One of the greatest advantages of an oak cutting board is that it lasts for many years if you take proper care of it.
That's why it's important that you treat your wooden cutting board with oil at regular intervals - and sand it if the wood fibers raise.
Caring for wooden cutting boards with oil
One of the best tips to extend the life of your cutting board is to give it wood oil at regular intervals - so that the wooden cutting board never dries out completely. A dry cutting board cracks more easily, becomes warped, and the fibers in the wood will be more likely to raise.
We have developed a care product for this purpose - Wood Balm, which consists of a blend of food-approved care oil and natural beeswax.
When your cutting board is clean and completely dry, dip a piece of kitchen paper or a cloth in the oil (e.g. cooking oil or other food-approved wood oil) and distribute the oil over the entire surface of the cutting board. The oil is absorbed into the wood and protects against moisture. Let the cutting board absorb the oil for 10-15 minutes, then wipe away excess oil.
Wait until the next day to use the cutting board, so you can be sure that the oil is properly absorbed - and repeat the process if the wood still looks dry.
We recommend that you care for your wooden cutting board with oil once a month, or when the wood looks dry.
How to make the surface of the wooden cutting board soft and beautiful again
Over time as you use your wooden cutting board, you will experience that both cutting work and cleaning will patinate the surface and leave marks - just as the surface can become rougher if the wood fibers raise after cleaning.
This is completely natural, and often you can avoid the problem altogether by making sure the cutting board is always properly oiled. Marks from your knives should be seen as part of the cutting board's history - and it is precisely this patina that makes your cutting board completely unique! If you also use the board for serving, you can simply cut on one side and use the other side for serving and plating.
Should the surface have become a bit too rough - and the scratches a bit too many - you can always give the board a light sanding with sandpaper in grain 240 or slightly coarser. We have included a sanding sponge in grain 180 with all our cutting boards.
In general, we recommend that you use a slightly coarser grain when using a sanding sponge - and a slightly less coarse if you use regular sandpaper, because the sponge will "dampen" the sanding somewhat and therefore feel less rough than sandpaper.
If you have only washed the cutting board once, wait until you have used it a few more times - this way you ensure that most of the fibers have raised. After sanding, you should always give the board a thorough oiling to prevent water from penetrating and causing the wood to expand.
When you take good care of your wooden cutting board, you ensure that your knives have the perfect cutting surface - and that food only comes into contact with a completely clean and lovely cutting board.
