Cleaning fan and former Great British Bake Off champion Nancy Birtwhistle shared her two-ingredient cleaning method for getting rid of bacteria and grime from wooden chopping boards. Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, she explained that she’s returned to using wooden chopping boards in the kitchen, but that they can be tricky to clean properly. 

Chopping boards are a kitchen essential, helping home cooks and professionals prep all sorts of different food. Chopping boards can also help prevent cross contamination between foods, with professional kitchens using different colour boards to prepare different food products on. But wooden boards can pose a hidden risk if not cleaned properly.

How to clean wooden chopping boards

Nancy told the hosts that she’s slowly “phasing out” the use of plastic chopping boards, opting for wooden ones instead. However, an issue faced by those who own wooden boards is making sure they’re properly and thoroughly cleaned.

Wooden chopping boards can’t be soaked in a sinkful of water or be washed in the dishwasher, as it will damage and warp the wood. This will ultimately break the chopping board. 

Instead, Nancy suggests another method using two natural ingredients you’ll most likely already have in your kitchen.

She said: “But the thing is, you can’t really, you don’t really want to be soaking a board because it can warp and crack. Definitely don’t put them in the dishwasher.

“But if they get a bit pongy… Half a lemon dipped in salt, and you’ve got a cleaner and scourer. And this will, you know, neutralise any odour, get rid of any bugs and germs…

“And then a wipe down and just leave it to dry.”

Cut a lemon in half, dunking it into a bowl of coarse salt. Then scrub the salt into the grain of the wood. 

You can also gently squeeze the lemon to release some of its juice. The salt will dissolve into an abrasive paste, making sure that any bacteria found in scratches are killed.

The lemon can also help to deodorise the chopping board, leaving it with a fresh scent.

Salt can help clean wooden surfaces due to its abrasive properties, helping to lift dirt and food particles from the board.

While the salt helps to scrub, the lemon contains citric acid and has cleaning properties that help to soften and remove stains, as well as kill hidden bacteria.

Wooden chopping boards, unlike other materials, have the potential to hide and store a lot of bacteria.

This occurs due to the porous nature of the wood, which can get trapped in the fibres and grooves of the board.

Wood also absorbs moisture, which helps any bacteria in the board to thrive. To prevent the development of any hidden germs, you should wash and dry your chopping board regularly. 

By storing the board in a cool, dry place will also limit the growth of bacteria.