I used the board before I oiled it!

[blinktwice]

I'm back

I know I should have oiled my new wood cutting board first, but all the places near me that sold mineral oil only sold the dumb "baby" oil, with the fragrance! I did not want that, so I decided to wait until I could get a ride out of town to a regular grocery/drug store.

However, in the meantime I got impatient and I used my board.

I used it to cut veggies on one side, then fish on the other. (I was making sushi)

I washed the board in warm soapy water and rinsed it well. I wiped it as dry as possible and then let it dry in the air.

My question is, have I ruined it already? I've actually never oiled a board before, I always just scrubbed my boards and blocks in the olden days. But I've read I should use oil. Can I do this now that I've already used the board and washed it?

 

[Michael in FtW]

No, you haven't ruined your board. However, I would wipe it down with a liberal coating of 5% acidic Distilled White Vinegar (the plain old white vinegar most people have on hand) and allow to air dry for 24 hours before oiling.

As for oil - you have 3 choices. Some board manufactures sell "special" oils for their boards, you can get "food grade mineral oil", or you can use the medical grade mineral oil labeled "Mineral Oil USP" from a drugstore, or in the drug section of larger grocery stores - sometimes found among the "laxatives". I use the latter (medical grade - USP). Same thing and a heck of a lot cheaper!

This topic comes up frequently. You might find some helpful information by checking out one of our previous discussions on the care and feeding of a wood cutting board.