Content:
- Materials and features
- Cleaning rules
- Disinfection
- Traditional methods
Each of us has a cutting board on our kitchen, on which we cut vegetables, bread and other products. Very often it happens that this much-needed subject gets dirty, stains and gets an unpleasant smell. We will talk about how you can clean the cutting board from wood or plastic, so that it retains its appearance for a long time and is suitable for further use.
Materials and features
Like any other thing, a board made of wood has its pros and cons. Among the positive aspects, we can note:
- environmental friendliness;
- strength;
- easy to use;
- low cost.
As for the minuses, they are obvious:
- is subject to wear;
- is quickly dirty;
- porous wood structure has the property of absorbing the juice of vegetables and fruits;
- can remain traces of the knife after cutting the products.
As for the plastic board, it has the following qualities:
- lightness;
- strength;
- color variety;
- odors are easily eroded.
Of the minuses can be identified:
- no antibacterial coating;
- material is not environmentally friendly;
- is often a sliding surface.
The inevitability of pollution is the biggest problem that housewives usually encounter using a board - both wooden and plastic. This feature leads to the formation of microbes that promote the development of infections. To prevent the penetration of bacteria into the body, you need to learn how to clean the surface of food residues.
Cleaning rules
Most often this kitchen item is cleaned with hot water, as well as all kinds of detergents. It should be remembered that it is not necessary to soak a dirty board in the water, because the tree from which it is made can start to rot, and the number of bacteria will only increase.
It is undesirable to wipe the board with a towel, as the tissue can contain germs. When it comes into contact with it, it is possible to hit bacteria on a wooden or plastic surface, and washing it will be a waste of time.
Advice
The best option after washing is simply to dry this household item in a suspended state. But if you urgently need to use it, then gently pat the board, both wooden and plastic, with a napkin or a disposable paper towel.
Disinfection
It is necessary to disinfect the cutting surface from time to time, and this process needs to be given special attention. If you are thinking about how to remove the smell and the remnants of food, weigh all the pros and cons of each method.
"Thermonuclear" Soviet version - purification with the help of chlorine. For this purpose, you need to mix five liters of water with one tablespoon of this substance. After that, the wooden board is lowered into the mixture for half an hour. It is necessary to act very carefully, work only in gloves and do not forget about your own safety. After using chlorine from the board, all residues of this chemical must be carefully removed with the help of hot water. But no one can guarantee that there are no toxic compounds in the porous surface structure. Since the board is used for cooking, it is highly undesirable to use this method.
It's better to use ordinary soda available to every hostess. To do this, dilute a teaspoon in 0.5 liters of hot water and mix thoroughly. It is enough to hold the board in the solution for 5-10 minutes, then thoroughly wash it and leave to dry in an upright position. By the way, the plastics board can be cleaned in the same way, since soda is a universal cleaner for many surfaces.
In addition to alkali for this purpose, hydrogen peroxide is also suitable. To do this, two teaspoons are mixed with 0.5 liters of water, after which they put the board in the resulting composition. This method helps to get rid of odors and remnants of products.
Popular methods of
If you do not have detergents at hand, you can use the methods that our grandmothers have repeatedly rescued.
One of the great ways to remove contaminants is lemon. It is enough only half of this citrus to clear a plastic or wooden board from the remains of food. The lemon is rubbed on the surface, after which the cleaned object is thoroughly washed with water.
Another popular recipe can be a combination of citrus and salt. As in the previous case, the board is rubbed with a lemon, and then sprinkled with salt. After 10-12 minutes, the surface is again rubbed with half of citrus, after which it is washed with water.
If you need to remove the smell of herring or meat from the board, vinegar can do it perfectly - they can wipe the cutting surface.
If you notice that there are cracks or scratches on the board, dispose of it as soon as possible. Even if you really like this thing, remember that with deep damages to use it is already unfit.