Best Cutting Boards Accessories and Attachments Clean 2026

Overview

Most people scrub the flat surface of their cutting board and completely ignore the extras. I've spent the last eight years testing kitchen gear, and I can tell you that cutting boards accessories and attachments harbor the worst bacteria. We're talking about removable colander trays, silicone non-slip feet, and deep juice grooves. This guide covers exactly how to dismantle, deep clean, and reassemble these tricky add-ons. If you've ever noticed a sour smell coming from your prep station, the culprit is usually hiding in these overlooked crevices. Let's fix that right now.

Key Information

Modern prep stations are basically transformers. They fold, they drain, they even weigh your food. But all those moving parts create microscopic hiding spots for raw meat juices and vegetable dirt. I've ruined a $45 smart board by submerging it, and I've had to throw away expensive silicone feet because they grew black mold. You need to treat these add-ons as separate entities.

Silicone Non-Slip Feet

Brands like OXO Good Grips use these little rubber bumpers to keep the board from sliding across your counter. They usually pop off with a firm tug. But gunk gets trapped underneath the adhesive base. I've peeled back the rubber feet on my own prep boards and found pink slime thriving in the damp residue. You must remove them every single month for a proper deep clean.

Removable Juice Trays and Colanders

The Dexas Griptight boards feature these nifty removable strainers. They catch runoff when you wash veggies or carve meats. If you've just prepped a massive salad and dumped dirt everywhere, those tiny mesh holes clog instantly. Starchy water from boiled potatoes will literally cement itself into the plastic grid if you don't rinse it within 10 minutes.

Built-in Digital Scales and Electronics

I bought a Greater Goods smart cutting board last year for precise macro tracking. It's fantastic for meal prep. But you absolutely cannot submerge the scale module. Water destroys the internal load sensors in about 30 seconds flat. These require a completely different, waterless sanitation protocol.

Deep Carved Juice Grooves

After hosting a dinner party where I carved three prime ribs, the juice grooves on my Epicurean board were a disaster. The fat congealed into the 90-degree corners of the routing. A standard sponge just glides right over the top. You need specialized bristle stiffness to actually reach the bottom of a 3/16 inch groove.

Practical Steps or Recommendations

I'll be honest, this takes elbow grease. Cleaning these attachments isn't a quick wipe-down situation. Follow this exact protocol I use in my own kitchen after heavy prep days.

Step 1: The Complete Teardown

Don't just clean around the accessories. Remove them entirely. Pry off the silicone feet using a flathead screwdriver wrapped in a microfiber cloth so you don't scratch the board surface. Slide out the removable colander trays. If your board has a detachable knife sharpener on the handle, unscrew it. Lay all the pieces out on a dry towel.

Step 2: The Alkaline Paste Soak

Mix 2 parts baking soda to 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. Slather this thick paste directly into the juice grooves and all over the removable plastic trays. Let it sit for exactly 15 minutes. The chemical reaction lifts embedded proteins and breaks down starchy vegetable films. This isn't the cheapest option compared to plain soap, but it works miracles on cloudy plastic.

Step 3: Scrubbing the Crevices

Grab an OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush. The stiff nylon bristles are exactly 3/16 inch long, which perfectly matches standard juice groove depths. Scrub in circular motions. For the tiny holes in colander attachments, use a stiff-bristled toothbrush. I keep a dedicated 'cleaning only' toothbrush in my utility drawer specifically for this task.

Step 4: Sanitizing Electronics

Never use the paste on digital scales. Instead, dip a cotton swab in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Run it along the seams of the digital display and the battery compartment. The alcohol evaporates in about 45 seconds, killing surface bacteria without shorting out the motherboard. Follow up with a dry microfiber cloth to buff the screen.

Step 5: The Hot Rinse and Dry

Rinse the non-electronic parts under 140°F water. This temperature is hot enough to melt away residual animal fats but won't warp high-density polyethylene trays. Stand the pieces upright in a dish rack. Airflow is critical here. If you stack them flat while wet, you'll just breed a new batch of mold.

Attachment Material	Best Cleaning Agent	Avoid At All Costs
Silicone Rubber Feet	White Vinegar (5% acidity)	Chlorine Bleach (degrades rubber)
Plastic Colander Trays	Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide	Abrasive Steel Wool (scratches)
Wood Juice Grooves	Coarse Kosher Salt & Lemon	Dishwasher Detergent (strips oils)
Digital Scale Modules	70% Isopropyl Alcohol	Tap Water & Soap (causes shorts)

Common Mistakes

I've made almost every error in the book so you don't have to. Here are the most frequent ways people destroy their cutting boards accessories and attachments.

Leaving Silicone Feet Attached During Deep Cleans

This is the number one sin. You scrub the board, sanitize it, and put it away. Meanwhile, dirty water seeps under the rubber feet and sits there for weeks. When your landlord inspects next week and checks for pests, those damp, rotting food particles under the feet will attract fruit flies. Always pop them off.

Putting Plastic Trays in the Dishwasher

I once ruined a $65 Joseph Joseph Index set by tossing the removable drain trays into the bottom rack of my dishwasher. The heating element hits 160°F during the dry cycle. That intense heat warped the plastic grid so badly it no longer snapped back into the board frame. Hand wash them in the sink. It takes 30 seconds.

Using Bleach on Porous Wood Grooves

People panic after cutting raw chicken and reach for the bleach. Bleach completely strips the natural mineral oils from wood and bamboo. The wood dries out, cracks, and splinters within a month. Once those grooves splinter, you can never get them truly clean again. Stick to hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar for sanitizing wood.

Ignoring the Underside of Colander Inserts

You rinse the top of the strainer where the visible dirt is. But the underside rests directly against the main board surface. If you don't flip it over and scrub the bottom rim, you're just pressing bacteria back into your clean food the next time you use it. Treat both sides equally.

FAQ

Can I put removable cutting board trays in the dishwasher?

Most manufacturers explicitly state that removable plastic trays are top-rack dishwasher safe, but I strongly advise against it. The high heat and harsh detergents will eventually cause the plastic to become brittle and warp. Hand washing with warm soapy water takes less than a minute and doubles the lifespan of the attachment.

How do I get black mold out of silicone non-slip feet?

Submerge the detached silicone feet in a bowl of undiluted white vinegar for 30 minutes. The acetic acid penetrates the porous rubber and kills the mold spores at the root. If the black stains persist after soaking and scrubbing, the mold has compromised the structural integrity and you need to buy replacement feet.

What is the best brush for cleaning deep juice grooves?

I highly recommend the OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush because its stiff nylon bristles are specifically designed to fit into narrow channels. Standard dish sponges just glide over the top of the grooves without reaching the bottom corners. A dedicated grout brush also works exceptionally well if you already have one in your cleaning caddy.

How often should I detach and clean the accessories?

You should rinse removable colander trays and wipe down juice grooves immediately after every single use, especially after handling raw meat. However, you only need to physically detach the silicone feet and perform a deep chemical soak once a month. This routine keeps the hardware sanitary without turning daily cleanup into a massive chore.