Wooden chopping boards stay hygienic without a dishwasher if cleaned with 3 simple items

Wooden chopping boards are the best to have in your kitchen as they are more hygienic than plastic ones, as long as you them properly. If a knife chips a plastic board, then bacteria can cling to the surface and will begin to multiply, no matter how many times you put it through the dishwasher.

A wooden chopping board is more absorbent, which sounds like a bad thing, but it is actually more antibacterial as germs will die off inside the wood. However, it is incredibly important to know the correct way to a wooden chopping board to keep it sanitised, as they cannot go in the dishwasher and will need to be deep cleaned regularly.

If a wooden chopping board is only rinsed under hot water and then stored away without proper drying, it can remain damp and will develop or mildew on the inside.

Acidic food like tomatoes can also break down the wood fibres over time, so if you do not clean the board properly, it is easy for bacteria to contaminate it.

However, Cascie Kambouris, the founder of , has shared that it is very simple, as you only need three ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.

She said: "For deeper cleaning of your wooden chopping board, three good methods are using coarse salt and half a lemon, or a baking soda mixture."

Lemon juice contains , which is antibacterial and can cut through grease or any other common .

Sea or kosher salt can draw out moisture from a chopping board to get rid of any embedded grime, but coarse salt is also abrasive, so it can help remove any bacteria stuck onto the wood.

is also naturally abrasive and absorbent like salt, but is alkaline, so it can also help break down acidic grease and food stains.

All you need to do is sprinkle salt or baking soda over your wooden board, then let it sit on the surface for a little while.

This gives salt or baking soda time to absorb any moisture in the board. It is fine to leave it for around five minutes, but if you have any stains, then leave it overnight.

Once the time is up, cut up a lemon and use it to scrub the board. It is best to use fruit rather than bottled lemon juice, as it will be more potent the fresher the citric acid is.

If you are using baking soda, it will begin to fizz up, which can help loosen any grime sticking to the board.

Your wooden chopping board will now be completely clean and disinfected on the inside without having to use chemicals or scrub for ages.

Once the chopping board is clean, make sure to dry it thoroughly with paper towels and never store it while it is still wet in a cupboard.