Don't put in the dishwasher. That can warp or splinter the wood. Wipe down with a damp cloth and dry. Never immerse in water. For stains you can sprinkle with salt and rub with a cut lemon. I also use mineral oil on my boards when it dries out. Some woods supposedly have anti-bacterial properties - not sure about that.

I use plastic boards (that go in dishwasher) for prepping raw meat but still use a wooden board (with a well) for carving.

I put my wooden boards in the dish washer.....I figure if they split....I will buy new....but a clean baord is a good thing!
Linda C

I don't own a dishwasher, but my wooden boards get immersed in soapy water in the sink. Wiping down works for breadcrumbs, but not garlic and onions.

No plastic boards here. I use wood for everything and keep one specifically for cutting raw meat.

Harper

I wash my wooden cutting board with dawn and a scrubby. No dishwasher as I feel that would be too drying. I have one which is over 20 years old and still going strong. I have a plastic one for fruits and veggies. I just like to keep meats and their juices away from raw foods.

I wouldn't put it in the dishwasher, it will ruin it eventually. Very few bacteria will grow in maple, which is what most cutting boards are made of. I just quickly wash mine with hot soapy water and then dry it with a dishtowel. I have been known to use a weak bleach/water solution on it too.

Wouldn't dispute any clinicians. However, I've been using wooden cutting boards for EVERYTHING for more than 40 years. I hand wash them with soap and water and dry them off. My family and friends -- and I -- have remained healthy throughout those decades. Oldsters, adults, babies -- everybody. A couple of those boards are older than 40 years. None have ever seen a dishwasher's interior.

I also have a few plastic ones but I usually hand-wash those, too. Guess I'm a creature of habit.

And I have some that are more than 40 years old that have seen the inside of a dishwasher fairly often....not every day....but often.
I think it depends on your tolerance for cutting board destruction vs possible germs.
Linda c

I was checking out John Boos brand boards which are sold as lasting a lifetime (they are pricey). They do not recommend putting in the dishwasher. They also talk about maple cutting boards naturally killing bacteria.

The same goes for my knives with wood handles - I never put them in the dishwasher. I want them to last!

Just because people do it does not mean it is the proper care for a cutting board.

A dishwasher is an extremely harsh environment. Wood should never go inside one...not if you want it to last.

I've used maple cutting boards for many years to cut raw meat and washed them well in hot soapy water. We've never gotten ill from them. However, I did not use those particular boards for anything other than cutting raw meat.

Recently (for some unfounded reason) I've become a bit more paranoid so I've purchased a couple of plastic ones from Williams Sonoma for cutting up raw meat because they can go in the dishwasher. I still use my maple Boos boards for everything else though. I much prefer wood cutting boards overall.They just feel nicer.

Wooden cutting boards are naturally antibacterial. Scientists doing experiments to determine the best way to clean wooden cutting boards discovered that 99.9% of bacteria on the surface disappeared within 3 minutes, even without cleaning. They think the wood sucks the bacteria down inside it, where antimicrobial chemicals naturally present in wood then kill it.

Plastic cutting boards, OTOH, were uncleanable. They were still heavily contaminated even after being run through a dishwasher. Bacteria hides in all the little scratches where it can't be killed.

I'm getting a new kitchen next week; after reading this I went with wooden countertops.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Safety: Comparing Plastic and Wood Cutting Boards

I have a John Boos cutting board built into my counter. I wash it with a soapy sponge, sometimes followed by a wet paper towel. Sometimes I cut raw meat on wax paper, but not always. Knock on wood, (no pun intended) we don't seem to get sick much. I believe that lignin has natural antibacterial properties. It must. Or maybe challenging your immune system is a good thing.

Wooden cutting board should not be cleaned in the dishwasher, it must be cleaned by hand for a longer usage.