Cleaning a Butcher Block often means washing it with a clean sponge with a mild liquid soap and warm water. After soaping the block rinse well with warm water and dry the wood well with a dish towel. Often meat that is cut on a butcher block leaves behind bacteria. Mix one tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon warm water in a large container for a solution to kill bacteria. After you mix the solution wipe the board off with a paper towel dipped in the mixture and dispose. Rinse the butcher block off with warm water after letting it sit for few minutes and dry well.
Do you have tough hard stains on your butcher block then pour some lemon juice from a jar or cut a lemon and squeeze it right on the stain. Let the lemon juice sit for several minutes on the stain. The lemon juice should remove the stain easily.
Always wash the butcher block off with warm soap and water after cutting meat and poultry on the surface. Consider only using the butcher block for cutting meats and poultry or other types of food. Do not use for both. It is more sanitary to see separate boards for meat and poultry or fresh fruits, vegetables and other products.
Oil Treatments for Un-Varnished Butcher Blocks
Treat un-varnished butcher blocks with oil on a weekly basis. It should be non-toxic oil that can be rubbed into the wood and left for five minutes. After it is in for five minutes wipe with a clean paper towel or cloth. This keeps the wood in good condition for using for food preparation. Every several weeks you will want to apply mineral oil or butcher’s block oil to the board. Use a paper towel or cloth to apply it. It is good to keep the wood in good condition.
Those with new boards should keep a mineral oil soaked dish towel in a Ziploc plastic bag for conveniet use. Oil it at least once a week for the first six week that you first purchase the butcher block. After that sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper and reapply oil again especially if the wood is getting worn looking.
More Tips for Cleaning
Don’t leave meats on the butcher board for too long. Blood and juices soak into the wood weakening its strength. Cut evenly on the butcher block so it will wear evenly. Always clean the butcher block after cutting meats and fish never neglect this process. It is very important for sanitary reasons. Use a steel scraper or spatula to remove meats on a regular basis every day after cutting.