Removing food residue from dishes, mainly cutting boards, is like trying to un-stick chewing gum from your favorite jeans – tedious at best! Food can be clingy, and porous surfaces make it all the harder. But fear not! Here’s a guide packed with tips to ensure your plastic cutting boards stay as clean as a whistle, minimizing your family’s exposure to those pesky food-borne illnesses.
Importance of a Clean Plastic Cutting Board
Sure, cleaning a plastic cutting board is easier than doing the same for ones made of other materials. But let’s not kid ourselves – it’s still a task. Those cut marks your knives leave? Perfect little hideouts for bacteria! A UC Davis study found that “plastic surfaces that were knife-scarred were impossible to clean and disinfect manually.” Yikes!
Wash it By Hand and Use the Dishwasher
Bacteria are sneaky; even the sanitary cycle of a dishwasher might not phase them all. Using the dishwasher on a sanitary cycle as often as your schedule allows is key. But to truly make strides, hand-washing with dish soap, a scrub brush, and warm water after each use is the way to go. Clean those plastic boards thoroughly by hand; it’s your best bet for banishing those unwanted germs!
For tough stains like fruit or vegetable juices, mix up a paste of 1 part baking soda, salt, and water. This concoction is abrasive enough to remove stains but gentle enough not to harm your cutting board. Clever and effective! Scrub well to keep your plastic cutting board looking and functioning at its best.
Proper Disinfectant
After giving your cutting board a good wash, disinfecting it is essential to eliminate all foodborne illnesses and bacteria hiding in those cut marks. But hold off on the Chlorox! Bleach is brutal on the lungs and body. Instead, go natural. Vinegar or a solution of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide work wonders. Soak your board for at least five minutes, then wash with soap and warm water. Voilà!
Downside of Plastic Cutting Boards
Besides housing bacteria, plastic cutting boards have another caveat. When these boards get cut up or damaged, they shed tiny plastic particles that could hitch a ride into your food. Cue the alarm bells! That’s why some folks are pivoting to other materials like silicone, which has its issues but is a fair alternative. Still, even silicone, if damaged, can release toxic chemicals into the food. It’s all about finding what suits your kitchen hygiene best!
Plastic Cutting Board vs Other Materials
What about other materials? Glass and stainless steel cutting boards boast non-porous surfaces, easy to wipe clean, and immune to bacteria retention. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. These materials are notorious for dulling knives, which makes food prep a nightmare. So, while they excel in one area, they fall short in another.
Wood for the Win
Wooden cutting boards can’t go in the dishwasher, but they come with a secret weapon – natural bacterial resistance! Wood boards absorb bacteria, and over time, this bacteria dies off. Dr. Dean Cliver explains, “Although the bacteria that have disappeared from the wood surfaces are found alive inside the wood for some time after application, they evidently do not multiply, and they gradually die.” Additionally, “end-grain” wood boards are self-healing. Knife cuts close up over time, reducing the amount of trapped bacteria.
General Cutting Board Care
While wooden cutting boards are stellar in the bacteria-minimizing department, proper maintenance can make any type of cutting board a solid choice. A well-maintained and thoroughly cleaned plastic cutting board can definitely hold its ground, ensuring your kitchen stays a safe place and prolonging the life of your culinary essentials.
