Wooden cutting board smells: how to get the odour out
You can freshen up a smelly wooden cutting board with coarse salt, half a lemon and a firm brush: scrub it in, leave it for five minutes, rinse and dry straight away. Then give it a coat of oil, because a well-oiled board absorbs far less odour.
Onion, garlic and fish leave an odour behind the fastest. That is not a sign that your board is dirty or worn out. Wood has pores. When they are open, moisture soaks in and odour with it. The good news: you can almost always get it out again.
What makes a wooden board smell?
- Dry wood. A board that has not been oiled for a long time soaks up moisture like a sponge. The odour comes in with the moisture.
- Wet for too long. A board that dries flat on the worktop or is left in the sink stays damp on the underside. That starts to smell musty.
- Strong foods. Onion, garlic, fish and raw meat leave more behind than bread or vegetables.
How to get the odour out
- Wash the board with warm water and a little washing-up liquid. Rinse it well.
- Sprinkle coarse salt over it and squeeze half a lemon over the top.
- Scrub the board firmly with the TheWootz cutting board brush, along the grain. The bristles get into the pores, the edges and the juice groove, where a cloth cannot reach. The salt scours lightly, the lemon juice takes the odour with it.
- Leave it for five minutes.
- Rinse and dry straight away with a cloth.
- Stand the board upright so both sides can dry.
- Oil it as soon as it is completely dry. Lemon and salt dry out the wood, so do not skip this step.
How to prevent it
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Wash straight after use | Leave it lying until after dinner |
| Dry it and leave it to dry upright | Leave it to dry flat on the worktop |
| 20 ml of oil twice a month | Wait until the wood is grey and dry |
| Wash by hand | Put it in the dishwasher or leave it to soak |
The oil matters most. A board that is saturated with care oil repels moisture and so absorbs less odour too. How to do that is explained in Caring for a wooden cutting board.
Frequently asked questions
What do I scrub a wooden cutting board clean with?
With a firm brush with natural bristles. The cutting board brush is made for that: it gets into the pores and the juice groove without damaging the wood.
Does the dishwasher help against the odour?
No, it makes it worse. The heat and the long time spent wet dry out the wood and can make it crack. A dried-out board then absorbs odour even faster.
The odour keeps coming back. What now?
Then it is deeper in the wood. Sand the board lightly, remove the dust and oil it generously. You can read how in Sanding and restoring a wooden cutting board.
Does the care oil itself smell of anything?
No. Our care oil is 100% grapeseed oil and odourless. You smell and taste nothing of it.
