Temp probe cleaning tip.

[Chasdev]

A few weeks ago someone asked how to clean his digital probes once they are getting toasty.
I stumbled across the answer, it was right in front of my nose as my wife bought some and had been trying to get me to use it on our dirtiest casserole baking dishes.
I however have been insisting that my tried and true method (which by the way did not work all that well) of using hot water with dish wash liquid mixed in and letting things soak for 8 hours was the way to go.
Don't let her hear this, but I was WRONG!
Here's a photo essay with the answer at the end.
Soak in foam time is 5 minutes, no scrubbing other than one or two really stubborn bits that then come right off.
Stuff is a miracle.

 

[smokerjim]

My wife buys that stuff, really does work. But Never tried it on my probes, showing how dumb I am I never even thought too. I will now though. Thanks for helping us dummies out

 

[JckDanls 07]

Yup... We use it too... One in the kitchen and one at the luandry/garage sink..

 

[schlotz]

Great tip, thanks!

 

[02ebz06]

I just use a scrubby pad. Fold it around probe tip, slide back and forth while turning probe.
A little soap and water and done in a minute.

 

[JLeonard]

Yeah...Put me in the "I'll be danged" list......I use that on everything but my probes....Just never really thought about it. I will now though!

Jim

 

[chopsaw]

Yeah , that's good stuff . Use it on my weber grill tray .



C Chasdev glad you posted this . Reminds me I got those probe holder things you asked about . Now I need to remember where I put them .

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I just use a scrubby pad. Fold it around probe tip, slide back and forth while turning probe.
A little soap and water and done in a minute.

That’s exactly what I do. I thought it wasn’t advisable to submerge the cable/probe connection. I did have a probe fail after doing so.

 

[DougE]

I just use a scrubby pad. Fold it around probe tip, slide back and forth while turning probe.
A little soap and water and done in a minute.

I do that when they get crusty, but if they're fairly clean, I just wipe them down with rubbing alcohol on a piece of paper towel.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Wife brought one home for kitchen. We now have a couple in garage, laundry room also.

 

[Winterrider]

I was also in the camp that you weren't suppose to get the wire ends (near probe and plug end) wet.

 

[801driver]

I also use a Scotch Bright scrubby and Dawn on the probes, but I hold the probe just below the wire/probe junction and never let it get wet from scrubbing or rinsing. I like many others have destroyed probes by letting them get wet where the wire goes in. It is such a common problem, I have considered adding a little red high temp RTV to seal that transition area.

 

[tpc74]

It’s probably the denatured alcohol in the stuff that does the trick. :)

 

[Chasdev]

It must be the brand of probes I bought but I've been drowning mine in hot water and spraying them with hot water over and over and they all still read out just fine.
Frankly, I suspect these are made by the same outfit as the probes interchange.
Anyway, both sets of probes are completly waterproof.

 

[tpc74]

It must be the brand of probes I bought but I've been drowning mine in hot water and spraying them with hot water over and over and they all still read out just fine.
Frankly, I suspect these are made by the same outfit as the probes interchange.
Anyway, both sets of probes are completly waterproof.

If you have the probes where the wire come out but the end is just crimped with a little bit of plastic around it, they can fail from water intrusion. That is what my maverick has. You have to hold it in such a way that the water runs away from the probe.

My Inkbird I’m not as sure as they have a knurled metal piece over the end. I still clean them that way though.

 

[HalfSmoked]

I have never really had trouble cleaning as I do it with just a paper towel when I pull them out of the meat.

Warren

 

[KBFlyer]

Another great product that I use for cleaning up power saws and such but works on probes is SuperClean Cleaner Degreaser

 

[02ebz06]

I do that when they get crusty, but if they're fairly clean, I just wipe them down with rubbing alcohol on a piece of paper towel.

For me, they always seem to be a little crusty right where the probe is at the surface of the meat or bread.

================================================================

It must be the brand of probes I bought but I've been drowning mine in hot water and spraying them with hot water over and over and they all still read out just fine.
Frankly, I suspect these are made by the same outfit as the probes interchange.
Anyway, both sets of probes are completly waterproof.

Thermoworks has come out with some new probes (silicone coated I think) that are waterproof.
I have purchased several of those, but still don't put them in water (It's the glass half empty part of me).

I do wipe the cable down with damp paper towel though.
Something I wouldn't do with metal braided ones.

 

[Fraser]

I use alcohol prep pads, always handy in my TPen case. I’ve got another fistful in with my wired probes. I found if I give ‘em a quick wipe when they’re hot & fresh, it saves scrubbing later.
You can find them in most drugstores.

Hope this helps!

 

[Culinary Otter]

I try not to get the non-business end of my probes too wet. Barkeepers Friend in liquid form works miracles when your average scrubby pad fails.