What You Should Know About The Cutting Board In Your Kitchen
The cleanliness of your cutting board is something that should concern you. Bacteria and germs are quickly transmitted to your food if your board is not cleaned after each use and cleaned very carefully. There are some things you should be considering when buying a new one or taking care of your present one.
A variety of cleaning methods can be used depending on the type of materials that are used to make the board. You have a choice of plastic, glass, acrylics, and different woods. They all have to be properly cleaning in order to avoid any illness. In using different boards for different foods you can certainly avoid the problem of contamination.
There are some reports that mention you should never put meat of any kind on a cutting board. Meat has the highest chance of being tainted in some way. Even if after cutting on this board you wash it well there may still be traces of the blood or raw juice of the meat, which can be dangerous. Cut meat on another safe surface that will not be used to cut anything else unless you can put your board into a dishwasher.
Some of the products you have in your own home that will disinfect and clean are surprising. For a wooden or plastic board occasionally make a paste of baking soda, salt, and water and scrub. Then all you have to do is rinse well using hot water.
You most certainly have hydrogen peroxide and distilled vinegar in your home. Use these one at a time on your board for less than 15 minutes and then rinse after each application. Another cleaner that you can use is bleach. Dilute with water and put on the board, wipe with a moist paper towel and then dry. This is great on a wood board but you must not soak it in the liquid. Another incredible product is vinegar. You will find it an effective disinfectant when used full strength.
Occasionally you will find an unpleasant aroma that you would like to remove. Spread sea salt and rub the board with a cut lemon. There are two benefits to using these; there is no longer any smell and those horrible stains are gone.
Essential oils are being used for many reasons these days and they are also great to clean your board. Use lavender essential oil mixed with water and place in a spray bottle. Mix the ingredients well by shaking. Then all you have to do is spray and you do not even have to rinse this off.
Do not be surprised that soap and water work too. Hot water and soap using a brush so that you can get into the nooks will keep it clean and safe. These are only a few of the choices you have to keep your family safe. Some of these can be done once in a while and others on a regular basis. You also want to keep your board looking fresh, clean, and odorless.
There is no reason why you cannot replace them regularly. This is not a permanent fixture in your kitchen. Boards that have grooves in them from cutting should be discarded and new ones bought.