Deep Clean Your Wood Cutting Boards Naturally!

Making good food doesn't just rely on the recipe you use or your skill in the kitchen. It's also determined by how well you maintain the tools and surfaces that you have, regardless of how expensive they are! Let's talk about your wood cutting board today. When is the last time you deep cleaned it? Been a while? Let's do it tonight - it's so easy and you likely have the ingredients you need!

Check out our natural cleaning products list too, just in case you are in the mood to keep on cleaning after you finish cleaning your cutting board!

A few key pieces of information about wood cutting boards before we start:

1. NEVER, NEVER put them in the dishwasher! Although it seems like a good idea, wood is a porous substance and if soaking it full of water is a BAD idea!
2. On that same note, NEVER submerge your wood cutting board in water. It will dry out very quickly and will become dry and crack over time.
3. Although you can, it's not recommended that you cut meats on your wood cutting board because of the porous substance. BPA-free plastic or glass cutting boards are better for cutting meat (watch your knives though!)

Want to know what you need to deep clean your wood cutting board? A lemon and some coarse salt. 

Let's get started!

Wash your cutting board as you normally do - a little soap and a scrubber sponge or a brush. Rinse thoroughly.

Cut your lemon in half. Coat the wet board with coarse salt and squeeze the juice of 1/2 of the lemon onto your board. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

Take the other half of the lemon and begin to scrub the salt into the board using the cut side of the lemon, slightly squeezing the lemon to juice it as you scrub. Let the board sit for 1-2 additional minutes.

Rinse thoroughly. Stand the board upright to dry either on a towel or in your sink.

Want to restore the wood of your cutting board? Rub a little mineral oil into your board after it has dried. Mineral oil is odorless and tasteless.

Have scratches on your cutting board that drive you crazy? You can use a little bit of fine grit sandpaper to relieve the scratches. Be sure to wash and complete the steps afterward to remove the particles.

When's the last time you deep cleaned your cutting board?

Are Your Cleaning Products Really "Clean?" - Recipes to Help You Clean

It's hard to go from using your old cleaning products to new, natural ones! I found myself wanting to revert back to what I know works - bleach, formulated granite cleaners/polish, chemical-laden window and toilet cleaners, but alas! Here are my favorite "recipes" for disinfecting your home!

In case you want to copy and paste these recipes to a word doc, here they are in text format! 

All Purpose Cleaner

• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Dawn dish soap
• 4 TBSP white vinegar
• 400 mL warm water

Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Dusting Spray

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 c white vinegar
• 1 c warm water

Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

• 1/4 c baking soda
• 1/4 c borax
• 1 c white vinegar

Place ingredients directly into toilet. Mix gently with bowl brush. Let sit at least 30 minutes before scrubbing. 

Granite Cleaner

• 1/2 c rubbing alcohol
• 8 drops Dawn dish soap
• 2 c warm water

Combine in a squirt bottle.

Glass Cleaner

• 1/4 c rubbing alcohol
• 1/4 c white vinegar
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 c warm water

Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Tub Cleanser

• 1/2 cut grapefruit
• 1/4 c kosher salt

Place salt directly on grapefruit half. Scrub your tub!

Grout Cleaner

• 1/2 c baking soda
• 1/4 c white vinegar

Mix in a small, open container. Using a toothbrush, apply paste to grout and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse off.

Not sure what you need to get your Green "Clean" Cleaning Pantry stocked? Check out our shopping list from yesterday's post!

Do you have a favorite green cleaning recipe to share? 

Are Your Cleaning Products Really "Clean?" - Building A Green Cleaning Stash

With the anticipation of our little one (mine and Jim's) to arrive in May, I have taken a closer look at our cleaning products lately. Although I am still cleaning our house (we haven't and probably won't take the leap to hire a maid as long as I can handle the "chores"), I set out to learn all that I could about Green "Clean" Cleaning using natural, non-toxic products. After all, we prep our food on our kitchen surfaces, eat off of our dishes and sit on our carpets and floors - all typically cleaned with chemicals we wouldn't dream of putting in our bodies!

Although I have been known to kill bugs with my household cleaners, it got me thinking - if it kills a bug, do I really want it on my skin or around my food? My answer is "NO!"

Below, you will find what you will need to replace the vast majority of your daily cleaning products (including bleach - gasp!) straight from your pantry, grocery or garden.

Stock your Green "Clean" Cleaning Supplies Cabinet
Shopping List

Liquids:

• Distilled White Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Olive Oil (Not Pictured)
• Rubbing Alcohol (Not Pictured)

Powders:

• Cornstarch
• Kosher Salt
• Borax
• Baking Soda

Fresh Produce:

• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Lemons

Optional:

• Peppermint Oil - used for fragrance
• Lavender Oil - used for fragrance
• Empty Squirt Bottles (I recommend 4-5 for different mixtures)
• Old Rags (Can also used cut-up T-Shirts)
• Sponges
• Paper Towel

Here are my favorite recipes for making your own natural cleaning products!