Disinfecting wooden cutting surfaces is an effective way to get rid of bacteria and microorganisms. They multiply in cracks, chips, on smooth and rough surfaces, feeding on food debris. It is especially important to disinfect the wood after cutting raw meat and fish. Absorbed meat juice and remnants of fish tissue can provoke the proliferation of staphylococcus and botulism bacillus. You can get rid of food debris, prevent the proliferation of pathogenic organisms, and remove stains and unpleasant odors using improvised means.
How to properly wash a cutting surface
In a professional kitchen, chefs cut different types of food on separate boards. And, nevertheless, they are systematically treated with disinfectants. At home, the same surface is most often used to chop fruits, cheese, sausage, and bread. Use it to form cutlets from raw minced meat.
After each use, the boards must be washed in hot water and soapy water. If the product is made from a single piece of hardwood, it can be washed in the dishwasher. If the base is made of plywood, laminated bamboo or wooden blocks of varying degrees of hardness, then you only need to wash it by hand.
On a note. It is better to dry the boards by hanging them on a hook or placing them in a vertical position. It is not recommended to wipe them with a regular kitchen towel, as microorganisms also accumulate on it. If you urgently need to dry the wood, it is better to use disposable paper towels.
How to remove ingrained unpleasant odor
Getting rid of the smell of fresh garlic or herring is quite difficult. If the usual rinsing in soap suds does not help, you can use lemon juice, baking soda solution or fresh apple pulp in the following way.
1. Grate with a slice of lemon
The scent of lemon almost instantly neutralizes the aromas of various foods. For example, fish, cheese, onions. To do this, rub the surface cleaned under running water with a slice of lemon. The juice is left for 5 minutes, then washed off for 1 minute with water.
2. Apply an aqueous soda solution
If you don’t have lemon on hand, use sodium bicarbonate. To do this, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of water.
The gruel is evenly applied to the wood and left until dry. Residues are washed off with water.
3. Distribute grated apples over the entire area
Ordinary apples (the variety does not matter) will help give the tree freshness and a neutral aroma. They are grated on a fine grater and distributed over the entire area for 10 minutes.It is not recommended to leave the mixture for a longer period of time, as dark marks may remain on the surface (due to iron oxidation).
How to remove stains
After cutting fatty foods, noticeable stains remain on the wooden surface. There are several ways to deal with them:
- rub the wood with oil or Vaseline to even out the color of the surface;
- remove stains with salt, lemon juice, vinegar or toothpaste.
Rock salt and lemon mixture
The combination of lemon juice and salt is a universal remedy that allows you to remove stains, eliminate odors and disinfect at the same time. A handful of salt is poured into an even layer on a board, rubbed in a circular motion with part of the lemon until the juice is mixed with the salt. The resulting gray liquid is washed off and the board is wiped with a paper napkin.
Vinegar
Vinegar 6% is used undiluted. It is applied locally to the spots for 10 – 12 minutes. If the area of contamination is large, then use 9% vinegar. It is diluted with water in equal proportions and applied to the entire area for several minutes. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly with water.
Advice. An aqueous solution of vinegar can be poured into a container with a spray bottle to spray the surface after each use. Vinegar helps eliminate salmonella and E. coli.
Toothpaste
Regular toothpaste helps fill cracks and remove minor roughness. It also removes strong odors. It is advisable to use white paste rather than colored gels. It is enough to distribute a thin layer of paste along the fibers with a toothbrush, and then rinse.
How to disinfect
If wooden cutting boards have not been disinfected for a long time, it is advisable to treat them with strong bactericidal agents: peroxide, chlorhexidine, laundry soap foam or chlorine-containing bleach.
Effect of chlorhexidine
A broad-spectrum medical antiseptic is safe for the human digestive system, kills many types of bacteria, has no specific odor, and does not leave chemical burns on the skin. Treat the contaminated surface with neem using a moistened cotton pad. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, then rinse.
How to use laundry soap
Foam of dark laundry soap is a universal product that is suitable for treating various surfaces. Foam perfectly removes dirt and pathogens. It is applied in an even layer after cutting raw meat, liver, chicken or fish. Timely treatment avoids infection, stains and mold. After 5 minutes, the foam is washed off with water.
Option for using peroxide
A medical antiseptic is also used to remove certain types of microorganisms. It is best to use hydrogen peroxide in tandem with vinegar: first, the surface is moistened with vinegar, and then a 3% peroxide solution is applied.
Using bleach
In particularly difficult cases, when old grease and soot have been absorbed into the wood, or mold or mildew has appeared, a disinfectant containing chlorine is used. It is diluted in hot water according to the instructions (about half a glass per 5 liters of water). Wooden (or plastic) planks are immersed in the resulting solution for no more than 20 minutes. During this time, chlorine whitens stains, destroys odors and microorganisms.After bleaching, rinse the board under running water for at least 5 minutes.
Regular treatment of boards allows you to keep them clean and also extends their service life.
