Garlic and onion are pretty delicious, but they also leave a strong smell on your kitchen utensils, especially when you chop them up and release their oils. That smell can linger for days on wooden cutting boards unless you know how to get rid of it. This simple trick is my favorite way to deodorize wood cutting boards (hint: you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen).
This cleaning recipe is chemical-free and super frugal. Not only it’s incredibly easy to make, but you can feel good about cleaning with all-natural, safe ingredients.
And while the internet is full of different ways to do it I have found that most of them are flops. At least for me none of the sprays and soaps quite worked. They were okay, but I needed something stronger that really took out the garlic smell from my cutting board.
How to deodorize a cutting board
That’s when I went with an old school trick, one that grandmas have been using for years with their cast irons. Good ol’ salt and citrus.
The process is as easy as rubbing salt with half piece of fruit (oranges, lemons, and grapefruits work great) on top of your cutting board for a couple of minutes. Then it’s just a matter of rinsing and patting it dry.
That’s it. Seriously I ‘m not hiding a secret step — it is as easy as that. The fruit is going to release it’s natural oils into the wood so it’s not extra harsh on your cutting board. And you have to admit, grapefruit smells amazing. The salt, on the other hand, is the ingredient responsible for taking out small bits of food that may be sticking into the crevices of the wood.
I like to rub them well and then let it sit for around 10 minutes to make sure it’s really getting rid of everything. I do this around once a month to make sure my cutting boards are smelling fresh every single day.
If you enjoyed learning how to deodorize a cutting board, you’ll like these diy cleaning recipes, too:
0