Banish dirt from wooden chopping board with Bake Off winner's two-ingredient tip

Daily Record

21-05-2025

If you're not cleaning your board properly, then this chemical-free solution from 2014 Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle could be a cut above the rest
Keeping chopping boards clean is vital when making food, but washing them properly isn't common knowledge. Baker and author Nancy Birtwhistle has explained how to deep-clean wooden chopping boards with just two domestic items.
In an appearance on ITV's This Morning, the 2014 Great British Bake Off champion shared her simple, two-ingredient solution to banishing dirt and odours from the kitchen items – and these things are usually found in a baker's arsenal.
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Nancy demonstrated her hack to presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, who both looked rather amazed on seeing the trick unfold. She said: "You don't really want to be soaking a board because it can warp and crack. Definitely don't put them in the dishwasher.
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"But if they get a bit pongy, especially if you've sliced garlic or anything like that, then half a lemon dipped in salt and you've got a cleaner and scourer. This will neutralise any odour, get rid of any bugs and germs, and then I wipe down and just leave it to dry."
When Cat asked: "And it's anti-bacterial as well?", Nancy confirmed it was, saying: "Yes, because it's a mild acid."
A follower responded to the segment, saying: "Nancy's wooden chopping board tip works great! In addition, we also use a sharpie marker and draw a little arrow on the side of our boards.
"The arrow facing-up side is used for savouries/strong odour foods (onions, garlic, etc) and the other side is used for all other fruits and veggies. That way our apple slices don't taste of onions if someone doesn't clean the board properly after use!"
Another user offered their thoughts, saying: "I occasionally give mine a scrape while it's damp, with my big chefs knife. It takes a tiny bit of stained wood off.
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"I've had my board for about 10 years and it's still very thick and heavy. I love it. If I've cut something messy on it, I run boiling water over it into the sink then dry with kitchen paper."
A third user shared: "I've had the same wooden board for 40 odd years and everything gets chopped up on it. It gets bleached and cleaned every time I use it... and I'm still alive."
Another person added: "I just wash mine in a washing bowl with washing up liquid and drip dry – what's all the fuss about?"
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According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), chopping boards should last between one and five years, depending on use. The agency advised that boards should no longer be used when they become difficult to clean, very worn or have grooves.
In addition, food website The Spruce Eats said: "Although all cutting boards can harbour germs, plastic ones are better than their wooden counterparts because they are nonporous. That makes them especially safer to use with raw meat. For even better hygiene, you should have separate cutting boards for different foods in your kitchen.
"The USDA suggests using one for fresh produce and bread and a different one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. That can help prevent bacteria from raw meat getting spread to food that doesn't need to be cooked.
"Buying different coloured boards can help you remember which is which, like using a green one for veggies and a red one for meat. Good cleaning can help extend the life of plastic cutting boards, but you still need to replace them regularly."
Furthermore, Cat's query that lemons were anti-bacterial carried some merit as studies, particularly this one published in the journal Food Science & Nutrition, found that lemon juice concentrates "significantly inhibited" the growth of harmful bacteria.