# Getting the smell out of my wooden cutting board



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I may have accidentally cut up some octopus on my wooden cutting board and left the juices on it over night.  I can't get the smell out, it has been sitting with a thick pile of baking soda on it over night and it still didn't get the smell out.  I was in a hurry and couldn't find my plastic board designated for seafood so I used my wooden veggie-only board!  Is there hope to salvage it or do I have to throw it out?


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## planethoff (Apr 25, 2011)

I know it sounds crazy but run it under water and rub it all over with the back of a stainless steel spoon.  It's mainly a trick used to get garlic smell off hands, but I have done it on wood cutting boards and it seemed to work. Wouldn't hurt to try right?


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Will try!


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## thatchairlady (Feb 15, 2012)

Remember seeing some gizmo for removing garlic smell being sold somewhere.  Looked like a small bar of soap made of stainless steel.  My Scottish bones thought this was the silliest WASTE of money every.  WHO doesn't have SOMETHING stainless steel in their kitchen, after all??  Holding a piece of flatware in your hand, under running water actually does seem to work.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

You may try also:

1. Lemon juice (ascorbic acid).

2. White vinegar (acetic acid).

3. Extreme solution: Caustic soda, use with precaution.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

oohh, I like the lemon and vinegar idea too, I never that about getting smells off of anything but my hands


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## jimbo68 (Feb 3, 2012)

I have had success with cleaning boards by rubbing salt into the board, leaving it overnight, rubbing the same salt the next day, and scraping the board with a kitchen scraper.  Works for garlic,

My thoughts are that if you have an octopus smell, you still have octopus on the board.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Rub the board down with a cut lemon and wipe with a paper towel.

Mince a few cloves of garlic on the board, than mash the mince into a paste by rubbing them with the side of your knife. Rub them all around the board. You can reserve the minced garlic for another purpose if you like.

Clean the mashed garlic off the board, which should -- by then -- smell of garlic and not fish. First use something very mildly abrasive, like a Scotch-Brite "green thing" or a pad safe for non-stick cookware. Clean the board again with a damp towel or sponge and make sure that it looks and feels VERY clean.

Wipe down with ordinary kitchen disinfectant, or -- better still -- mix your own using ordinary household bleach. If you do mix your own, store it in a spray bottle and use it "as needed;" every time you cut a chicken on your board, for instance, but at least every few days; and, of course, it's great for counters.

The disinfecting process itself won't mask or eliminate smells, but kitchen disinfectants are by and large fairly powerful cleaners; especially bleach.

If you like, after disinfecting, you can repeat the lemon rub.

To some extent this process will get rid of the old smell; but mostly it's going to cover it with less objectionable [ahem] aromas.

Finally, oil your board with food-grade mineral oil (that's the stuff you get at the drug-store which is used as a laxative, it won't necessarily be labeled "food-grade."). Your board probably needed an oiling anyway as most home boards do. And even if yours didn't, it won't hurt anything.

If you choose not to oil after disinfecting, at least wipe your board down with a clean, damp rag (or sponge).

BDL


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

Cut a lemon in half, cover the board with a light layer of kosher salt and scrub the board down with the lemon into the salt,  rinse repeat until stink is gone.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

That works but I then add a little baking soda to sweeten it. But thats why I do not use wood. Most of the hard rubber ones you can put in the steamer comes out clean and aroma free.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

When all else fails, take it to a woodworker and have him plane off 1/16-1/8" off  of the surface.  This can be acomplished with a thickness plner or and planes, whatever he has on hand.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

foodpump said:


> When all else fails, take it to a woodworker and have him plane off 1/16-1/8" off of the surface. This can be acomplished with a thickness plner or and planes, whatever he has on hand.


Ok nothing has worked so far. I really like this board. My husband does some woodworking so I will ask him to shave the top off, see if that works.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Try rubbing the board with some bleach using multiple applications.  That should work.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

So far nothing has worked.  I will not use bleach, this board was specifically designated for raw fruits and veggies and I'm not into bleach in my food.  I can't even repurpose this board, the smell is too much.  I won't even get my husband to plane it, out in the trash it goes and I'm on the hunt for a new wooden board.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

You might try this: combine 1 quart fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 teaspoons of Ivory Liquid. Scrub board well with mix and let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse board well. Repeat scrub, sit, rinse processes.


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## jimbo68 (Feb 3, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> So far nothing has worked. I will not use bleach, this board was specifically designated for raw fruits and veggies and I'm not into bleach in my food. I can't even repurpose this board, the smell is too much. I won't even get my husband to plane it, out in the trash it goes and I'm on the hunt for a new wooden board.


If you like the board, removing the offending layer should do the trick. If it is an end grain board, I would be careful about running it through the planer, or attempting to sand or plane it flat by hand. My solution for boards is a thickness sander, not a typical home tool, but most cabinet shops have them. The shop that does mine charges me somewhere around 10 bucks. I have no idea whether that is typical or not. If the board has feet, remove them prior to taking it to the shop.

My guy hates to sand a dirty board as the belts can be expensive and will gum up easily. Get it clean prior to asking. It is a shame to replace it. On the other hand, if it is as small flat grain board, probably better replaced.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Put in a steamer


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

It'll warp in the steamer, and the glue probably won't hold--the glue IS waterproof, but not steam-proof.

I've run about a dozen nylon cutting boards and about 8 wood cutting boards through my thickness planer.  It works well, just as it should, because that's what thickness planers were designed to do--remove 1/32 -1/16 th of an inch of wood per pass.


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