It is important that you follow these instructions to properly maintain your cutting board, keep it safe to use and extend the life of use for years.

First:

Never do any of the following!!!

• Put your cutting board in the dishwasher.

• Put your cutting board in a sink with clear or soapy water.

• Put your cutting board in the microwave oven, except to store it there.

• Put your cutting board in the oven, except to store it there.

• Never stab a knife or embed the tip of a meat clever into your board. It's a cutting board. Not a butcherblock. If you do this, it will open up the grains of the wood and allow contaminates to get into the board. Those contaminates will turn in to bacteria and can possibly make you sick.

• Never store your board in direct sunlight. The sunlight causes the wood to develop a patina. On American hardwoods that patina can have a nice effect by giving the wood a richer tone. It has the exact opposite effect on exotic hardwoods. Yellowheart wood turns a dull gold color. Blood wood turns to a dark dried blood color. Purpleheart turns to a dulll brown. So, to keep all the beautiful colors, store your board out of direct sunlight.

 

Maintenance of your board:

Your board has been sealed with a combination of clarified mineral oil and pure beeswax. This mixture has been applied to the board, and with a special process, we have caused it to penetrate as far as possible into the wood as we can. Once the mixture cures, it forms a barrier that prevents things like blood, juices, marinades and spices from penetrating the surface. 

 

Since your board has been sealed, we recommend that before each use, you take a damp paper towel or dishcloth and wipe the board down. This will remove any dust or other particles that may have collected on it and could get into your food. Use the exact same steps to clean your board when you're done, adding in a dry towel to remove any excess water.

 

When your board starts to look a little dull, you can use just mineral oil to reseal it and bring the nice appearance back. We recommend you do this every couple of weeks if you use your board daily. Make sure to coat the entire board, not just the surface you've been cutting on. Let the oil sit for a while so it can penetrate. Then wipe off any excess.

 

Eventually, your board will start to show wear. It's been our experience, that happens in boards that have been used daily for between 5 and 6 years. The surface becomes rough and the blade cuts become very visible. When this happens, contact us and we'll make arrangements for you to ship it back to us. We'll resurface and reseal your board and will ship it back to you for a nominal fee.