Giving chopping board myths the chop

This is the third instalment of a regular column on food facts or fiction from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. 
Fiction: Using plastic chopping boards is far better than wooden ones because they don't harbour bugs. 
Fact: How chopping boards are used and cleaned has much more of an impact on food safety than the materials they are made from. Cuts in plastic boards will protect bacteria from washing just as easily as cuts in wooden boards. 
After you use a chopping board it should be scrubbed with hot soapy water and a stiff brush then rinsed and dried thoroughly. Sanitise your boards every week or so. Make up a disinfectant by diluting one teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach in one litre of water or mix one part of vinegar to five parts water. Flood the surface of the chopping board with one of these mixtures then let it stand for a few minutes before rinsing well and drying.
Another important thing you can do to keep your food safe from pathogens when using chopping boards is to avoid cross-contamination. Having a selection of chopping boards makes this easy because it allows you to use one to prepare raw foods that require cooking, such as meat, poultry or fish, and another to prepare foods which are ready to eat including salads, vegetables and breads.
It's a good idea to buy different coloured ones and use each colour for a different purpose: Have a green one for vegetables, red for meats, blue for fish, yellow for chicken, and white for cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
Talking about cleaning: dishcloths, sponges and tea towels should be washed and fully dried regularly it's way too late when they start to smell. It's a good idea to put a fresh dishcloth out every day and to change tea towels when they get wet.
Hot tip:
Did you know that a dishcloth or sponge can be effectively cleaned by placing the wet item in a microwave on high for three minutes? The heat kills bacteria and viruses. Just be careful when removing the sponge or cloth from the microwave as it will be steaming hot.