If you’ve noticed a smell coming from your wooden cutting board, you probably need this! Whether it’s just from daily use or an especially carlicky meal, this will get that stink out! Keep reading to learn how to clean a wooden cutting board.
With both pregnancies, I had what my dad calls the Bionic Bloodhound Nose. Meaning, I walk into a room and pinpoint smells, good or bad, that most other people can’t identify.
It’s horrible.
Back when everything was sending me on a race to the bathroom, the Bionic Nose was my worst enemy. Thankfully, I used it to my advantage to learn new tricks that I can pass on to you wonderful people.
Which brings us to how to get smells out of wooden cutting boards.
A stinky lesson learned
A few weeks ago Alex came home super late from work hungry and made himself some pasta with fresh chopped garlic. He made himself his meal and left our wooden cutting board in the sink until the morning.
You guys, I could smell the damn garlic in that stupid cutting board for DAYS.
I washed and washed and washed it and I would think the smell was gone until it dried and I walked past it and it the pungent smell made me gag. A real problem, you guys.
I did a bunch of Googling for how to get smells out of wooden cutting boards and found a few different “solutions.” Including sanding it down an eighth of an inch or throwing it out.
Neither of which I was interested in because,
So with a hope and a prayer, I tried one of the other tips, and it’s now become my go-to for gross smells. It’s easy, uses 2 ingredients you probably have on hand, and works, plain and simple. Also, it’s natural!
Cleaning wooden cutting boards FAQ
A mix of lemon and baking soda is a great natural way to remove the smell.
For daily cleaning, hand washing is a must. Never put your wooden cutting board into the
For deep cleaning, scrub it with this deodorizing mix!
Always wash as soon as possible with hot water and soap after each use.
Occasionally use this
How to clean a wooden cutting board
Time needed: 1 hour.
How to get smells out of a wooden cutting board
- Wet cutting board.
This helps for everything to stick a bit better.
- Sprinkle with baking soda.
I do a pretty thick coat. You definitely don’t want to skimp.
- Add a cleansing acid.
Try lemon, lime or distilled white vinegar. You’ll want just enough to make a paste – start with 1 or 2 tablespoons. You don’t want it super liquidy, but you do want it spreadable. I’ve used both fresh or bottled lemon or lime.
- Scrub the paste in.
Rub in the goo and scrub it in hard. The smell will get stronger. It will probably be gross. It’s all the stink stuck in your cutting board coming out. Add more liquid if it gets too dry.
- Let it sit.
I let it sit until it dries. I have no idea if it helps, but I feel like it does. Sometimes I skip this step if I’m running late.
- Rinse it off.
If it smells really bad, I’ll take a copper scrubber and scrub, scrub, scrub away.
- Let dry and use!
If it’s really bad, leave it in a sunny spot while it dries. The UV rays will help to sanitize it and remove stains and smells.
Okay, so tell me – do you have a bionic nose?! Let me know in the comments!
You may also like..
Clean your oven without chemicals
How to create a cleaning schedule
Cure a smelly sink drain
Got a picky eater?
My kids eat their veggies every day without complaining. Want my secret?
Grab the Outsmart your Picky Eater cheat sheets to get the inside scoop on how to add veggies to food your kids already love.
Hollie says
We accumulate smelly cutting boards and honestly we always just threw them away Granted we never had the most expensive brand or anything. Thank you for sharing, I’ll have to do this next time!
Beth @ Sublimely Fit says
Ooh, thank you so much for this tip, Morgan! I have a Boos Block that we got as a wedding gift, and it’s not smelly yet, but I’m so happy to know what to do if it does get really stinky. Definitely pinned this one for future reference. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Morgan says
Yes, definitely take care of that thing! I want one so bad but I can’t seem to bite the bullet and just get one. The big problem is you can’t put wooden cutting boards in a dishwasher to disinfect, so it’s confusing how to get smells and what not off!
Erin @ Stay At Home Yogi says
I have a super sensitive nose too! It was terrible during pregnancy! I can’t wait to try this out on our wooden cutting board, great tip! 🙂
Morgan says
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little excited for this babe to be out so that I can change a diaper without holding my nose…..
Kelly @RaisingSamuels says
I know exactly what you mean! When I was pregnant, there were smells that would make me horribly sick. This is so cool you found out this awesome way of naturally cleaning the cutting board. Thanks for sharing with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week 🙂
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Although I’m not pregnant…I have always had a super sensitive nose. I smell EVERYTHING! This will be a lifesaver. I get so grossed out!! Cant wait to give this a try!
Morgan says
Seriously, I always had a pretty sensitive nose for things, but when I’m pregnant it’s UNBELIEVABLE. Watch out for when you’re pregnant! You’ll be like me, cleaning EVERYTHING. Too bad some cleaners will also make you sick… sigh.
Debrashoppeno5 says
This will be helpful as I am on the look out for old cutting boards. I will definitely give it a try.
Morgan says
I never even thought of that, great tip Debra!Thanks for stopping by!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
Ohhhhh… I need this! My wooded board smells like onion. Not idea when you’re slicing stuff that isn’t onion. LOL!
Morgan says
Definitely not! I realized how bad it was when an apple I cut tasted a little garlic-y.. ICK!
Judy Turnbull says
I was seriously just asking myself this question this past weekend! What perfect timing! Thanks for sharing your post.
Morgan says
It’s one of those things that you never think about really until it’s really pressing! Glad I could help!
Mary-the boondocks blog says
What a great tip! And so timely!! Thanks for posting this. I am going to pin it and use it really soon.!! Thanks for sharing.
Morgan says
Oh, I’m so glad I could help! Thank you for stopping by!
Marie,The Interior Frugalista says
Great tip – guess what I’m going to be doing today? LOL
Morgan says
Hahah I hope it works wonders for you! That smell is terrible!
Veronica says
This is great! Mine was starting to smell like onions! Thanks for sharing.
Morgan says
It’s the worst ever! Thanks for stopping by!
Sam @ Living The Dutch Dream says
Now I have different cutting boards for different jobs – because I can’t stand the smell transferring. I’m going to give this a try…
joy says
Thank you for sharing this helpful tip. Visiting from Bouquet Of Talent Link Party. Have a wonderful week.
Morgan says
of course, I hope it helps you out!
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen.com says
What a great idea I will have to try this. Thanks for linking up at the Thursday favorite things blog hop.
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says
What a useful tip! I only have a plastic cutting board but this is good to know when I start buying more cooking tools!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
I am the opposite, I struggle with smell. I worry sometimes, I’m missing it in the house or something.
So sorry for the delay– it’s been a crazy week.
Thank you for linking up to #BestofBlogs ! I pinned your post to my Kitchen How-To’s board.
lolobunny says
Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Leigh Powell Hines says
Another idea is to use Thieves spray. I love it. Or make your own with Thieves Spray. Email me if you want more information. Thanks for linking up on Small Victories.
Karren Haller says
I love it when there are natural ways to clean!
Pinned and Tweeted from #SmallVictoriesSundaylinkup
Thanks for stopping by to share!
Karren
Oh my Heartsie Girl
Reply
Sandra Garth says
Yesssss!
Tania says
Great tip! Luckily I can’t smell things like you can but I think maybe I need to clean my cutting boards using your method anyway… just so I know they don’t stink and will be clean!
I’m planning an upcoming post on my cutting board collection and I’d like to link to your post if you don’t mind :o)
Tania
Laurie says
I have used this method before and it really works. Pinned to share. Thanks again for linking up with us for Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Charlene Asay says
What a great method. I always wondered how to do this. I wanted to invite you to link up at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party this week. Hope to see you there http://thinking-outside-the-pot.com/?p=2505
Britney says
I was just thinking about how I need to clean my wood cutting boards ASAP! This sounds easy to do and I will definitely be trying this in the near future. Thanks for sharing at Simply Natural Saturdays!