Take Care of Your Wood Butcher Block.  Butcher block counter tops, cutting boards, and center islands are all beautiful kitchen accents, and also practical cutting surfaces. To maintain the beauty of the wood and extend the life of your wood kitchen surfaces, you should take a few simple steps to care for your butcher block counters and cutting boards:

1.  Clean up as soon as possible after prepping food.  This may sound obvious, but getting the food off the wood as soon as possible is going to help you avoid staining.  To remove stubborn food scraps that may have dried on, such as dough scraps, try scraping with a pastry blender or the edge of a metal spatula.

2.  Wash boards with a mild soap.  Any soap will do, really.  Dishwashing liquid is fine.  Just be sure to rinse well, and then blot up any excess moisture with a clean towel.

3.  To remove stains, try scrubbing with salt and lemon juice.  This is also a good way to remove strong food odors, such as garlic and onions.

4.  Periodically re-finish and re-season your wood surfaces with a food-safe oil that won’t become rancid.  Mineral oil is a good choice.  The process of refinishing will go a lot quicker than if you were seasoning a board for the first time.  Just spread on the oil, let it sit for about an hour, then blot up any excess oil with a clean rag.  Repeat once.

And that is all it takes!  With just a little preventative maintenance, the butcher block surfaces in your kitchen will look good for years to come and will serve you well.

Related Project:  To make your very own rolling kitchen island with a wood butcher-block top, check out our how-to video:  “How to Make an Amazing Rolling Kitchen Island”.

by See Jane Drill, Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved