How long does a cutting board last?? I know there are ways of refreshing your board...I have a small one that i can`t really use anymore because it has a permanent wave now and i can`t get rid of and I have a bigger board which i `ve used a lot. It needs refreshing...i can`t afford to buy a new one....i`m wondering how long does a board last?? What is the best way to refresh it? clean it? seems like some very small pieces of thread stay stuck in the board as i cut fabric....am i doing something wrong??Yes i change the blades on my cutting wheel often.

The permanent wave was likely caused by either putting something hot on it, leaving it in a hot car or not storing it flat. They can be very temperamental, so you have to be careful with them. When I first started quilting, other quilters told me not to put my tea cup on them, or anything else hot and I've learned from experience not to leave mats in the car when it's hot and sunny outside. For storing them, if it's a small board, you can use a pants hanger and hang it in the closet. For my big board, my hubby put two holes in it and then two nails behind a door and it hangs there when I have to collapse down the table it usually goes on.

I hear that the white cutting mats are not as good as the others, that they will keep threads down in them. Keep that in mind when you find some funds to get a 2nd mat. And you can use coupons at JoAnn's for cutting mats. There are mat cleaners that you can use that are like a fine sandpaper.

Your original question of how long do they last depends on how you care for them, but I would imagine they could easily last 15-20 years.

I use one of the nylon scrubbies for bathing to get the small pieces of thread out. Just rub it back and forth.

I've been using my giant board for c.20 years; quite worn in spots, but works just fine.
I do occasionally run a scrubbie like thing over the worn spots as PegD suggested.

I've used mine so long I have permanent grooves in the 2 1/2", 3 1/2, and 5 1/4" measure lines! LOL!

There have been a number of topics on this so you might want to try using the search feature to see what has worked for everyone.

Soaking your mat in water either in the bathtub overnight or laying wet cloths on it for a time has led to an almost new mat. Some have had amazing results so please use the search to see what could possibly help you. Some have even been able to save warped mats.

I can tell you my big one that receives the most use has lasted me 20+ years and my other sizes are lasting as well.

yep ....i let the smaller board in the van....i know that one can`t be fixed..i tried...but i do want to keep the bigger one...i`ll will try and clean it...will check search to see how others have done it...i usually store it under my bed...that works.

I was shopping online for a mat recently and read that you shouldn't be cutting cotton batting on them with a rotary cutter. That was news to me.

Frequently one of those microfiber cloths will pick up a lot of the fuzz left in my (white) cutting board.