My husband recently bought an amazing knife, a top quality professional knife, and we had no good surface on which to cut with it. My current cutting board was bought solely for aesthetics (it was glass). That would destroy the knife so quickly! My husband was talking about getting a wooden cutting board and I suggested getting a locally made one. We ended up finding a beautiful handmade cutting board at the Chattanooga Market. There were 3 different stalls that had cutting boards, and I don’t remember which one we got it from. However, I know that wood absorbs juices, bacterias, etc. so I asked the gentleman running the stall how you are supposed to clean a cutting board.
The best thing he said it to rinse it in warm water first. Then, in order to remove stains and bacteria, use a tablespoon of table salt with water. The salt will make an inhospitable environment to most foodborne bacteria (hence why back in the day, people would salt cure their food to prepare for winter). Then you rinse it well again.
After rinsing, stand the board on the long end to air dry. He recommended putting a little Howards Butcher Block conditioner on your board after it dries. This will keep it hydrated and sealed from drying out!
I hope this was helpful! Happy cutting!
Engineering My Style 