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Whether you’re julienning carrots or breaking down a full chicken, if you cook regularly, your kitchen arsenal probably includes a few good knives and cutting boards. No matter how advanced your knife skills are, there’s one inevitability when it comes to cutting boards: you’re going to have to clean them. Dishwasher-safe plastic boards are a quick fix, but if you’re at all serious about cooking you’ve probably learned that wooden boards are more pleasant to use — and more difficult to clean. ABS Board

Uhmwpe Plastic Sheet “Although wood boards require a little extra care, they are the preferred material of many chefs and home cooks,” says Kristina Wasserman, director of merchandising and product development at Food52. She should know; the brand’s double-sided wooden cutting board has been selling out since it was first released. “Although plastic boards can be sanitized [and] dish-washed more easily, your knives can cut and mark a plastic board more, leaving more room for bacteria to hide. Additionally, wood boards are much gentler on your knives and help them stay sharper longer,” she says. We asked Wasserman and four more experts — chefs, culinary school instructors, and kitchen supply store pros — how to clean and maintain your boards for years of slicing and dicing. (Everything here would work for plastic, too — minus the oils, of course — if the dishwasher isn’t an option)