Scrub the countertop: Take a scrub brush or sponge and scrub the countertop with hot water and mild dish soap. Rinse with hot water: Run a clean dish cloth through hot water and rinse the countertop well. Sanitize with vinegar: Spray undiluted white vinegar onto the countertop, and let sit for a few minutes.
Using. Avoid cutting raw meat or poultry directly on a butcher block or wooden cutting board. Instead, place a plastic cutting board on the wooden surface and use the plastic board as the cutting surface. This will protect the wood and prevent it from becoming contaminated.
Food Grade Mineral Oil: This is the top choice for butcher blocks, and it's the primary ingredient in commercial sealing products. Look for food grade mineral oil in your local pharmacy – it's also sold as a laxative – and it'll be much cheaper in the pharmacy than in the hardware store.
Olive oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil, should never be used to maintain a cutting board or butcher block. As touched on above, these oils experience rancidification – a process that yields a rank smell and unpleasant taste. As a cutting board touches your food, substances that can turn rancid should be avoided.
You should not use any type of cooking oil on your board, such as olive oil, vegetable oil, or regular coconut oil, because they will go rancid. Also keep in mind that excess moisture is bad for wood.
It is important to finish and install unfinished butcher blocks and wide plank tops within one week after receiving to prevent any warping, bowing, or cracking. In drier climates, you should begin finishing immediately after receiving your butcher block or wide plank top.