The answer is, oil often, sometimes as frequently as once a week or more. It is dependent on how much you use and wash your board. I frequently suggest applying a good wet coat before going to bed, and in the morning wipe off any excess with a dry paper towel. You’d be surprise how little if any oil is left on the surface in the morning. If you allow your board to become dry it may begin to crack and/or warp. This is not a defect, but rather the result of low relative humidity. If I sound repetitive, it’s because I cannot emphasize enough the importance to oil, oil, oil. For additional protection and moisturizer, you can use Bee's Oil. Bee's Oil is a food safe mixture of food safe oils and bees wax. It will help restore and maintain a soft sheen. Bee's Oil can be purchased from Holland Bowl Mill at www.hollandbowlmill.com

Unless the board has feet, keep one end propped up or stand the board on its side when not in use for maximum air ventilation. When a board is left flat on a counter, both sides of the board will not be exposed to the same humidity level and may cause it to warp, even if the board was dry to the touch when laid flat.

If your cutting board shows significant signs of wear, it can be sanded and recoated as described above. Once cutting boards (plastic and wood) become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, they should be discarded, although, wooden boards can typically be resurfaced with the proper equipment.