How to Remove Odors from a Wooden Cutting Board

Garlic, onion, and fish are the three most common culprits behind a wooden cutting board that holds onto smells no matter how many times you wash it. Wood is porous, and strong-smelling foods work their way into the grain in a way regular dish soap and water cannot fully reach.

The fix is simple, food-safe, and takes about ten minutes.

The salt and lemon method

Sprinkle a generous layer of coarse salt across the surface of the board, focusing on any areas where strong-smelling foods were cut. Coarse kosher or sea salt works better than fine table salt because the larger grain size acts as a light abrasive.

Cut a lemon in half and use it as a scrubbing tool, pressing the cut side into the salt and working it across the board in circular motions. The combination of the salt's abrasion and the lemon's acidity lifts odor-causing compounds out of the wood grain.

Let the salt and lemon juice sit on the board for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry immediately with a towel.

Why this works better than soap alone

Dish soap cleans the surface of a board effectively, but odor compounds from garlic and onion in particular bind to wood fibers below the surface, which soap does not reach. Salt's light abrasive action combined with lemon's natural acidity breaks down and lifts those compounds in a way that plain washing cannot.

This method is also gentler on the board than harsher options like bleach or vinegar soaks, which can dry out wood and strip its finish with repeated use.

Prevent the smell from setting in next time

Designating a separate board, or at least a separate side of a two-sided board, for strong-smelling foods like garlic, onion, and fish keeps those odors from working into a board you also use for bread or fruit.

After any deep clean, follow up with a coat of food-grade mineral oil once the board is fully dry. Oiling seals the grain and makes it harder for odors to penetrate as deeply the next time.

This method works on any hardwood board, including our African exotic hardwood board with resin inlay and the rest of the boards in the shop.