Cutting Board Rehab Kit Instructions

Our board conditioner is a traditional finish that has been used for hundreds of years.  It contains:

• Food safe mineral oil.
• Cosmetic grade white beeswax.
• Coconut oil.
• Essential oils for scent.

Your kit includes the following:

• 2 x 4 oz jars of board conditioner
• a cotton rag
• 1 piece of 100 grit sand paper (for removing deep grooves)
• 1 maroon pad (for smoothing and cleaning)
• 1 white pad (for fine smooth & applying conditioner)

Monthly Maintenance

Apply a small amount of board conditioner with white pad.  Let stand for at least one hour, if any dry spots remain re-apply.  Buff off any excess conditioner with cotton rag. 

Stain Removal

Sprinkle salt on the board and rub it with lemon juice or white vinegar. Leave it for 10-15 minutes. Next, wipe or rinse the mixture off and let it dry. When dry, apply board conditioner.

Major Maintenance (about 30 minutes)

If you have a lot of deep knife grooves in your board, the following procedure is recommended:

1.  Wash board with mild detergent or lemon juice/vinegar as mentioned above.

2.  Using 100 grit sand paper, sand with the grain until grooves are removed or lessened.   If you have a random orbital hand sander that will make things quicker.  I recommend against a belt sander -- it's just too aggressive.

3.  Take a damp cloth and wipe off any sanding dust.  This will also 'raise the grain' of the wood, making it feel slightly fuzzy.  Let the board stand until water evaporates from the surface and it feels dry to the touch.

4.  Repeat step 2 to sand off any wood fibres raised.  

5.  Using the maroon pad, go over every place you sanded previously.  This pad acts as a fine abrasive and should return your board to a nice smooth finish. 

6.  Apply some board conditioner to the board, and rub it with the white pad.  This will spread the conditioner around and act as a final sanding.

7.  Let board stand for at least an hour.  Reapply conditioner to any spots that re-appear dry.

8.  Buff off excess with cotton rag.

Disinfection

If you wish to do a major disinfection of your board, you can apply spritz it with hydrogen peroxide, reapplying to any areas that 'bubble'.  Note: This should not generally be necessary, but if you left your board in water for an extended period and see signs of mildew, this is recommended.

Clean Up

Mineral oil is a 'non-drying' oil, so rags and applicators can be rinsed with water and pose no risk of spontaneous combustion.  Oils that cure (such as linseed) oil dry and produce heat, so care must be taken if other products from another vendor as used.