Olive wood is one of the most durable materials you can put in a kitchen — some pieces last for decades with almost no upkeep. But "almost no upkeep" isn't "no upkeep." A few small habits make the difference between a board that looks better every year and one that dries out, cracks, or warps.
Wash it by hand, and dry it right away
Never put olive wood in the dishwasher. The combination of prolonged soaking, high heat, and drying cycles pulls moisture out of the wood too fast, which is what causes cracking and warping — not normal use. Hand wash with warm water and a mild soap, then towel-dry immediately rather than letting it air dry standing in a rack. Leaving a board wet on its flat side is one of the most common ways people accidentally warp one.
Oil it regularly, especially in the first few months
Olive wood is dense, but it's still a natural material that can dry out over time, particularly in centrally heated homes during winter. A food-safe mineral oil (or a food-grade beeswax and mineral oil blend) rubbed into the surface keeps the wood supple and helps prevent cracking.
New pieces benefit from oiling once a week for the first month, then once a month after that. Boards and utensils used daily can go longer between oilings than pieces used occasionally, since regular contact with food naturally keeps some moisture in the wood.
Don't soak it, ever
A quick rinse is fine. Leaving a board or utensil sitting in a sink full of water is not — even a few hours of soaking can be enough to start lifting the grain or encouraging small cracks. If something needs a deeper clean, a paste of coarse salt and half a lemon works well for stains or lingering odors, scrubbed on and rinsed off quickly.
Sand out small marks if you want to
Knife marks and light scratches are normal and, honestly, part of what makes a well-used board look good over time. If you want to refresh the surface, a light pass with fine-grit sandpaper (220 or higher) followed by a fresh coat of oil will smooth it back out. This isn't necessary for most people, but it's an option if a board starts looking rough.
What not to worry about
Olive wood is naturally dense and low-porosity, so it resists absorbing odors and doesn't stain the way some softer woods do — a board used for garlic one day and dessert the next won't carry flavors between uses if it's cleaned normally. The color will also deepen slightly over months and years of use and oiling; that's not damage, it's just the wood aging the way it's supposed to.
Treated this way, an olive wood board or set of utensils will comfortably outlast plastic or bamboo equivalents many times over — and the grain pattern, since no two pieces are ever quite the same, only gets more distinctive with age.