You’re cleaning chopping board wrong as TV star shares perfect method | UK | News

It’s important to keep your chopping boards clean when preparing food – but not everyone knows how to wash them correctly.

To help out, Nancy Birtwhistle, who won the fifth series of The Great British Bake Off in 2014, has shared exactly how to deep clean your wooden chopping boards using two household items.

Appearing on This Morning, 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.

“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.”

She says this not only neutralises any odour but it will also get rid of any bugs and germs that may be lurking on your chopping board.

“Wipe it down and then just leave it to dry,” she adds. She confirms it’s anti-bacterial too, as the lemon is acidic.

Commenting on the clip, one user said: “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 added: “I occasionally give mine a scrape while it’s damp, with my big chefs knife. It’s takes a tiny bit of stained wood off.

“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 said: “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.”

One more user added: “I just wash mine in a washing bowl with washing up liquid and drip dry – what’s all the fuss about?”

According to US Department of Agriculture (USDA), chopping boards should last between one and five years, depending on use.

The agency says they should no longer be used when they become difficult to clean, very worn, or have grooves.

The Spruce Eats states: ” 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.”