Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets › Cutting Boards How to Oil a Cutting Board Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
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Rub food-grade mineral oil (or a board cream with beeswax) generously into a clean, dry wood board with a cloth, let it soak in for a few hours or overnight, then wipe off whatever hasn't absorbed. Never use olive or vegetable oil, which turn rancid — re-oil monthly, or whenever the wood looks pale and dry, and give a brand-new board several coats.
Recommended Soak a clean dry board in food-grade mineral oil, wait, wipe off excess — never cooking oils, repeat monthly — Oiling replaces the moisture a wood board loses to washing, keeping it from drying out, cracking, and warping, and the key is using an oil that never spoils. Food-grade mineral oil is the standard because it's inert and stays put; a board cream or butter that blends mineral oil with beeswax adds a water-repelling seal on top. Crucially, do not use olive, vegetable, canola, or other cooking oils — they go rancid in the wood and leave a sour smell. Make sure the board is clean and fully dry, pour on a generous amount, and work it into both faces and the edges with a cloth or paper towel, going with the grain. Let it sit and drink in for a few hours or overnight, then buff off any oil still sitting on the surface so it isn't tacky. A new or very dry board should be oiled several times, a day apart, until it stops absorbing. After that, re-oil about once a month, or as soon as the surface looks dull, whitish, or feels dry — end-grain butcher blocks and boards you wash often need it more.
