Food Board Maintenance
We finish all of our food boards in orange oil + beeswax, both 100% natural and food safe options. We suggest maintaining your board with one of or a blend of these products regularly for the best outcome.
What we use to finish our boards:
We finish all of our boards in the same way, so any design can be used for any application whether it's serving, storing or chopping food. We use Gilly’s Australia products as they are Australian made, dedicated to food safety and are available for quick delivery online or can be purchased at any Bunnings Warehouse in Australia. See the bottom of the page for links to the products we use and suggest.
Our Application Method:
We apply a thorough application of orange oil to penetrate and nourish the wood on all of our boards. The oil soaks into the wood, helping prevent cracking, splitting and warping as well as deepening the grain.
We follow this oiling with a coat of one of the waxes to give the board some polish and add an extra layer of protection to the surface of the wood.
If refinishing, follow the above steps.
Cleaning:
Simply wipe the board down with a damp cloth after use. If needing a deeper clean, scrub the board with a brush and mild soapy water. Avoid harsh chemicals and do not put your board in the dishwasher. Do not let the board sit submerged in water after cleaning. Lean vertically, hang or raise off the benchtop to dry.
Oil/ wax Maintenance:
With regular use and time, the food-safe finishes will eventually weaken, and the wood will start to dry out. Even if you don’t use your board often, environmental conditions such as strong humidity or air conditioning can affect the finish of the board, making it appear dry. This is why we suggest maintaining with an oil or wax.
For regular users: (cutting boards, benchtop boards or serving boards being used as cutting boards):
Regularly used boards need cleaning and replenishment. Our suggestion is to apply oil after every time you give the board a thorough clean, or whenever it looks dried out. It’s very easy to do: just pour some on the board, wipe it in with a cloth or paper towel, then wipe it all off after a few minutes of soaking. We suggest maintaining with Gilly’s Orange Oil or Liquid Beeswax (same as citrus beeswax).
For less regular use (serving boards or ornamental boards):
If you don’t use your board regularly but you want to shine it up, applying one of the suggested oils or waxes will make it look brand new again. Simply apply a small amount of product, about the size of a coin, with a clean cloth and buff it into the timber. Any excess wipe off after a few minutes. We suggest maintaining with Gilly’s liquid beeswax (same as citrus beeswax) or Gilly’s food safe wax. The liquid beeswax is more matte, while the food-safe wax imparts a lovely hard shine.
If applying oil or wax, please ensure that the board has been cleaned well first, and has been thoroughly dried or the finish will not penetrate.
PRODUCTS:
Gilly’s Orange Oil: https://gillysaustralia.com.au/collections/oils/products/orange-oil (our go-to oil for all our boards)
Chopping Board Oil (orange): https://gillysaustralia.com.au/collections/oils/products/chopping-board-oil-100ml (This is the same as the orange oil in a smaller size)
Liquid Beeswax: https://gillysaustralia.com.au/collections/oils/products/liquid-beeswax (our go to wax option, easy to use and also has some orange oil in it, making it a good all round maintenance option)
Chopping Board Oil (citrus beeswax): https://gillysaustralia.com.au/collections/oils/products/chopping-board-oil-100ml\ (this is the same as the Liquid beeswax in a smaller bottle)
Food Safe Wax: https://gillysaustralia.com.au/collections/waxes/products/food-safe-wax