I Tried the Viral TikTok Hack for Cleaning Cutting Boards and Let’s Just Say I’m Disappointed

If you’ve got any beat-up plastic cutting boards you’re thinking of getting rid of, you may be entertaining the idea of a last-ditch rehab attempt before you officially part ways. You may have even come across this viral TikTok hack, which offers a seemingly brilliant trick for removing old stains from cutting boards. When I saw it, I had to find out for myself if it worked.

Here’s how it went:

First, I gathered my ingredients. Luckily, the video calls for things most people already have on hand: baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon. All, on their own, are powerful kitchen cleaners, so I was hopeful that the combination would do the trick.

Next, I followed the steps outlined in the video. I started by sprinkling some baking soda on the cutting board. I was liberal, because mine was really bad! Then, I added a drizzle of hydrogen peroxide and sprinkled some sea salt over the entire board. Finally, I cut a lemon in half and used it to scrub the stained surface.

After a good scrub — I really used some elbow grease! — I rinsed the cutting board in the sink. Reader: It did not work.

The cutting board I washed was really badly stained, so I know I’d be able to tell if it even improved a little bit. But I couldn’t, even after a second go with more elbow grease.

The lemon and salt make a really nice scrub so it feels like you’re going to get somewhere — and if your cutting board isn’t as old and dirty as mine, you might! But, for me, this hack was a disappointment. The silver lining? I didn’t have to spend money on pricey specialty cleaners in my attempt.

Do you have dirty, old cutting boards on hand? Let us know if you have different results or other ideas for rehabbing them!