Passage Summary: Because bacteria get sucked into the interior of wooden boards rather than staying on top, the author claims you can skip the soap and water and just wipe off the crumbs.

Conclusion: Wooden cutting boards do not require washing to prevent food contamination; simply wiping away debris is enough.

Reasoning: Unlike plastic boards where bacteria linger on the surface, bacteria on wooden boards sink into the material immediately, leaving the surface free of germs.

Analysis: The gap in this argument is quite large: it assumes that 'out of sight' means 'out of mind' for bacteria. The author concludes that the board is safe just because the surface appears free of contamination, but this relies on the assumption that bacteria trapped inside the wood cannot somehow resurface or contaminate food later. To find the necessary assumption, ask yourself what *must* be true for this cleaning shortcut to work. If the bacteria could just pop back up or seep into the next steak you cut, the argument falls apart.