How often to change cutting boards

Cutting boards are one of the most necessary items in any, even the most modest kitchen. Over time, they get scratched, clogged with food particles, fibers from cleaning wipes and become dangerous to the health of household members. Therefore, cutting boards need to be changed. How often? For specialists and chefs - at least once a year. This is required by sanitary and hygienic standards. Housewives who regularly cook should adhere to approximately the same deadlines.

Number of boards

Once a year it is enough to change the boards, if there are several of them, at least 3-4 pieces:

• for meat;
• fish;
• of bread;
• foods that are eaten raw.

It is logical that the less often each individual board is used, the longer it remains suitable. If there is only one or two boards, it quickly becomes clogged with dirt and becomes a home for pathogenic bacteria, which quite easily end up on food.

Board materials

It is also important to consider the softness of the board. The higher it is, the more easily the surface is damaged and the faster it is filled with particles.

The most popular materials for cutting boards:

• tree,
• plastic,
• glass.

Wooden

Wood is the most common and, one might say, classic material for making cutting boards. But also the most often criticized for being unhygienic. It’s worth clarifying here: it all depends on the type of wood. Pine, birch and other soft boards are the cheapest and quickly lose their appearance and suitability for work.

If you take a high-quality board, made of oak or beech, for example, it will last its entire life.

Important

purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine strongly recommends against soaking wooden cutting boards or even just leaving them in the sink. Wood is a porous material prone to swelling. When it dries, microcracks inevitably appear in it, in which bacteria love to settle and get stuck.

Board care. The best option is to scrape off the top layer of wood with a knife immediately after use, and then rinse thoroughly with detergent and, after dousing with boiling water, dry with a towel or napkin.

Plastic

With the development of modern technology, plastic cutting boards have become firmly established in everyday use. They are relatively cheap, and their choice is very large and varied. It is better to replace such a board as soon as its surface has ceased to be smooth and has become worn out. Fortunately, it’s always noticeable on plastic.

You should also be careful when choosing cheap plastic boards. Because some may be processed or manufactured with toxic chemicals that are hazardous to health. Of course, this cannot be known for certain, but you can play it safe and not buy the cheapest ones.

Glass

The most wear-resistant and most hygienic cutting boards are glass. Although such a board can be changed much less often than the two previous types, glass has very specific features. The most inconvenient of them is that it is quite slippery. The second not very pleasant feature is the sound from the contact of the knife and the surface of the board. And third, knives become dull faster.

How to extend service life

How to disinfect boards so that they remain usable a little longer:

1. Rub with mineral oil and/or wax.The main thing, the advice concerns wooden boards. This method will help prevent the absorption of odors into the surface and prevent it from drying out. It is important to remember that you must use mineral oil and in no case vegetable or technical oil. Vaseline is perfect for these purposes.
2. Treat with disinfectants. To extend the life of your cutting board, you should periodically disinfect it.

Disinfection is carried out with special compounds:

• weak chlorine solution;
• hydrogen peroxide;
• chlorhexidine.

If chemistry is not desirable, then use available home remedies:

• lemon;
• acetic acid;
• soda;
• salt.

High-quality, hard boards, provided that there are at least three of them in the kitchen, are ideally replaced once a year. If the cutting board is used infrequently, it can easily serve for two years or even longer. In any case, after each use you need to wash it with the product, using first a sponge, then a brush, and periodically disinfect it. Then the utensils will always look good and remain safe for health.