Unfortunately, wooden boards become uneven and unsightly after some time. There is also constant debate about whether wooden boards are unhygienic or not. Here we have information and tips for wooden boards:
Smoothing a cutting board
If the board is uneven, sandpaper helps. First, roughen the board with coarse sandpaper and then finish with fine sandpaper. This makes it nice and smooth again.
Wooden board is completely warped
If the wooden board is very badly warped, you can straighten it again with this tip: place the board with the curve facing upwards over hot steam.
Another possibility is to soak the wooden board in clear water for an hour and then weigh it down on a flat surface with a large, water-filled pot or a telephone book. One night should be enough for the board to be reasonably straight again.
Cleaning cutting boards
Wooden breakfast boards are usually difficult to clean and therefore spread unpleasant odors. To get the wooden boards clean again, simply rub them with a Lemon. Then apply Toothpaste and let it soak in for a few minutes. Finally, rinse thoroughly; this not only removes dirt residues but also the unpleasant odor.
Discolored wooden boards
To combat discolored wooden boards, soak them in vinegar water overnight. Rinse with clear water the next day – the discoloration should no longer be as visible.
Fruit stains on wooden boards
For fruit stains, apply some table salt with oil to the residue and rub it in with a cotton ball.
Mold on wooden boards
Mold can be best treated with a solution of Vinegar and spirits .
Gravy stains on wooden boards
Rub ketchup or gravy stains with half a lemon and then treat with toothpaste. After a short exposure time, you can wash the board and the stains will be a thing of the past.
Care for wooden boards
So that the wooden boards do not smell unpleasant, you should rinse them with cold water before use. This prevents bad odors.
It is best to regularly sand down all cutting boards and always rinse them with boiling hot water and let them dry standing up – this way, deformations will not occur in the future. To ensure the wooden board does not crack so quickly and retains its shine, rub it with olive oil about once a month.
It is also advisable to replace them with new boards regularly.
Which material for kitchen boards?
Quite a few people think seriously about proper hygiene, and questions keep coming up: What is better? Plastic, wood, or perhaps glass or porcelain?
Glass or porcelain
Glass or porcelain seems to be the safest solution. The smooth, hard surface hardly allows for any scratches due to constant knife use. Consequently, no germs can form in these cutting boards. BUT: the hard material makes knives dull in a very short time. This variant is not really sensible in the long run.
Plastic boards
What about plastic boards? In various bright colors and shapes, these cutting boards seem to be ideal. However, most boards are made of Resopal – this variant is unhygienic, as the cuts in the plastic boards allow germs to enter and multiply there unhindered. Better: Use boards made of high-quality polyethylene (HDPE). Although notches also form here, this variant can be cleaned very hot and even mechanically, so that germs are killed as best as possible.
Extra tip: To avoid germs, these should be regularly scraped with a scraper. However, this method does not offer a guarantee, because bacteria survive even in the tiniest places.
Wooden boards
What about wooden boards? Of course, knives leave cut marks here where germs can settle. Nevertheless, wood has an unbeatable element that plastic boards lack: antibacterial agents in the wood. However, not all wood is the same. Preferred boards are made of hard, tannin-rich woods such as hornbeam, cherry, or maple. Scientists found that this antibacterial effect exists particularly in pine, spruce, maple, and beech. These types of wood possess an excellent germicidal effect, which has already been proven. However, the front-runner in the research was, undefeated, pine. The tannins contained in the wood – better known as tannic acids – act as antibacterials. If bacteria on wooden boards now come into contact with tannins, they are simply killed off. This effect remains for a considerably long period of time. With plastic boards, on the other hand, naturally grooves and cuts form over time due to knife use. Bacteria prefer to settle here. Fresh cuts on wooden boards, on the other hand, strengthen the antibacterial effect, because tannins are released again and again.
It is best to simply regularly sand down all cutting boards and always rinse them with boiling hot water. It is also advisable to replace them with new boards regularly.
Read also:Â Top 6 care tips for solid wood tables
Photo by Janine for meinhaushalt.at
