We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Cleaning has been at the top of everyone’s mind during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly when it comes to the kitchen (the room we’re all using a lot more these days). Soap and warm water will get you far, but there are even simpler ways to ward off germs. For starters, you can invest in hygienic cooking tools. 

Australia-based company Fab Slabs has been making naturally and permanently antibacterial cutting boards for a few years now, but its products resonate differently in 2020. The platters are crafted from a single slab of kiln-dried camphor laurel, a type of evergreen tree that’s commonly found across the continent and is actually considered a weed. This species doesn’t do much for the landscape, but it has tons of benefits in the kitchen. The National Association of Testing Authorities repeatedly attempted to grow the most common food bacteria on top of the Fab Slabs boards, including E. coli and salmonella, and nothing grew. Boards that had been used over the course of seven to 10 years also showed no sign of contamination. 

Because the wood is naturally antibacterial, you don’t have to spend a ton of time deep cleaning the board with a fancy lemon-and-salt scrub. Simply rinse it with hot soapy water, dry it, and rub in some grape-seed oil when it looks dry. If there’s anything the present time has taught us, it’s that the materials in our home matter. Switching your stainless steel fixtures over to copper (a metal that’s been shown to kill germs on contact) or swapping out your questionable cookware for products you know are safe will give you some peace of mind—we’ll take every bit we can get. 

It’s hammer time: Follow @reno_notebook for easy rental updates, clever DIYs, and tips to nail your next project.