How to Clean a Cutting Board and Disinfect It the Right Way

Here's how to clean a cutting board, in short: scrape off any food, wash both sides with hot, soapy water and a brush right after use, rinse, and let the board dry standing on its edge. After raw meat, poultry or fish, add a disinfecting step: a diluted bleach solution or 3% hydrogen peroxide works on wood, bamboo and plastic. Plastic boards can also go through a hot dishwasher cycle if they're labeled dishwasher-safe. Wooden and bamboo boards should never go in the dishwasher or soak in water.

A clean board protects your food, but it also protects your knives: a well-kept surface stays flat, smooth and gentle on the edge. Below you'll find the everyday routine, the right way to disinfect, what to do about stains and smells, and how to tell when a board is ready to retire.

How to clean a cutting board after every use

This routine takes about a minute and works for every board material:

1. Scrape it off. Push scraps into the bin with a bench scraper or the spine of your knife. Never use the edge; scraping sideways is one of the fastest ways to dull a sharp knife.
2. Wash both sides. Use hot water, a few drops of dish soap and a brush or the rough side of a sponge. A brush gets into knife marks better than a cloth. Wash the underside too, because liquid runs off the edges.
3. Rinse well. Hot running water carries away soap and loosened residue.
4. Dry it upright. Wipe off excess water with a clean towel, then stand the board on its edge or in a rack so air reaches both faces. A wooden board left flat on a wet counter dries unevenly and can warp.

Do it right away. Food that dries on the surface takes much longer to remove, and a board left in the sink stays damp for hours, which is exactly what bacteria and mold like.

How to disinfect cutting boards

Washing removes food and most germs. Disinfecting goes a step further, and it's worth doing:

• after cutting raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood;
• when a board has sat dirty for a while;
• every week or so on boards you use daily, even for vegetables only.

Always wash first and disinfect second. Disinfectants work poorly on a surface still covered with grease and food.

Disinfecting with bleach, step by step

1. Wash and rinse the board as usual.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water. This is the ratio U.S. food safety guidance gives for cutting boards.
3. Flood the surface so it stays wet, and let it stand for several minutes.
4. Rinse with clean water, then let it air dry or pat it dry with paper towels.
5. For wooden boards: once dry, rub in a little food-safe oil, because bleach dries out the wood.

How to clean a wooden cutting board

Wood is kind to your knives and naturally pleasant to work on, but it hates standing water. Follow the everyday routine above, and keep these rules in mind:

• No soaking and no dishwasher. Wood swells when it gets soaked and shrinks as it dries, which leads to cracks, warping and open glue joints.
• Dry it on its edge, never flat and never next to the stove or on a radiator.
• Disinfect gently. Diluted bleach or hydrogen peroxide is fine, as long as you rinse and dry the board afterward.
• Oil it now and then. When the surface looks pale and dry or water no longer beads, rub in a thin coat of food-grade mineral oil and let it soak in overnight. A well-oiled board absorbs less liquid and is easier to clean.

Bamboo boards get the same treatment. Bamboo is hard and made of glued strips, so soaking and the dishwasher are just as risky as with solid wood.

Stains, smells and a fuzzy surface

• Garlic, onion or fish smell: scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon, or with a paste of baking soda and a little water, then rinse.
• Beet, berry or turmeric stains: the same lemon and salt scrub, or a short treatment with hydrogen peroxide.
• Rough, raised grain or deep stains: sand lightly with fine sandpaper, wipe off the dust, wash, dry and oil again.

How to clean a plastic cutting board

Plastic boards are the easiest to disinfect, because many can go in the dishwasher. Check the label: if it says dishwasher-safe, a hot cycle cleans and sanitizes it in one go. Otherwise, wash it by hand and use the bleach solution above; plastic tolerates a short soak in diluted bleach for stubborn stains.

The weak spot of plastic is its surface. Every cut leaves a groove, and deep grooves trap moisture and food that a sponge can't reach. Once your board is covered in deep, furry cuts, scrubbing won't fix it. Replace it.

One board or two? Avoiding cross-contamination

The simplest rule in kitchen hygiene: use one board for raw meat, poultry and fish, and another for food you eat without cooking, such as bread, salad, fruit and cheese. Different colors or sizes make it easy to keep them apart. If you only have one board, prepare the ready-to-eat food first and the raw meat last, then wash and disinfect.

Don't forget the knife. A blade that just cut raw chicken carries the same germs as the board, so wash it in hot, soapy water before you use it on anything else.

When to replace a cutting board

• Deep grooves you can't sand out or that hold on to stains and smells.
• Cracks or split glue joints where liquid can seep in.
• Warping that makes the board rock on the counter, which is a safety problem when you cut.
• Dark spots of mold that come back after cleaning.

What your knives need from a cutting board

The board decides how long your edge lasts. SAMURA's care instructions are clear: cut on wood or plastic, never on glass. Glass, marble, stone and ceramic surfaces are harder than steel and roll or chip a fine edge within a few cuts, which is one of the main reasons knives lose their sharpness.

Clean knives with the same care as the board:

• Wash them by hand with a soft sponge, never in the dishwasher, and dry them right away; standing moisture is how knives start to rust.
• Don't leave them in the sink or soaking in a bowl.
• Put them away where the edge can't knock against other metal. Our guide to safe knife storage shows the options.
• Carbon steel needs a little more attention, as explained in our carbon knife maintenance guide.

If your board is past saving, take a look at SAMURA's small cutting board collection. And if you're shopping for a knife to go with it, our Kaiju knife review covers a hammered-blade line with Pakka wood handles that's well suited to everyday prep. For cleaner cuts on raw meat, see how to slice meat evenly.

Cutting board cleaning FAQ

How often should you disinfect a cutting board?

After every use with raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood, and about once a week for boards you only use for bread, fruit and vegetables. Wash the board after every use regardless.

Can you disinfect a cutting board with vinegar?

Vinegar freshens and helps against odors, but it's a mild cleaner, not a reliable disinfectant. After raw poultry or meat, use diluted bleach or 3% hydrogen peroxide instead.

Is wood or plastic more hygienic?

Both are safe when you clean them properly. Plastic has the advantage of the dishwasher; wood is gentler on knife edges. Whatever you use, replace boards with deep grooves you can no longer clean.

Can a wooden cutting board go in the dishwasher?

No. Heat and long exposure to water make wood swell, crack and warp. Wash it by hand and dry it standing on its edge.

How do you get rid of a garlic or fish smell?

Scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon, or with a baking soda paste, then rinse. A wipe with white vinegar helps too.

Is bleach safe on a wooden board?

Yes, if it's diluted (1 tablespoon per gallon of water), rinsed off after a few minutes and the board is dried well. Re-oil it afterward, because bleach dries out the wood.