Plastic cutting boards take a real beating in the kitchen. From stains and scratches to germs and food-borne bacteria, your cutting boards probably need a little TLC. Discover how to clean a plastic cutting board using several simple and exciting methods detailed in this cutting board care guide: no more red sauce stains, turmeric blotches, or lingering onion smell.
Plastic cutting boards are a popular staple across American homes; they’re affordable, portable, and available in many cute colors. Plastic surfaces are more sanitary than a traditional wood butcher block, too. Wood is a porous material, meaning plenty of small spaces for germs to hide, while plastic is non-porous and dishwasher safe.
What happens when the dishwasher isn’t enough to remove stubborn stains and smells from the surface of a plastic cutting board? That’s where these incredible tips come in handy. Learn how to make a deodorizer from baking powder, a stain fighter from lemon juice, and an effective salt scrub from common pantry ingredients; fresh, clean cutting boards are at your fingertips.
- Smart Tips for Cleaning a Plastic Cutting Board
- Start With Hot Water and a Stiff Brush
- Take Advantage of the Dishwasher’s Heat
- How to Get Stains off a Plastic Cutting Board
- Scrub Your Cutting Board With Essential Oil
- How to Clean a Plastic Cutting Board
- Remove Stains From the Cutting Board
- Cleaning a Stained Plastic Cutting Board
- Care for a Dirty Wooden Cutting Board
- How to Clean a Bamboo Cutting Board
- Cleansing a Composite Cutting Board
- Getting Stains off a Rubber Cutting Board
- When to Replace Your Plastic Cutting Board
Smart Tips for Cleaning a Plastic Cutting Board
Curious home cooks need these cleaning tips for stain-free plastic cutting boards. Whether you love prepping diced tomatoes, aromatic onions, or raw meat, there’s an easy cleaning shortcut to make your white plastic chopping board sparkling clean again. This article has pointers for cleaning every kind of common food-related stain.
Learn how to use lemon juice cleaners, impressive baking soda-based pastes, and essential oil disinfecting power to banish cutting board stains forever. Find out how to use hot water when cleaning plastic cutting surfaces.
Discover additional advice about bamboo cutting boards, wood blocks, composite boards, and even rubber cutting boards to round out your cutting board care knowledge.
Start With Hot Water and a Stiff Brush
Manually sanitizing your cutting boards is the best way to prevent bacterial buildup and dangerous cross-contamination; that’s when bacteria from food like raw meat travels across surfaces and utensils, contaminating the area with germs like Salmonella.
Get in the habit of running hot water over the board after each use, and give a hearty scrub with a stiff bristle brush to dislodge stuck-on food. Hot water is an excellent defense against stains. It is often strong enough to remove dirt, allergens, and chemical residue that accumulate on cooking surfaces.
Speedy and regular maintenance increases the likelihood of a bacteria-free work surface, making washing a stained plastic cutting board much easier. Wipe up tomato juice, garlic residue, raw meat juice, and all other contaminants as you cook. Don’t leave food to sit overnight, attract bacteria, and become riddled with stubborn stains.
Take Advantage of the Dishwasher’s Heat
Dishwashers are an incredible modern-day innovation that saves time and the discomfort of wet, pruney fingers. If you have a reliable dishwasher, disinfect and sanitize your plastic chopping board while washing your regular load of dishes.
The interior dishwasher temperatures are much higher than your hands can withstand. They are more effective at removing many types of stains and killing bacteria. Plastic and silicone cutting boards are usually dishwasher safe and withstand the dishwasher’s heat without warping.
Prep your plastic boards before using the dishwasher; always wipe down a white plastic cutting board with a clean cloth to eliminate large food debris that could clog the dishwasher.
The super-convenient thing about using a dishwasher is that if you don’t have time for an entire cycle, five minutes at 180 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to sanitize any cutting board thoroughly.
How to Get Stains off a Plastic Cutting Board
Lemons are fabulous fruits; they look great in a stylish bowl and provide measurable results in the sanitation and stain removal department. When life unexpectedly gives you lemons, use them to clean your cutting board. Learn how to get stains off a plastic cutting board with a few drops of this incredible juice.
Citric acid is strong enough to lighten fabrics, stains, and even hair! Before you begin, grab a pair of gloves if you have sensitive skin. Lemons are non-toxic, but prolonged exposure to the juice could irritate your hands and cause uncomfortable redness.
Cut a large, fresh lemon in half or slices and squeeze the juice all over the stained area. Rub the lemon juice into the cutting board, including deep knife gouges. Set the board out in the sunlight for the entire afternoon; citric acid is an effective natural bleach when boosted by the sun’s powerful UV rays.
Scrub Your Cutting Board With Essential Oil
Lemon is excellent for cutting through protein-based stains like blood from raw meat and is ideal for cleaning a plastic cutting board in addition to deodorizing. This fantastic DIY spray is easy to make and leaves behind a lemon-fresh scent instead of a fish, onion, or garlic smell.
Combine water, white vinegar, dish soap, and ten drops of pure lemon essential oil. Shake the spray bottle gently to emulsify the mixture, and spray the surface of your plastic cutting boards.
Let the cleaning solution sit and work for an hour, or place the boards outside to bleach tough stains. Rinse the cutting boards in warm water and scrub them with a stiff brush to finish the job.
How to Clean a Plastic Cutting Board
Stubborn stains need stronger treatment. You may need to remove tomato stains from a plastic cutting board; dial things up with this clever trick. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are two natural bleaching agents you probably have. Use this combination to break up stains and make plastic surfaces clean again.
This recipe creates a potent mixture that draws out the stain particles and color molecules for easier washing. You can also scale this recipe up or down to make enough paste for all your plastic cutting boards. It’s quick, convenient, and leaves no harsh chemical residue.
First, get a fork and a small bowl and whisk the ingredients into a paste. Spread the paste over the stained area with a spatula or your hands, and let it sit overnight. Rinse the board in warm water with soap, revealing a clean cutting board ready for use.
Remove Stains From the Cutting Board
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral commonly used as a laundry detergent and stain fighter. It leaves no toxic fumes and does an excellent job cleaning and deodorizing plastic surfaces. Find out how to clean a plastic cutting board with the benefits of a robust Borax-based spray.
Find a large spray bottle with a wide nozzle and combine the ingredients; ensure the powder components like coarse salt, baking soda, and Borax dissolve entirely. Grab your plastic board, give it a generous coat of cleaning spray, and give it 15 minutes to work.
Rinse the board with hot water, then scrub the surface with warm, soapy water to release any set-in stains. Repeat the process if necessary.
Cleaning a Stained Plastic Cutting Board
Are you eager to know how to get stains off a plastic cutting board with a simple cleaning eraser? Learn how to use the magic of melamine to your advantage in the fight for clean plastic cutting boards. Never pull out a dirty, stained plastic board from the cupboard again.
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is made of melamine, an open-cell foam that creates friction when cleaning, acting as a mildly abrasive sponge. This innovative sponge is gentle enough for surfaces like painted walls and even glass cutting boards but strong enough to clean kitchen stains like beet juice and turmeric.
The Magic Eraser works with the power of moisture. When you’re ready to clean those cutting boards, grab a sponge, wet it with warm water, and start scouring.
Rinse the boards as you go, and add a drop or two of your favorite mild dish soap to degrease sticky food particles and dried-on debris. Let the melamine foam do all the dirty work as you sit back and enjoy stain-free surfaces.
Care for a Dirty Wooden Cutting Board
Wooden cutting boards are traditional, stylish, and better for the longevity of your expensive kitchen knives. Wooden cutting board care differs slightly from cleaning a plastic cutting board. Learn the finer points of general maintenance.
Never submerge your wooden board or put it in the dishwasher in water to soak. Always hand wash your wooden cutting and serving boards to keep them safe from warping and water damage. When cleaning wood, run warm water from the tap, get a soft sponge, and a squirt of your favorite, unscented dish soap.
Scrub the board in small circles to dislodge food and dirt, rinsing as you go. Once the board is clean, find a clean dish towel to pat the wood dry. Don’t lay the cutting flat to dry; this encourages mildew. Instead, lay the dish towel on the counter and lean the cutting board against the wall lightly to allow airflow while it dries.
How to Clean a Bamboo Cutting Board
Long-lasting, lightweight, and suitable for many cooking and serving duties, the bamboo cutting board is the ideal helper in the kitchen and around the dining table.
Bamboo cutting boards are also relatively non-porous and don’t absorb as much moisture from food, so the upkeep is pretty straightforward. It will preserve your bamboo board for a lifetime.
Like a traditional wood cutting board, bamboo can’t be submerged or subjected to high temperatures inside the dishwasher. Rinse the board in warm water with clear soap while you wash with a cloth or soft sponge. Apply a little undiluted vinegar if you want extra disinfectant power. Stand the bamboo cutting board upright to air dry.
Wood cutting boards tend to dry out and crack over time; oil and season your bamboo board on all sides with food-safe mineral oil to maintain the shine and waterproofing. Experts recommend treating your wood-built cutting surfaces with oil every month or more, depending on how frequently you wash them.
Cleansing a Composite Cutting Board
Composite cutting boards are picking up steam in the culinary world because they’re incredibly durable and make a fantastic choice for heavy-duty use. Made of phenolic resins and wood fibers, composite cutting boards come in many sizes and shapes, from the classic rectangle to round pizza paddle-style.
Composite cutting boards are some of the easiest to clean; you can wash them by hand with hot, soapy water and a scrub brush or toss them in the dishwasher on high with the rest of your dishes.
Very little will damage your composite cutting board in the cleaning process. However, if you notice an odor when the cutting board is wet, it’s time to replace it.
Getting Stains off a Rubber Cutting Board
Unlike the hard-as-steel composite board, the rubber cutting board is soft and flexible, and most professional kitchens use rubber boards to preserve their costly kitchen knives. Rubber cutting boards are an investment. These simple tricks will help clean, deodorize, and maintain your rubber board indefinitely.
The good news is that cleaning a rubber cutting board is much like getting stains off a plastic cutting board; rinse it regularly and use this recipe to tackle lingering stains. Unlike plastic cutting boards, rubber boards are not dishwasher safe; always wash them by hand and leave them on the drying rack to air out.
Squeeze the lemon juice all over the board and cover it with baking soda and coarse salt, massaging the ingredients over the stained areas. Leave the lemon juice, baking soda, and coarse salt to absorb and disperse the stains for an hour, then rinse in hot water. Use these tips regularly, and your rubber board should last forever.
When to Replace Your Plastic Cutting Board
Now that you know how to scrub stains out of a white plastic cutting board, it’s time to talk about the signs your board needs immediate replacement. A sanitary chopping board is a top priority when preparing household meals; food hygiene keeps your family safe and minimizes the risk of microbial cross-contamination.
Plastic cutting boards are resilient but vulnerable to deep gouges that harbor bacteria. Deep knife scratches indicate it’s time to retire your plastic cutting boards. Knife scores are part of the kitchen and, unfortunately, are the ideal place for dangerous germs to hide and multiply.
If you notice moldy or rotten food smells, there could be some lingering germ spread, and it’s best to ditch the board. Additionally, over time and repeated cleaning, your plastic chopping board might warp or become misshapen. If it doesn’t lay flat on the counter, it’s time to buy a new one because that creates an unsafe work hazard.
Plastic cutting boards are an essential and valuable tool for any culinary enthusiast; they reward you with reliable service when cared for diligently. We hope you enjoyed learning how to clean a plastic cutting board with these game-changing household hacks.
Remember, hot water is your best friend when cleaning plastic boards. Hand-wash your plastic cutting boards after every use, and leave them upright to air dry. Make a batch of vinegar and lemon essential oil spray to keep cooking odors and stains away, or create a helpful baking soda paste to fight set-in sauce splatters.
Many cooks color-code their plastic cutting boards for specific foods, such as red for raw meat and green for vegetables; keeping a few plastic cutting boards in the kitchen helps reduce cross-contamination. Don’t forget to check your plastic cutting boards for signs of wear and replace them as required, depending on how often you use them.
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