Wood vs Plastic Cutting Boards, Which Is Safer and How to Clean

Either wood or plastic is acceptable, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). What matters more is using separate boards for raw meat and for ready-to-eat food, and washing each board after every use. This page follows the FSIS Cutting Boards page and the FDA's Safe Food Handling page as they read in October 2026.

1. Wood or plastic: either is acceptable

FSIS says consumers may choose either wood or a nonporous surface, such as plastic, marble, glass, or pyroceramic. The Meat and Poultry Hotline says either can be used for cutting raw meat and poultry.

The one difference FSIS points out is practical: nonporous surfaces are easier to clean than wood.

2. Bamboo, the in-between option

FSIS gives bamboo its own entry. Bamboo boards are harder and less porous than hardwoods, absorb very little moisture, and resist scarring from knives, so FSIS says they are more resistant to bacteria than other woods. Clean bamboo with hot, soapy water, sanitize if you want to, and rub it with mineral oil to help it keep its moisture.

3. The rule that matters more than material: use two boards

Both FSIS and the FDA put separation ahead of material. FSIS suggests using one board for fresh produce and bread and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. The FDA's Safe Food Handling guidance gives the same advice.

The reason, per FSIS, is that it keeps bacteria from a raw meat board from getting onto food that will not be cooked before eating, like salad greens, sliced fruit, or bread.

The FDA adds a related rule for after cooking: never put cooked food on a plate that held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless that plate has been washed in hot, soapy water first. The same logic applies to a board.

4. How to clean any cutting board

FSIS's Hotline recommends this routine after every use:

1. Wash with hot, soapy water.
2. Rinse with clear water.
3. Air dry, or pat dry with clean paper towels.

The FDA's guidance lines up: wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item, not just at the end of the meal.

5. Can it go in the dishwasher?

According to FSIS:

• Nonporous acrylic, plastic, and glass boards can go in the dishwasher.
• Solid wood boards can also go in the dishwasher.
• Laminated boards may crack and split in the dishwasher, so wash those by hand.

FSIS does not explain how to tell the two apart, so if you are unsure whether a wooden board is solid or laminated, wash it by hand.

6. How to sanitize with bleach

For an extra step after washing, FSIS says both wooden and plastic boards can be sanitized with:

• 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

To use it:

1. Flood the surface of the clean board with the solution.
2. Let it stand for several minutes.
3. Rinse with clear water.
4. Air dry, or pat dry with clean paper towels.

If a gallon is more than you need, the ratio scales down easily. A gallon holds 256 tablespoons, so for half a gallon of water use half a tablespoon of bleach, which is 1.5 teaspoons. FSIS specifies unscented bleach.

7. When to throw a board away

FSIS is clear that cutting boards do not last forever: all plastic and wooden boards wear out over time. Once a board becomes excessively worn or develops hard-to-clean grooves, FSIS says to discard it.

8. A simple two-board system

1. Pick a produce and bread board and a separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood board.
2. Wash each with hot, soapy water after each use, rinse, and dry.
3. Sanitize with 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water when you want an extra step.
4. Put plastic, glass, and solid wood boards in the dishwasher if you like; hand wash laminated ones.
5. Oil bamboo boards with mineral oil, and replace any board that is excessively worn or has hard-to-clean grooves.

9. Key takeaways

• FSIS says both wood and nonporous boards (plastic, marble, glass) are acceptable; nonporous boards are easier to clean.
• Use one board for produce and bread and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Wash boards with hot, soapy water after each use, then rinse and dry.
• Sanitize with 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, let it stand several minutes, and rinse.
• Solid wood and plastic boards can go in the dishwasher, laminated boards cannot, and a board that is excessively worn or has hard-to-clean grooves should be discarded.