Causes of Molds in Wood Cutting Boards

June 20, 2017

Wood cutting boards have been a familiar and ever-present food preparation aid in both home and commercial kitchens for many years. Whether you are dicing vegetables, slicing freshly baked bread, trimming fat from meats or preparing fresh fish fillets for broiling, you automatically reach for your favorite wooden cutting board. The attractive and diverse grains and surface textures of these boards of varied types of wood also make them appealing as natural kitchen decor accents when hung on kitchen walls or propped against your recently polished backsplash. Although chop boards made of synthetic plastics are practical and easy to clean and maintain, they lack the warmth, charm and appealing quality and character of natural wood.

Common Causes of Molds in Wood Cutting Boards

Various types of mold that occurs on the surfaces and in cracks on wooden cutting boards are caused by common causes, including the following:

• Easy Water Absorption. - Wooden chop boards easily absorb water when washed or rinsed during food cutting and preparation. In a busy kitchen, there is often little time for these cutting boards to dry between cutting sessions. Since each board may be used to cut, dice or slice a variety of different vegetables, fruits, breads, meats or fish, it must be thoroughly washed after each use to keep foods separate and free from contamination from different bacteria. Although wood surfaces dry rapidly, the interiors of these wooden boards absorb water readily and may take some time to dry out completely, depending on the thickness of the board.
• Porous Quality of Wood. - Due to the porous surfaces of wood cutting boards, vegetable, fruit, meat and fish juices soak into the wood and may cause mold to grow from within the wood and outward to the board's surface layer. By soaking your boards with vinegar and rubbing their surfaces with baking soda, you can help purify the board's interior and draw these food juices and other moisture to the surface of the wood for drying. You can perform further cleaning with organic lemon soap and polish your boards with natural oils or wax them lightly with bee's wax. Treating your chop boards in this way can also help prevent further deep molding from occurring.
• Unsealed Wooden Surfaces. - Because the best natural wooden chop boards have unsealed surfaces, they will naturally soak up any moisture that they are exposed to. Although this does make them vulnerable to molding, if you clean and polish them regularly, you can help eliminate molding and restore them to their natural beauty for safe, healthy use. By drying your wood cutting boards in natural sunlight, you can also help rid them of any lingering mold spores and stains.

When you consult the experts at Cutting Board Services in Granville, NSW, you will receive excellent professional information and advice about the causes of mold occurrence in wooden cutting boards and how best to treat your boards. These pros will help you restore your wooden cutting boards’ original luster and healthy, natural surfaces for safe, frequent use in your busy home or commercial kitchen.

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