Wooden Cutting Board Help

kilikini said:

I was chopping up some celery the other day and went, whoosh! Where is that
rank smell coming from? I sniffed the sink, nope. I sniffed the floor,
nope. I sniffed the stove, nope. Then it hit me. It was the cutting
board! It smelled like really moldy garlic. And I mean, bad! Worse than a
3 day old, uncleaned litterbox.

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice? Oil it?
What would you suggest?

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are welcome.

kili

Try soaking it in cold water with a small amount of White Vinegar. It
may ruin the wood, but you cannot use it the way it is. I hope you can
save your board.

kilikini said:

I was chopping up some celery the other day and went, whoosh! Where is that
rank smell coming from? I sniffed the sink, nope. I sniffed the floor,
nope. I sniffed the stove, nope. Then it hit me. It was the cutting
board! It smelled like really moldy garlic. And I mean, bad! Worse than a
3 day old, uncleaned litterbox.

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice? Oil it?
What would you suggest?

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are welcome.

Probably a good sanding with hubby's sander will do it, then reseal
with oil.

--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are welcome.

Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

MJB

margaret suran said:

kilikini said:

I was chopping up some celery the other day and went, whoosh! Where
is that rank smell coming from? I sniffed the sink, nope. I
sniffed the floor, nope. I sniffed the stove, nope. Then it hit
me. It was the cutting board! It smelled like really moldy garlic.
And I mean, bad! Worse than a 3 day old, uncleaned litterbox.

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice?
Oil it? What would you suggest?

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are
welcome.

kili

Try soaking it in cold water with a small amount of White Vinegar.
It may ruin the wood, but you cannot use it the way it is. I hope
you can save your board.

Thanks, Margaret. I'll give that a try. I have White Vinegar. The board
is really nasty.

kili

sf said:

kilikini said:

I was chopping up some celery the other day and went, whoosh! Where
is that rank smell coming from? I sniffed the sink, nope. I
sniffed the floor, nope. I sniffed the stove, nope. Then it hit
me. It was the cutting board! It smelled like really moldy garlic.
And I mean, bad! Worse than a 3 day old, uncleaned litterbox.

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice?
Oil it? What would you suggest?

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are
welcome.

Probably a good sanding with hubby's sander will do it, then reseal
with oil.

Ah, that's a thought, too. Thanks, sf.

kili

MJB said:

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are
welcome.

Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

MJB

Okay, that's two votes for re-sanding. Hubby can do it. He is a carpenter
after all.

kili

MJB wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:00:53 -0600:

??>> It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions
??>> are welcome.
??>>
M> Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

That's probably the best way to go but weak bleach might be
worthwhile before sanding and regular application of mineral
oil (medicinal paraffin) does tend to prevent odors soaking in.
To tell the truth, I gave up on my maple cutting board when it
split in two and now use dish-washer safe plastic boards.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton said:

MJB wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:00:53 -0600:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions
are welcome.

Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

That's probably the best way to go but weak bleach might be
worthwhile before sanding and regular application of mineral
oil (medicinal paraffin) does tend to prevent odors soaking in.
To tell the truth, I gave up on my maple cutting board when it
split in two and now use dish-washer safe plastic boards.

Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~) Maybe I should be
looking into getting a plastic cutting board then? This particular wood
cutting board has some sentimental value. It was made by my husband's
uncle, so we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
plastic?

kili

kilikini wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 14:37:35 -0400:

??>>
k> Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~)
k> Maybe I should be looking into getting a plastic cutting
k> board then? This particular wood cutting board has some
k> sentimental value. It was made by my husband's uncle, so
k> we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
k> plastic?

Maple boards can look beautiful but I am convinced that plastic
ones are more sanitary and a bleach/detergent solution can be
used to sterilize them if washing by hand. There is usually
quite a choice of long-lasting plastic boards in places like
Bed, Bath and Beyond etc.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

James Silverton said:

MJB wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:00:53 -0600:

Quoted message said:

> It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions
> are welcome.
>
Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

That's probably the best way to go but weak bleach might be
worthwhile before sanding and regular application of mineral
oil (medicinal paraffin) does tend to prevent odors soaking in.
To tell the truth, I gave up on my maple cutting board when it
split in two and now use dish-washer safe plastic boards.

Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~) Maybe I should be
looking into getting a plastic cutting board then? This particular wood
cutting board has some sentimental value. It was made by my husband's
uncle, so we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
plastic?

kili

I had a favorite board that split. DH regularized the split and used up a
bunch of power tools and stuff and put it back together (OB food: with
"biscuits"😉, better than new. I still have it. I also have 3 plastic boards.
When I'm cooking a lot of stuff, or veggies and meat, I can grab for another
clean one quick.
Edrena

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~) Maybe I should be
looking into getting a plastic cutting board then?

I have three cutting boards. One plastic, one commercial 'butcherblock'
style and...

Quoted message said:

This particular wood
cutting board has some sentimental value.

.... one I made in my 9th grade shop class.

It was made by my husband's

Quoted message said:

uncle, so we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
plastic?

Yes. It's cheap. It's stain and odor resistant. And when it does get
'cruddy' and cut-up, just give it to your carpenter husband and ask him to
take 1/16 of an inch off the top surface with his hand plane for you. In
about thirty seconds flat he'd have a new cutting surface planed flat for
you.

Which is precisely what I do with MY plastic cutting board when it gets
worn-down. I also store it on a hook on the inside panel of my cabinet -
the space between the door and shelves is enough for it to hang safely.

Hope that helps.

MJB

sf said:

Probably a good sanding with hubby's sander will do it, then reseal
with oil.

I vote for this too. If it's that same cutting board I saw, then
it needed a good sanding anyway. Those grooves can hold all
sorts of stuff. Sanding and oiling will help seal it all up
again.

-sw

kilikini said:

Okay, that's two votes for re-sanding. Hubby can do it. He is a carpenter
after all.

I cut tons of garlic on my board. I just wash my wooden cutting board
with soap and water. If it gets rank, I clean it with a water/bleach
solution, usually a dollop of bleach to a cup of water. Been working
great for years. BTW, I don't oil my board.

nb

James Silverton said:

kilikini wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 14:37:35 -0400:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

k> Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~)
k> Maybe I should be looking into getting a plastic cutting
k> board then? This particular wood cutting board has some
k> sentimental value. It was made by my husband's uncle, so
k> we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
k> plastic?

Maple boards can look beautiful but I am convinced that plastic
ones are more sanitary and a bleach/detergent solution can be
used to sterilize them if washing by hand. There is usually
quite a choice of long-lasting plastic boards in places like
Bed, Bath and Beyond etc.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Thanks, Jim. Perhaps the route we should go then. I just don't want to
chuck the board we have. BUT, I can always hide it in the closet (given a
good bleach bath and sanding, that is).

kili

kilikini said:

uncle, so we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend switching to
plastic?

I don't.

BTW, I forgot to mention. If it's really bad, you could try
splashing your board with straight bleach, let it sit for a minute,
then rinse thoroughly with water, then let sit overnight. It should be
fine in the morning.

nb

kilikini said:

margaret suran said:

kilikini said:

It was the cutting board! It smelled like really moldy garlic.
And I mean, bad!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice?
Oil it? What would you suggest?

Quoted message said:

Try soaking it in cold water with a small amount of White Vinegar.
It may ruin the wood, but you cannot use it the way it is. I hope
you can save your board.

Thanks, Margaret.

I thought Maragaret was going to suggest soaking in White Wine.

Sheldon

In article <[email hidden]>,

kilikini said:

I was chopping up some celery the other day and went, whoosh! Where is that
rank smell coming from? I sniffed the sink, nope. I sniffed the floor,
nope. I sniffed the stove, nope. Then it hit me. It was the cutting
board! It smelled like really moldy garlic. And I mean, bad! Worse than a
3 day old, uncleaned litterbox.

How do I get the smell out? Should I bleach it? Use lemon juice? Oil it?
What would you suggest?

It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions are welcome.

kili

I'd bleach, dry, then wipe with vinegar.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

"The Joneses" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

James Silverton said:

MJB wrote on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:00:53 -0600:

>> It's seriously making the kitchen stink. Any suggestions
>> are welcome.
>>
> Sand it smooth and re-finish it.

That's probably the best way to go but weak bleach might be
worthwhile before sanding and regular application of
mineral
oil (medicinal paraffin) does tend to prevent odors soaking
in.
To tell the truth, I gave up on my maple cutting board when
it
split in two and now use dish-washer safe plastic boards.

Unfortunately, I'm the dishwasher in this house. :~) Maybe
I should be
looking into getting a plastic cutting board then? This
particular wood
cutting board has some sentimental value. It was made by my
husband's
uncle, so we'd like to somehow keep it. Do you recommend
switching to
plastic?

kili

I had a favorite board that split. DH regularized the split
and used up a bunch of power tools and stuff and put it back
together (OB food: with "biscuits"😉, better than new. I still
have it. I also have 3 plastic boards. When I'm cooking a lot
of stuff, or veggies and meat, I can grab for another clean
one quick.
Edrena

The maple board was used for a long time. The splitting I
referred to was its second. The first time was in the days when
we did not oil the board and a split occurred between two of the
maple strips. I used slow setting epoxy resin with large clamps
to fix it and it lasted nearly 10 years after that tho' it *was*
oiled.

--
Jim Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Steve Wertz said:

sf said:

Probably a good sanding with hubby's sander will do it, then reseal
with oil.

I vote for this too. If it's that same cutting board I saw, then
it needed a good sanding anyway. Those grooves can hold all
sorts of stuff. Sanding and oiling will help seal it all up
again.

-sw

It's the same cutting board, Steve. A flat plank of oak wood, no splits.
But VERY odiferous!

kili