How long can a plastic cutting board be used before it becomes 'unsafe' to use?
I know that they are very porous, but why are they available if they really should not be used for cutting? It sure doesn't take me long to put a few knicks in a plastic cutting board.
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I like the vintage wooden cutting boards so much better because they last a life time.
Hi, If you run it through the dishwasher using very hot water or sanitizing cycle, the plastic board should be okay to use for a long time.
If you are hand washing it and the board has deep cuts or cracks and they become discolored, toss it and buy a new one. They're not that expensive. Walmart sells 2-packs that are a good deal. As a rule of thumb, I replace mine about every three years unless it's not coming clean out of the dishwasher. Hope this helps.
I clean mine with bleach water every now and then. I've had it for several years and we are all still alive and healthy.
Glass is supposed to be best, but wood turns out to be surprisingly good, unlike plastic. Years ago a professor and his graduate students tested wood and found it killed germs, unlike plastic cutting boards.
Plastic is a very safe cutting board because you can put it in the regular wash of the dishwasher with your dishes. Wood is unsafe because it is much more porous and wood and water dont mix for safe disinfecting after each use. I have both wood and plastic. I wont cut meat on my wooden cutting board for the reasons listed above.
Editor's Note When wood cutting boards are cleaned, properly sanitized, and dried thoroughly, they are safe. Wood dries better than plastic, because it is porous. Moisture is needed for bacteria to grow.
I have run inexpensive wooden cutting boards through the dishwasher too. Eventually, they will be ruined, and I certainly don't do this with the lovely laminated bread board that my son made in IA, but I have one that is made of a solid piece of board, also from IA, and not so lovely, that I sanitize in the dishwasher. It is at least 5 years old, so it takes a lot of washing before it has to be discarded.
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