I wasn't sure where to post this. This is in regards to the cutting boards used at work. (I am a cook) I work graveayrd and on this shift, we always take the cutting boards off of the cooks line, back to the dishbay and bleach them. We just pour some bleach on both sides and let them sit for a bit. (they are 2 big cutting boards, rectangle in shape.)

I only soak them for maybe 10-15 min. The other lady I work with soaks them in the bleach for 3 hours. She claims that soaking them for the very short amount of time that I do does not sanitize them properly and get everything off. This is why she soaks them for 3 hours.

I beg to differ. Any stain that is on there, that will come off, will in a matter of minuets. Such as tomato stains and the like. Permanant marker stains will not come off after they have been on there for hours and hours.

Soaking the baords in bleach for 3 hours, wouldn't that cause the bleach to soak into the cutting baords and not come out?

Bleach is so powerful, couldn't you sanitize whatever you needed to in minuets rather than hours?


thanks

You didn't say what material the boards are. Amazingly, the latest is that wood is safer that the plastic that was so prevalent for a long time. In either case, the woman is ruining the boards. While the plastic won't soak up any bleach, it will eat away at the surface, causing minute pitting. Wood will, of course, soak up the bleach and impart a bleach taste.

You are correct that just a few minutes, or even a wipe with a 10% bleach solution is all that is necessary.

I'm sorry I forgot to mention that the boards are plastic.

Thanks

I'm with DG on this one - there is absolutely no need to soak them for so long, and even if plastic, some of the bleach residue could be left, which when transferred to food could be harmful.

A short stay in the bleach, followed by a good scrub with hot soapy water would be all that is needed.

quote:

Bleach is so powerful, couldn't you sanitize whatever you needed to in minuets rather than hours?

I think mazurkas are more effective than minuets.

quote:

Originally posted by frankvan:

quote:

Bleach is so powerful, couldn't you sanitize whatever you needed to in minuets rather than hours?

I think mazurkas are more effective than minuets.

LOL I had such a hard time spelling minutes yesterday. No matter how I spelled it, it just didn't look right!

Frank, that's still funny.