Caring for Your Camphor Laurel Cutting Board
Camphor laurel cutting boards are simple to keep clean and require very little maintenance but here are some tips to keep your board looking and smelling like new:
Regular Cleaning.
Simply wash your board in warm soapy water and wipe it with grapeseed oil every few months or whenever timber appears dry.
Let your board completely air dry before storing.
NEVER leave a timber board soaking in water. Timber is porous and it will quickly saturate and never use a bleach which will destroy the natural antibacterial properties of the timber.
A dishwasher is an evil environment for a timber board combining all the terrors of: soaking; chemical bleach and very hot water. PLEASE AVOID.
Dealing with knife marks
All timber boards are marked by sharp knives. Firstly, don't fixate on this. The ability of timber boards to absorb and reflect regular use is one of their charms and contributes to the uniqueness of your board.
Camphor laurel's unique grain only allows surface marks, not deep gouging, burring or splintery edges that can develop with other timbers.
If you feel your board could use a quick make-over, you can lightly sand the surface back every couple of years and then re-oil with grapeseed oil. The other benefit of a light sand for your board is to refresh the camphor smell if it goes faint over time.
Grapeseed oil is terrific for timber boards because doesn’t oxidize as quickly as other vegetable oils and won’t go rancid. Most vegetable oils go tacky; smelly and change color when left on the board and grapeseed oil leaves no taste.
Caring for your Red Gum handles
The beautiful, contrasting Red Gum handles on your board are made re-cycled stocks of Australia's "king of timbers" and are glued then screwed to the board for maximum integrity.
The Red Gum handles need no extra maintenance and will be cared for with the regular detergent was and grapeseed oil suggestions above.
Apart from the handles, the rest of your board is made from a one single solid piece of camphor laurel. This ensures strength and uniqueness while removing the risk of food and bacteria becoming trapped between pieces of timber as may happen with laminated boards.
