Butcher block counter tops are a great option for your kitchen. They are practical because you can cut directly on them and they look great. But, it is important to know how to keep them clean.
A daily wipe down with soap and water is a good start, but every so often they will need a deep clean to disinfect and remove stains. Here’s a step by step guide.
How to Clean a Butcher Block
Now, let’s go over the steps when it comes to cleaning your butcher block.
Clean with Soap and Water
To show you how to clean your butcher block, I used my own coffee bar which has a butcher block countertop. Since this is a “new to me” piece, it is pretty worn and has a lot of knife cuts in it.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to clean the knife cuts away, but I was pretty sure it would look a whole lot better after a scrub down. The first thing I did was scrub the entire countertop with dish soap and an abrasive sponge. I rinsed with water and dried with a clean cloth.
Scrub with Lemon and Coarse Salt
Next, I covered the butcher block with coarse sea salt and scrubbed it in using a lemon. The abrasive salt cleans the wood and the lemon disinfects. This part was really fun and smelled great!
Scrub with Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
If my butcher block was in better condition, I probably would have been okay to stop after the last step. Since I could still see some stains, I decided to try baking soda and lemon juice and give it another scrub. This worked really well!
I was even able to get out an orange stain from a discarded ice pop! I’m pretty sure the baking soda released more of the dirt than the sea salt because when I wiped it down with a wet paper towel, it showed all the filth that was on the butcher block.
Finish with Mineral Oil
After the thorough cleaning, I let the butcher block dry completely. Then I applied a thin coat of mineral oil with a clean cloth. This is a food safe option to finish off the cleaning process and helps refresh the look of the wood.
Cleaning my butcher block counter was quicker, easier, and more satisfying than I expected it would be. This process will also work on your wood cutting boards. Happy Cleaning!
