Blog

How to clean cutting boards used for meat

sliced meat with salt on the cutting board
Photo by Storiès on Unsplash

If the cutting board is not properly cleaned after slicing meat, various bacteria may accumulate on the cutting board, for example, E. coli or salmonella. This increases the risk of infection of the whole family with these bacteria. First you need to have several cutting boards. One board should be for meat, the other for vegetables and fruits.

When you need to disinfect cutting boards

cooked meat with vegetables on wooden deck
Photo by Kaysha on Unsplash

If this board is for fruits and vegetables, then it is good enough to wash it. But if it is a board for fish or meat import, then it must be disinfected after each use.

How to carry out disinfection

If you have a wooden board, then treat it weekly with oil to apply a protective layer against bacteria. Any mineral oil is perfect for this. But you should never use vegetable oil or the oil you cook with to lubricate the board. If you do this, you can ruin the wood. If your board is no longer new and there are a lot of scratches on it, then it should be replaced, because a large number of bacteria can accumulate in the cracks, which it will not get rid of.

Photo by Ömer Haktan Bulut on Unsplash

To get rid of the smell of meat, you can wipe the cutting board with a slice of fresh lemon after disinfecting it.

But it’s not just the cutting board that needs to be washed. While you are slicing hungarian meat, pieces of it can get on the countertop, and meat juice can also be sprayed. Therefore, even if you use a disinfected board, you need to wipe the countertop under and around the board after cutting the meat. It will become a good habit if after each time you wipe the countertop with hot water and soap. A universal cleaning agent will be enough to keep the kitchen place clean and safe from bacteria.

These tips are suitable not only for cutting boards for meat, but also for fish. Therefore, follow these useful recommendations, then you will not have to worry about anything.