Whether the oven thermometer is used for roasting meat or replacing the gauge of inaccurate older model, it’s best to keep an oven thermometer clean to maintain accurate temperature inside the appliance.
Furthermore, this device is a safety tool that is widely used to prevent food poisoning from harmful bacteria due to perishable items that are undercooked.
Thorough cleaning is important for giving accurate readings. Therefore, keeping oven thermometer clean can actually help to prevent spreading germs through cross-contamination.
How do you clean an oven thermometer? There are various ways to clean an oven thermometer including hot water and dish soap, rubbing alcohol, boiling water, and chlorine bleach.
Some oven thermometers have specific safety instructions, therefore read through the manual before pursuing any of these cleaning methods.
Any hand sanitizer helps to disinfect the thermometer when water is not accessible for outdoor cooking. However, ensure the solution contains at least 70% alcohol to enhance the cleaning effect.
Oven thermometers tend to loose accuracy over time, and the inaccuracy speeds up when the oven thermometer is not properly taken good care of.
Answered below are frequently asked questions about the best way to preserve and maintain the oven thermometer for accurate reading. Review this article to apply cleaning method for food safety reasons to keep your oven thermometer lasting long.
Do you need to clean an oven thermometer?
Yes, you do need to clean an oven thermometer. It is best practice to prevent cross-contaminating and spreading harmful germs, especially when handling meat and poultry.
When an oven thermometer is used all the time, it is recommended to clean at least every month or so using your preferred cleaning method following manufacturer instructions. Cleaning regularly helps to yield better results and ensures the device is working properly.
How to clean an oven thermometer
There is not only one way to clean an oven thermometer. Due to variety types of devices, applying the right method to clean is recommended.
- Hot water and soap: Wash the thermometer with hot soapy water after every use, and rinse off with hot water to remove the grease. When selecting soap, an antibacterial dish soap will kill bacteria and wash way grease.
- Rubbing alcohol: After cleaning, use a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol with alcohol content between 60 and 70% to sanitize. Rinse with cold water to wash any alcohol remnants.
- Boiling water: This method works best with meat thermometer, and it’s a great way to verify accuracy of the gauge. Ensure the boiling water is at 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius for 1 minute to kill any bacteria. Avoid immersing the entire thermometer into the hot water, instead dip the prong of the thermometer to sanitize and prevent damaging.
- Chlorine bleach: Sanitize the thermometer with mixture of chlorine bleach and water. Only soak the needle part in the solution for 10 minutes, then wash off with hot water and soap.
Most digital thermometers are water safe and simple cleaning should not damage the tool. No matter which cleaning method to choose, air dry instead of using kitchen towel to dry since there is too much possibility of reintroducing harmful bacteria on the surface.
Tips to clean oven thermometer
Keeping oven thermometers clean is important to remove any residue build up during the cooking process, and also retain the temperature accuracy.
There are many ways to clean this essential device, however it’s best to follow the manufacturer cleaning instructions.
Here are helpful tips to keep an oven thermometer clean:
- When using alcohol, make sure it contains at least 70% alcohol to sanitize.
- Do not use a kitchen towel to pat dry.
- Most thermometers should not be immersed fully in boiling water.
- Clean every month to retain accuracy.
- Wipe the probe with vinegar on a cotton pad or paper towel alternatively to using a chemical-based cleaner.
- Be sure to thoroughly wash and rinse with hot water and soap to remove any leftover residue from chemical cleansers.
Cleaning Oven Thermometer: Conclusion
Oven thermometer is a useful kitchen tool that offers accurate temperature readings to roast, bake, dehydrate, and cook any recipe. This device is extremely necessary when the oven does not function properly due to age and condition of the appliance.
There are 4 ways to clean an oven thermometer: hot water and soap, rubbing alcohol, boiling water, and chlorine bleach. Not every thermometer cleans the same, so refer to manufacturer guidelines to perform a recommended method.
When using hand sanitizer to disinfect the thermometer, ensure the solution contains at least 70% alcohol to kill any harmful bacteria.
Always air dry the clean thermometer instead of wiping down with kitchen towel. If the rag is not clean, there is a chance that you can cross-contaminate the freshly cleaned device.
The more usage an oven thermometer gets, it becomes increasingly important to keep the device clean. Not only for performance, but cleaning frequently also helps to eliminate cross-contamination and creating harmful bacteria.