Have you been cleaning your chopping board wrong?

Experts have revealed why you should always put plastic chopping boards in the dishwasher. Photo / Getty Images

Experts have revealed why you should always put plastic chopping boards in the dishwasher - in order to get rid of trapped bacteria.

Simply washing plastic boards in the sink will not do the trick, as the knife-scarred surface makes them 'impossible' to clean effectively by hand, according to The Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, wooden chopping boards can be washed by hand - but you should always ensure that you rinse them thoroughly, as well as drying them properly.

This will help make sure you flush away all the bacteria, and also ensure that the boards don't warp by leaving them wet.

US-based experts at Apartment Therapy explained how wooden boards are much better than plastic boards when it comes to cleanliness.

Researchers have previously found that the grooves created by knives on the plastic surface traps bacteria, which cannot be cleaned manually.

In contrast, bacteria is absorbed by the wood and disappears from the surface of the chopping board, dying over time.

It comes after TV doctor Michael Mosley suggested that anti-bacterial kitchen sprays and wipes may be a waste of money.

He found potentially-harmful bacteria that can cause agonising food poisoning reappear on kitchen counters and surfaces just one hour after disinfecting them.

Dr Mosely, from BBC's Trust Me I'm a Doctor, suggested using certain chopping boards just for meat and others for produce that will be eaten raw, such as salad.

Cleaning with vinegar, as well as soapy water, is a good way of disinfecting kitchen items due to its acetic-acid content.

He also recommends people keep dishcloths and sponges as dry as possible and dunk them in bleach once a week.