Care Instructions

Timber is a hygroscopic material, meaning it has the ability to not only absorb moisture, but to store water. As with any material, it can also be adversely affected by extreme exposure to heat.

All of the boards you’ll find listed on our site are made from high quality, raw materials, that aren’t covered or protected by a layer of laminate, veneer or wax. We provide a short care instructions card with every order, however to get the best possible lifespan from your board, please make note of, and follow our more comprehensive care instructions below:

Wipe or scrub your board with a hot, soapy cloth or sponge, ensuring you clean both sides of the board even if only one side has been used.

Wood bowing or warping occurs when the moisture content of different parts of the timber change unevenly. If one side of the board comes into contact with water and the other side is left dry, the drier part shrinks faster causing stress that changes the shape of the board.

Problems will begin to arise when timber takes on too much water, so it is important that your board never be over saturated.

Do not put your board directly under running water, do not submerge it in water and do not put it through the dishwasher. Too much contact with water will cause your board to absorb too much water and swell. Once the board dries and the swelling subsides, this can result in cracking, splitting and/or bending.

Your board should be dried immediately after cleaning and not left on the sink or in a drying rack to air dry. Not all of the water will drip off or evaporate, but be absorbed into the timber. This can cause an uneven moisture content or over saturation; please see ‘Cleaning Your Board with Water’ above. 

Oil creates a protective barrier for the joins in your board and restricts the amount of water the timber is able to absorb. We oil all boards after engraving and prior to being shipped, however this protective barrier will weaken with every use.

Oiling your board from time to time, or after each use (highly recommended) will restore it’s protective barrier to prevent water penetrating the timber. Oil also keeps a required level of moisture within the timber, which prevents the board from drying out too much.

As our products are made from raw materials, and not covered with a laminate, veneer or wax, a level of maintenance will be required if the above care instructions aren’t adhered to. Should you experience any problems with your board, please read through our trouble-shooting steps below to help restore your board.

Wood bowing or warping occurs when the moisture content of different parts of the timber change unevenly – such as having come into contact with water when cleaning the board. When one part of the wood dries faster than another, for example, the drier part shrinks faster and causes stress that changes the shape of the board.

To restore the board back to its original shape, put the board on a damp tea towel (rung out so it’s not too wet) on the surface below the chopping board for an hour, then remove it from the tea towel and leave the board to dry completely. The tea towel will need to be placed under the side which is coming away from the surface – this will allow for the bottom side of the board to bring in moisture to match the top side. Depending on how uneven the moisture level has become in the board, you may need to do this a few times until the board returns to normal.

In future when cleaning the board, we recommend wiping both sides of the board down, even when only the top side has been used, so as to keep the moisture level even throughout the timber. If your board has developed a crack or split due to warping or bowing, please see ‘My board has developed a crack or split’ below. 

Cracks and/or splits will occur when the timber becomes too dry, or if the board bows/warps from over saturation or the moisture content becoming uneven (see ‘Cleaning Your Board with Water’ above for more information).

To repair minor cracks or splits, you may use wood putty and a fine grit piece of sandpaper. Fill the cracks/splits with a similar shade of wood putty to the board purchased and allow to dry for 24 hours. Once dry, lightly sand back any excess putty, and oil the board with Grapeseed Oil or Mineral Oil to finish. To avoid cracks or splits occurring in the future, please see ‘Oiling Your Board after Use’ above.

If your board has a crack or split as a result of bowing/warping, please see ‘My board is warped or bowed’ above for instructions on how to restore the shape of the board, prior to filling the cracks or splits with putty.

After time and regular use, your board can become fuzzy, get scratched/marked by your cutting knives or have stains from food.

You will be able to remove the fuzziness and most marks by using a fine grit piece of sandpaper (such as 120). Lightly sanding your board will not affect the engraving as we do these a few millimetres deep to ensure they last. Ensure you sand the entire surface of the board, and not just the scratch or mark you are trying to remove, to avoid the surface becoming uneven.

After sanding, you will need to re-oil your board with Grapeseed Oil or Mineral Oil, and this will also darken and restore the engraving.

Wood glue is stronger than the timber itself, and will only fail as a direct result of being exposed to either too much heat, or too much water, such as not being dried immediately after washing, or being put through the dishwasher. 

It is possible, however, to re-join your board back together if it has fallen apart along a join. Here is a great video on YouTube showing the process using wood glue:  https://youtu.be/Lmzacel_UgY

There are alternative methods to clamping together the wood if you don't have any or don't wish to purchase any. Please see the following article outlining these alternative methods: https://abutterflyhouse.com/glue-wood-without-clamps/