Wood has antimicrobial properties of its own and while wood tops are self-cleaning to an extent, they still require regular cleaning with use.
It is important to understand that when you clean your countertop you are removing some of the oils that are protecting it in the process, so please make sure to re-oil and condition your butcher block regularly.
When cleaning your top or cutting board, use a light amount of mild dish detergent, a damp sponge, then scrub and rinse as you would any of your other dishes. We recommend using warm, not hot, water for cleaning, letting it dry thoroughly (12-24 hours), and re-treating it with a food-grade mineral oil.
Do not leave your cutting board flat on any surface when drying. You want your cutting board to dry evenly on all four sides to prevent any cupping, checking, etc.
Procedure:
- Make sure your top is clean and dry before applying any amount of food-grade mineral oil or conditioner.
- Start by applying a small amount of the cutting board oil to the surface of your piece. Let it soak in as much as possible and repeat this step until it reaches its saturation point–there is no such thing as using too much butcher block oil so long as your piece is accepting it.
- After your piece is no longer accepting oil, wipe off any excess.
- Once your piece is free of any residual oil you can apply the butcher block conditioner. A little bit of the conditioner goes a long way when applied properly. Rub the wax into the wood grain with a soft, lint free cloth or soft paper towel to give your piece a polished look.
- After you have everything polished into the surface of your piece there should not be too much residual conditioner leftover, but if there is, make sure to wipe off any excess.
- Repeat these steps as necessary.
We recommend applying food-grade mineral oil once daily for the first week, and once every week for the first month you have your butcher block. After the first month, once every 3 to 4 weeks typically works well (more frequently in dry or hot climates). As you get used to maintaining your butcher block, you'll start to get a good feel for when it needs to be oiled and conditioned.
Keeping your countertop moisturized is crucial to the integrity of your piece. Wood will shrink or expand as its moisture content changes and the oil helps maintain a balanced MC level within the piece. Extreme dryness may cause cracks and glue joint separation, so be sure to keep your top oiled/waxed.
Stain Removal Suggestions
Lemon Juice and baking soda
- Dust the baking soda over your top, squeeze out the lemon juice, and rub it in using the open side of the lemon. Rinse off any remaining baking soda and lemon juice, let it dry, and re-treat it with mineral oil.
White distilled vinegar
- Spray the vinegar evenly over the surface of your top and let it sit for 5 minutes, wipe off any excess vinegar, let it dry, and re-treat it with mineral oil.
Sanding and refinishing
- Because our tops are made from solid wood, they can be sanded at any time to remove stains, knife marks, or other evidence of use.
- We recommend sanding the surface evenly with a 150g paper. You’ll then want to take a damp rag or towel to raise the grain before finish sanding with 220g, making sure to allow the top to dry in between sanding. Once you have finish-sanded your piece, you can wipe away the dust and re-oil & condition as normal.