# Cutting board not dishwasher safe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700 "2009-10-13T21:04:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/1 "2009-10-13T21:04:11Z")
So I bought a cutting board and it dismantled in the dishwasher leaving me with 4 mini-cutting boards not good for much of anything. Is there any glue I can use that will stay and be dishwasher safe? I already have regular wood glue and cyanoacrylate Superglue: could either of those work? If not then I might just buy another cutting board but only if I can find one that won’t dismantle itself in the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/2 "2009-10-13T23:28:50Z")
I’ve never come across any wood cutting boards that are dishwasher safe. As you’ve discovered, they tend to fall apart. If you feel like going on a quest, there are food-grade epoxies out there. They’re a bit hard to find in small quantities, and it’s just easier to hand wash your cutting boards in the sink and wipe them down with clear mineral oil (aka salad bowl oil) or walnut oil now and then. Don’t use olive oil or vegetable oil - they will go rancid. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/3 "2009-10-14T00:25:32Z")
You really want to reassemble a cutting board? You’d need clamps and whatnot. You can’t just use Elmer’s and and have the glue set properly without some serious clampage. If you want dishwasher safe, there are non-wood cutting boards that go in the dishwasher, but I really doubt a wooden one can be found that would hold up. We have both a wood board and several sizes of synthetic cutting boards in the Squeegee family kitchen. The synthetic ones go in the dishwasher, the wood one is hand washed. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/4 "2009-10-14T01:32:45Z")
Plastic cutting boards are dishwasher safe. Wood cutting boards are not. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/5 "2009-10-14T14:19:42Z")
I have a bamboo cutting board that is dishwasher safe. Bamboo isn’t really wood, it’s grass, but the point remains. Wooden boards do not need to go in the dishwasher, they are sanitary simply with a warm soapy water wash. If you want a dishwasher safe but inferior cutting board, you can buy one of the acrylyic or plastic cutting boards. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/6 "2009-10-14T15:47:35Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > So I bought a cutting board and it dismantled in the dishwasher leaving me with 4 mini-cutting boards not good for much of anything. Is there any glue I can use that will stay and be dishwasher safe? I already have regular wood glue and cyanoacrylate Superglue: could either of those work? If not then I might just buy another cutting board but only if I can find one that won’t dismantle itself in the dishwasher. Technically, the OP never states what KIND of cutting board was purchased, put in dishwasher, etc. OP simply states that wood glue is available. We’re all inferring that, therefore, the cutting board is made of wood. So, **Ludovic** : what kind of cutting board did you buy and then run through the dishwasher? Was it wood, like we’re all guessing? It’s easy to “find one that won’t dismantle itself in the dishwasher.” Buy a cutting board made out of one single sheet of plastic. Tah-dah! Problem solved. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Loisseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Loisseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loisseau)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/7 "2009-10-14T19:01:44Z")
but the most versatile cutting surface is a set of plastic cutting mats in various colors for each type of food you are preparing; fish, meat, poultry, veggies, etc. Dishwasher safe; can be rolled into a funnel to place chopped food into cooking pans and dishes. Many come with a wood base to save impact on counters if you’re doing cleaver work. [flexible chopping mats](http://www.thefind.com/kitchen/info-flexible-chopping-mats) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/8 "2009-10-15T20:44:57Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > … it’s just easier to hand wash your cutting boards in the sink and wipe them down with clear mineral oil (aka salad bowl oil) or walnut oil now and then. Don’t use olive oil or vegetable oil - they will go rancid. I have read this “will go rancid” thing several times. The first time I saw it, I had been using olive oil for years, without ever having that problem. I finally got some mineral oil, from a hoity-toity kitchen shop, but I don’t know if I’m any better off. With the olive oil, one application, with the excess wiped off after an hour, is enough. With the thin mineral oil, it takes two or three applications to look like I put something on it. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/9 "2009-10-15T21:00:31Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I have read this “will go rancid” thing several times. The first time I saw it, I had been using olive oil for years, without ever having that problem. I finally got some mineral oil, from a hoity-toity kitchen shop, but I don’t know if I’m any better off. With the olive oil, one application, with the excess wiped off after an hour, is enough. With the thin mineral oil, it takes two or three applications to look like I put something on it. This might not be much help since you don’t seem to like it but you can probably find mineral oil in the pharmacy area of your local supermarket. It’s what I use on my cutting board and I’ve never noticed a problem. Then again, it’s all I’ve ever used so I guess I don’t have anything to compare it to. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/10 "2009-10-15T21:20:20Z")
I’ve never used mineral oil. I didn’t know I was supposed to. I use warm soapy water, and I never put raw meat on it. I have a plastic one for meat. Is it supposed to keep it from drying out? I don’t seem to have that problem. And yes, OP - you can’t put a wooden cutting board in the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/11 "2009-10-15T21:51:03Z")
I use solid plastics for raw meats and vegetables, and wood for cooked foods. Mineral oil creates a water-resistant barrier and keeps wooden boards just as bacteria-free as plastic. I was them all in the sink, as most of my plastic boards are too big for the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/12 "2009-10-15T23:00:09Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > I’ve never used mineral oil. I didn’t know I was supposed to. I use warm soapy water, and I never put raw meat on it. I have a plastic one for meat. > > Is it supposed to keep it from drying out? I don’t seem to have that problem. It does help keep it from drying out, some boards will crack eventually if they aren’t oiled. It also helps keep food odors and stains out of the wood. If what you’re doing is working though, I wouldn’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/13 "2009-10-16T20:57:20Z")
> [@omgzebras](#): > > This might not be much help since you don’t seem to like it but you can probably find mineral oil in the pharmacy area of your local supermarket. It’s what I use on my cutting board and I’ve never noticed a problem. Then again, it’s all I’ve ever used so I guess I don’t have anything to compare it to. The drugstore was the first place I looked. Long ago, my brother kept his eyes from going red on the swim team by putting a few drops in each eye before getting in the pool. The druggist sent me to the restaurant supply house, who sent me to the cake decorating supply house. I gave up until years later. Now, it’s everyplace they sell cutting boards. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/14 "2009-10-16T21:09:40Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Technically, the OP never states what KIND of cutting board was purchased, put in dishwasher, etc. > > OP simply states that wood glue is available. We’re all inferring that, therefore, the cutting board is made of wood. > > So, Ludovic: what kind of cutting board did you buy and then run through the dishwasher? Well, technically he never said he turned the dishwasher on. He just said it dismantled itself after being put in. You’re just assuming that it was “run through.” Maybe it was a robotic stealth spy cutting board, and it dismantled itself so it could fuck with his mind. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-board-not-dishwasher-safe/513700/15 "2009-10-16T21:32:50Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > The drugstore was the first place I looked. Long ago, my brother kept his eyes from going red on the swim team by putting a few drops in each eye before getting in the pool. The druggist sent me to the restaurant supply house, who sent me to the cake decorating supply house. I gave up until years later. Now, it’s everyplace they sell cutting boards. You should be able to find mineral oil at even the most poorly-stocked drugstore. It’s in the laxative aisle, often labeled “intestinal lubricant.” A big jug of “intestinal lubricant” will cost about $3, while a small bottle of “cutting board oil” will cost about $20, even though they’re exactly the same thing. By the way, not all wooden cutting boards “dishwasher un-safe.” My mother has a 50-year-old oak cutting board that is a single, unjoined board, about ten inches wide. It occasionally gets thrown in the dishwasher. No glue = no problem (though it’s pretty beaten up). Also, I agree that the OP will be unable to re-assemble his cutting board without some good clamps and possibly a jointer.