Kicking off this new Everyday Makings series with a wood cutting board refresh. If you spend as much time in the kitchen as we do, your wood cutting board could probably use some love too. We have a large IKEA bamboo cutting board we use for everything but meats, that has been with us for several years now and has stood up to daily use because we take good care of it.
I regularly sanitize our wood cutting board but when the board starts to look really rough I give it a good sanding to get the stubborn fruit stains and deep knife lines out.
BEFORE 
One of my favorite features about this bamboo board is the lip on one edge that hangs over the counter. It keeps the board in place when using and still looks attractive enough to leave on the counter. See the deep knife lines? Those can start to harbor bacteria so I aim to refresh sand those down to get a smooth and almost brand new surface back with a little elbow grease.
All of these supplies I had on hand so this refresh only cost me about hour of my time.
- white vinegar
- super fine mist spray bottle
- coarse salt
- 1 lemon
- Ryobi orbital sander
- coarse grit sand paper
- medium grit sand paper
- fine grit sand paper
- safety glasses
- food grade mineral oil
A sander of any kind is very helpful for this quick project. I have one I love and is relatively inexpensive. If you do not have access to one, sanding by hand is an option.
Here is the full video from my IGtv channel
I was able to refresh my cutting board during nap time and have the board back on the counter ready to use before the boy woke up. Some of the deepest knife cuts are still faintly visible but they look a thousand times better than before and the fruit stains are gone.
AFTER 
FRUIT STAINS ARE GONE
This type of quick and easy project is a small win and also impactful on our everyday lives. Take that hour out of your day and freshen up that wood cutting board that hasn’t seen any maintenance since you bought it. Or better yet, thrift one and bring it back to life!
