Guide:How to Resurface a Plastic Cutting Board

Plastic cutting boards are a staple in the kitchen, but they don’t last forever. So, if you’re like many home cooks, you may find yourself faced with the prospect of having to replace your boring old plastic cutting board. Well, we can’t help you with that, but we can help you save money by suggesting a few tricks to help your Board last a bit longer.

If you have a plastic cutting board with scratches, you can sand them with sandpaper to make them smoother. However, if the scratches are intense, then you can resurface the plastic cutting board. 

Have you noticed your plastic cutting board not looking so pretty over the years? Well, there is no need to throw it away yet, because this article will teach you how to resurface a plastic cutting board.

If you are in hurry, watch this video:

Why Should Resurface a Plastic Cutting Board?

The reason plastic cutting boards are used is that they are less likely to splinter. I notice the plastic cutting boards often tend to fracture in the kitchen. So, I have to find time to sand down the splintering Board to remove it. I use the plastic cutting board for the meat and vegetables, which is a waste of plastic.

Related: How to Clean White Plastic Cutting Boards | Click Here

A plastic cutting board is made of plastic, so it doesn’t break like glass cutting boards. However, the plastic will wear down over time. So, removing the cutting Board’s old surface can help prevent bacteria from building upon its surface. On the other hand, a cutting board with an old surface can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Once upon a time, plastic cutting boards were regarded as the absolute best way to cut up raw foods. They’re easy to clean, and they don’t cut your fingers. But, unfortunately, there’s an outbreak of a bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes, which causes listeriosis.

The bacteria are usually found in soil, but they can survive for up to two years. Listeriosis is a food-borne illness that can cause a high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and flu-like symptoms. It can be fatal, especially to the elderly.

Most plastic boards will get dull or even snap with daily use. The best method to get your plastic Board cleaned is to give it a nice sheen so that it looks like you just bought it new to resurface a cutting board.

Plastic, as you know, is made from petroleum, a finite resource that is slowly dwindling. So if we want to see more plastic in our lifetimes, we have to find a way to recycle it—and one of the most effective ways is to resurface the top to keep the valuable plastic from being wasted.

What Material Should Use to Resurface a Plastic Cutting Board?

You can use a variety of methods and materials to resurface a plastic cutting board. The most common forms are sanding, using heavy grit sandpaper, and using a power sander. The most common materials are sandpaper.

When it comes to the sander, I use a Dremel sander. Any sanding machine will do the work, and one with more power will do the job more quickly. A belt sander or orbital sander would perform well.

The Process to Resurface a Plastic Cutting Board

You can generally find chopping boards in the kitchen that look like wood, stone, or glass. But plastic cutting boards are not so much cutting boards as they are plastic wrapping because the only thing people seem to do on them is cut things. But the good news is that plastic choppings are pretty easy to resurface, as long as you follow the steps listed below.

Step 1: Clamp the Board

Cover your work surface with a drop cloth, newspaper, etc, to seize the sanding remnants.

Using the clamps, securely affix the reducing Board on your work surface (I generally clamp the two corners via the take care of edge (if there may be a take care of reduce-out) because those not often get worn from use. Be sure it is clamped snugly, as scraping and sanding can create a fantastic little bit of lateral torque at the Board.

Step 2: Prep the Board for Sanding

Using the metallic dish scrubber or extra-direction metallic wool, scrape the floor to remove any free burs of plastic and start to smooth the floor. The much less extra plastic left on the pinnacle, the much less the sandpaper will gum up.

Step 3: Sand the Board

Sand the floor of the Board the usage of the coarsest grit of sandpaper. Ideally, I begin with 25grit and development to completing with 80grit. If you start too high, the sandpaper may not achieve success at disposing of the pinnacle layer of the Board.

Be sure to apply eye safety and a dirt mask because the sanding will kick up polyethene dirt that is much less than first-class to get to your system!**

And in case your reducing forums are something like mine, that is the degree while you’ll scent the aroma of the whole thing you have ever reduce at the Board popping out because the sander lightly warms the dirt. This may frequently be a hideous experience!

Step 4: If Sanding Isn’t Enough.

Depending on the intensity of cuts, the grit of sandpaper, and the energy of the sander you are using, sanding on my own won’t be sufficient. If you cannot sand away enough of the floor to take away cuts, gouges, and slices, it could be vital to CAREFULLY scrape the pinnacle layer of the Board with a razor blade, a knife blade, or ideally – a hand plane.

Then maintain sanding till grooves, scratches, and gouges are eliminated and the floor is buttery smooth.

Step 5:Clean the Surface While Sanding:

To assist expedite the method, periodically wipe the floor with the metallic wool/scrubber to take away any burs and the dirt that the sander has kicked up. Unlike wood, polyethylene tends to statically adhere to itself, making the sanding method more difficult. An ordinary wipe will assist the process.

Step 6: Clean the Edges

As the sanding method will adjust the form of the Board slightly, I take a blade and scrape the rims of the Board to get a nice smooth slope after I’m completed sanding.

Step 7: Clean the Board

Cleaning the Board has to be a three-step method. 

First, rinse with water in a sink to take away free dirt and particles.

Second, practice kitchen cleaning soap and rub it together along with your hand – NOT A SPONGE- to paintings more significant of the dirt out. You need to keep away from getting your sponge protected in free polyethylene dirt. Then rinse the Board.

Third, use a sponge with a dish cleaning soap to smooth the board floor again. Rinse, allow dry and experience your like-new reducing forums.

Step 8: Enjoy Your Refreshed Cutting Surface

Not simplest is the clean floor greater sanitary (deep crevices can acquire and breed bacteria). However, it’ll additionally assist in lengthening the sharpness of the brink of your knives.

How to Maintain a Resurface Cutting Board?

To maintain a resurface chopping board, you should wash it regularly with warm soapy water. You can also add dish soap and lemon juice to cut down on stains.

With regular maintenance, a white plastic cutting board can last for many years. Wash your cutting board with warm, soapy water after each use. You can also use a knife to scrape off any stuck-on food.

If your cutting board starts to look dull, use a lemon. Rub the lemon over the entire surface of the white plastic cutting board. Then, rinse the chopping and dry it with a towel.

To keep our kitchen tools in tip-top shape, it is crucial to take care of them often. We should also be careful not to leave them outdoors, as this can cause discoloration and deterioration.

Conclusion

Many plastics can be recycled, but many other plastic pieces don’t make it through recycling at all. The most common type of plastic you’d want to recycle is polypropylene, which is used for many things, most of which you wouldn’t expect.

For example, the resin is used to make plastic water bottles, which can then be recycled. But plastic boards? Why? The only way I can think of is that they’re used to make cutting boards, and the fact that they’re so common makes it hard to recycle. So it is better to resurface your plastic cutting board and use it longer.