I tried cleaning a wooden chopping board with salt – and I was shocked by the results

It's a game changer

Full height kitchen units in light grey colour and eye level integrated ovens in a renovated kitchen diner
(Image credit: Future PLC / David Giles)

I tried cleaning a wooden chopping board using lemon and salt, and I was pleasantly surprised at the results.

There's no worse feeling than staining our best chopping board. Cleaning a stained wooden chopping board is often a task that we groan at the sight of. It feels like no amount of scrubbing is going to get rid of that unsightly coloured stain. However, I came across this cleaning hack that may have just changed the game.

layered wooden chopping boards

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Wooden chopping board salt lemon cleaning hack

This hack is so easy you'll be wondering why you didn't think to do it sooner, and even better yet, you probably already have everything you need in your fridge and pantry.

Cleaning wooden chopping board with salt and lemon

(Image credit: Future)

What you'll need

  • Lemon, sliced in half
  • Salt (we used rock salt)
  • Your stained wooden chopping board

Instructions

Grab your wooden chopping board of choice and sprinkle salt (I used rock salt due to it being thicker, but I'm sure any salt would work for this trick if you're in a pinch) all over the surface of the stained area.

Cleaning wooden chopping board with salt and lemon

(Image credit: Future)

Afterwards, squeeze the half lemon over the salt you sprinkled over the chopping board. I was pretty generous with this, ensuring that the area I initially salted was covered in lemon juice.

I then used half of the lemon to rub the salt and juice into the chopping board. I used firm, circular motions to make sure that we were really getting into the cracks of the wooden board (because that's where the stains love to sit!)

Cleaning wooden chopping board with salt and lemon

(Image credit: Future)

The final step of the hack just involves your standard use of washing-up liquid and a sponge. I used the Ecover washing-up liquid, which is only £1.50 on Amazon. I squeezed a little bit onto a scouring pad and scrubbed the wooden chopping board clean, mimicking the same circular motions I used earlier on with the lemon and salt.

Clean wooden chopping board

(Image credit: Future)

My wooden chopping board which was once stained red from cutting tomatoes and all sorts now looked brand new! I couldn't believe how effective the method was at getting rid of stains, and it was super easy too.

Clean wooden chopping board next to well of salt and lemon

(Image credit: Future)

I'll definitely be adding this one to my roster of cleaning hacks and will be recommending this forward.

Do you have a stained wooden chopping board that needs saving? This hack might just do the trick.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia Joson is a Junior Writer at Ideal Home. She's always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for journalism blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments. When she isn't writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game.