If you ever wondered how to fix warped plastic cutting boards, we’re here to help out because believe us: we’ve been there!
There are actually ways to restore plastic cutting boards that are warped, you just need to know how these methods are done.
Plastic cutting boards are commonly seen throughout kitchens, not just for their budget-friendliness, but also because of their convenience, easy use, and versatility. Indeed, plastic cutting boards have numerous benefits to offer.
Nonetheless, sometimes, plastic cutting boards can warp and cause so much stress. When this happens, a lot of users tend to throw them out, thinking that the board can’t be saved.
Keep reading to learn more about a potential solution for warped plastic boards, as well as several useful tips to decrease the risk of your plastic cutting boards warping in the first place!
Table of Contents
Why Do Plastic Cutting Boards Warp?
If you’ve noticed that your plastic cutting boards are transforming into see-saws, there’s a high probability that you’re not storing them or washing them adequately. Heat or/and bending forces are one of the most common culprits for warping.
Sometimes, plastic boards have adhesives or additional protective layers and this may increase the risk of warps even more, especially when the board is exposed to stress and pressure. To alleviate this stress, the board responds by curling.
You can prevent this from happening by making improvements to the storage and cleaning routine you have set.
When plastic cutting boards aren’t properly stored, they may warp due to the sheet “cold forming” to shapes if you keep it on edge or across surfaces that are uneven.
The longer a plastic cutting board is kept in improper positions, the more difficult it will be to recover its flat state, but it’s not impossible.
Moisture exposure can also lead to warping-most of the raw material which is used in the manufacturing of plastic sheets tends to absorb water and may warp to a certain degree if it’s constantly exposed to moisture.
How to Fix Warped Plastic Cutting Boards?
Warped plastic cutting boards aren’t just a nuisance, but are also highly unsafe!
Any cutting board, regardless of its material, has to be firm, flat, and steady while you’re using it with knives and foods for slicing, dicing, mincing, etc.
Anything less than this is usually the formula for disaster! The good news is that there’s a method you can try out and restore the board by making its surface flatter. Let’s check it out:
- Set the plastic cutting board in the oven and turn the oven to the lowest temperature. Leave it for a bit so that the board heats up slightly, around five minutes or so.
- Take it out of the oven and put it onto the counter and place another, heavier cutting board or two on top of it.
- Leave it like this, with the extra weight on top, for several hours, or even better overnight, and then see if there’s any improvement.
- If needed, this method can be repeated.
How to Prevent Warping in Plastic Boards?
Prevention is always the best option, especially in the case of warped plastic cutting boards. Below, learn useful tips to reduce the risk of this from happening:
- Keep them away from hot water & the dishwasher
Hot water is never a good option for plastic cutting boards, especially if you’re planning to prevent warping.
High temperatures increase the pliability of plastics and if you expose it to hot water in the sink and then leave them to air-dry, you create the perfect conditions for warping to take place.
Since hot water isn’t recommendable for cutting boards, keep them away from the dishwasher as well.
The extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals from the cleaning products used can be damaging, even for those boards labeled as dishwasher-safe.
- Clean your plastic cutting boards the right way
When washing plastic cutting boards, do it in the sink, using cool or lukewarm water. Since no tap water is sufficiently hot to really sanitize your dishes, it’s the dish soap that actually destroys the bad bacteria.
Use gentle dish soap, scrub the boards well, and rinse them entirely; you don’t need to worry about hot water-cool one will clean just as well.
- Store them adequately
To reduce the chances of warping, store the cutting boards flat or on the long side. Although heat causes warping, a cutting board doesn’t bend without force.
However, it doesn’t need a lot of force for the bending to occur.
In fact, by keeping them on their end, you’re contributing to warping, especially if the board is thinner and still warm from the washing.
On the other hand, a board is unable to bend under its weight when it’s placed flat. So, if you do have room for placement of your boards in this way, it’s the best way to do it. Avoid storing the boards on their short side, leaning up against the wall of cabinets, but rather store them on the longer side.
When kept on the short side, this applies enough force for the board to warp.
Final Thoughts
It’s not uncommon for plastic cutting boards to warp and distort, particularly when users don’t store them properly or wash them a lot in the dishwasher and expose the board to very high temperatures.
A warped plastic cutting board isn’t only aesthetically unpleasant, but it also becomes difficult to use for daily tasks like chopping, dicing, slicing, etc., and this will cause frustration.
Sometimes, people think that there’s no way to restore the board to its previous glory, so they end up throwing it away, which isn’t always the only option!
There are some methods that can help restore the board, but as always, prevention is the best! With proper care and storage of your plastic cutting boards, you can decrease the risk of warping and other damage and prolong the lifespan of your investment.
