If you are lucky enough to own a Clay Street Woodworks cutting board, there are a few things you can do to make sure that it continues looking beautiful, even when it isn't so new.

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1. Hand Wash Only - Wash your cutting board with warm soapy water, but never leave it submerged in water or put it in the dishwasher.  It’s counter-intuitive, but water dries out wood by leaching out the oils.  This will cause your cutting board to crack, warp, or split.

2. Re-oil Occasionally - To keep your cutting board looking and working its best, rub it with mineral oil or a mineral oil and beeswax paste once a month.  These can be found at most kitchen stores and will replenish some of the moisture the board may have lost and reseal the surface.  Don’t use vegetable oil or nut oil, though, because they can spoil and smell bad.

3. Disinfect and Deodorize - Particularly if you are cutting raw meat on your board, disinfect it as needed with white vinegar.  This is an excellent and natural way to kill common bacteria.  Spray or wipe it onto the board and let it sit for 5 minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth.  To remove stains and smells from the board, mix 2 Tbsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp coarse salt, and 3 Tbsp warm water into a paste.  Scrub the surface, wipe it down with a wet cloth, then re-oil the board.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Use It - Over time, your cutting board will naturally collect knife marks.  Don’t worry about it.  They give it character.  Using a good sharp knife will slow this down a little and make cooking more fun for you.