It's not about cleaning, wood has antibacterial properties, it sucks the moisture out of bacteria and kills them. That's true for both wood chopping boards and blocks. There is plenty of literature about it: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266676572...

> And at no point did I say they were 'teeming' with bacteria

Is this not a direct quote from your previous comment: "I assure you the wooden block people use, is teeming with bacteria"?

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bbarnett 3 days ago | parent [-]

Apparently so, re: teeming.

But the problem isn't just wood, it's also long term dirt accumulation. And this study is absolutely not validation of your point, stating "Despite the many investigations on the topic, the antibacterial activity of wood is far from fully understood", while also saying different species, and hard vs softwood all have different tested effectiveness.

This is also about dry wood, yet I've seen countless people put their knifes away wet/damp. Some of these blocks rarely have time to dry.

I've also seen mould growing on soap, damp debris, and these are things which end up in the block's slots... never washed or cleaned.

I'm not saying don't use them, I'm saying it's silly to wash frying pans with soap, or vegetables only use knives with soap. Not needed.

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NicuCalcea 3 days ago | parent [-]

Just because I can't have my cooking utensils sterile 100% of the time doesn't mean I can't put minimal effort into reducing the risk. I don't want to cook on frying pans covered in rancid oil and dust. The recommendation is to use soap even for cast iron pans.

Maybe some people do, but I also don't put any wet dishes and cutlery away, I have a dish drainer. If I found my soap was growing mould, I'd throw it in the bin, not write it off as a thing that happens and there's no need to worry about it.

> this study is absolutely not validation of your point, stating "Despite the many investigations on the topic, the antibacterial activity of wood is far from fully understood"

This is standard boilerplate present in nearly any paper, scientists never claim that a topic is fully understood and doesn't require any further research.

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bbarnett 3 days ago | parent [-]

The point is, you're using TSA logic, and made up issues like dust and rancid oil exhibit that.

I also notice you haven't responded about washing food with soap. Or about BBQing. Please don't tell me you throw away canned food past its best before, too. That would crush my soul further.

If you do, please wait until tomorrow to do so, so I may steel myself for the shock.

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NicuCalcea 3 days ago | parent [-]

I don't know what TSA logic is. Oil absolutely gets gooey and disgusting if left for a few days. It's fine if that's not an issue for you, I shouldn't criticise people's personal taste, but I prefer not to eat that.

On your other questions, I will refer you back to my earlier comment in case you missed it: "Just because I can't have my cooking utensils sterile 100% of the time doesn't mean I can't put minimal effort into reducing the risk."

	▲	account42 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		> I don't know what TSA logic is. Oil absolutely gets gooey and disgusting if left for a few days. That's an issue when there is enough of it to affect the final meal, not if there are microscopic amounts left on the surface of the pan. Just wiping a pan down is enough if you use it regularly. Rancid oil is also not going to give you food poisoning like the guy that started this subthread claimed was happening.