How do I care for my timber board?

All board purchases come with a Board Care card that outlines the following:

• Hand wash only in hot soapy water before first use and after each use.

• Do not submerge in water, soak or place in the dishwasher.

• Towel and air dry you board.

• Store in a dry place away from sunlight.

• Avoid exposure to extreme temperatures.

• Apply a food-grade mineral oil, beeswax or blend (such as our very own BoardButter) as needed to prevent drying and cracking.
  

How often should I oil/condition my board?

Well, this is kind of hard to answer because it depends on a few things. It can depend on how often you use it, what you use it for, the temperature it’s exposed to and even the timber that it’s made with. 

A few signs that it might be time to give your board an oiling/waxing/BoardButtering are:

• Your board appears dry or brittle on the surface. 

• You’ve used and washed it a lot lately.

• Your board appears lighter in colour.

• Water appears to absorb or spread into the timber.

• You’ve noticed some coloured residue being removed from your board when you wash or dry it. (See next FAQ re: tannins below).

If you’d like a general guideline on how often to recondition your board though, some suggest that a monthly conditioning can be beneficial.

When washing my new board, I have noticed a coloured residue is seeping from it. What is this?

Particularly if your board is a darker colour, tannins (naturally occurring, water soluble, antibacterial compounds) have the potential to leech from the timber surface when it is washed. If this is happening to your board, regular re-oiling can renew that protective surface barrier to slow this process down. You might also want to dry your board with paper towel during this process to avoid staining your tea towels. Do not be worried though - This process will not last forever. It will only be temporary whilst your board is fairly new.

Why has my board’s surface become “rough” after I’ve been using it?

Fibres in the timber grain of some timber species may swell or “raise” after repeated washing and exposure to moisture over time. Although a process known as “raising the grain” is carried out by us during board construction whereby water is applied to the board’s surface to bring out these fibres for re-sanding, it is possible that more may raise over time. If your board appears rough, “raised” or even scratched over time, you can sand it back using 150-220 grit sandpaper and re-oil it to restore.

Are timber boards hygienic? I’ve heard they can harbour bacterial growth.

Well, it all depends on the type of timber board you are using.

Research has shown consistently that hardwood timber cutting boards (just like ours) are actually the most hygienic cutting board to use. This is because the low porosity of hardwood doesn’t allow moisture to penetrate much below the surface of the board which means bacteria don’t have the damp environments needed in which to multiply. Food hygiene research has found that the capillary action of hardwoods’ fine grains pulls down fluid, traps bacteria, and kills them off as the board dries after cleaning. Softwood boards are highly porous though, so if you are using a softwood cutting board, this will not be the case.

Deep knife cuts or scratches that may be found on a well-used softwood or plastic board have the potential to provide moist environments in which bacteria may grow too, but this isn’t so much the case for hardwood boards because they are just that - hard! - and any knife cuts only really skim the surface.

As an added bonus, timber of any kind has natural antibacterial properties that protect against the growth of bacteria.

Board care is also very important to board hygiene. If you aren’t caring for your board with the instructions you’re given from us or anyone else, the hygiene of the board may be compromised. Oiling is important to create a protective surface barrier, and what you oil with is also important. If you use food-based oils to condition your board (eg. olive oil), the bad news is that foods spoil, and so do these oils, which actually go rancid on your board’s surface. So our BoardButter or any food-safe mineral oils are your best bet here.

How do you select materials with which to create your products?

Oils, Waxes & Glues: All oils, glues and waxes that we use to create our food-related items are of the best food-grade quality. This includes our gap filler which is self-made using only food-grade glue and sawdust. For non-food related items, appropriate construction materials are chosen as appropriate for the item’s intended use.

Timber: We specialise in the use of reclaimed hardwood, not only for its durability, but also because its natural properties & cell structure make it safer for reuse. Studies have also shown that hardwood is also the most hygienic, anti-bacterial timber (when compared with softwood) to use for wooden cutting boards. The timber sourced by us for reuse is generally repurposed from internal structures and is carefully selected depending its intended reuse.

What safety precautions do you take in the restoration and reuse of recycled timber?

Customer and craftsman safety is important to us and any reclaimed timber that we use is carefully selected with this in mind. We specialise in the use of reclaimed hardwood, not only for its durability, but also because its natural properties & cell structure make it safer for reuse. We have widely researched the necessary safety considerations for the reuse of hardwood timber, including the permeability of its surfaces. This education has given us the knowledge and understanding of how best to inspect, select, prepare, cut back and wash recycled timber to remove previously exposed surfaces and possible surface contaminants.