How to Disinfect a Thermometer, and When You Need to Do It, According to Experts–
Thermometers can harbor bacteria and transmit infection if not properly disinfected.
The following written content by Claire Gillespie
A thermometer is an essential item in every home medical kit—and given that fever is one of the most common COVID-19 symptoms, you might have used yours more frequently than usual due to the pandemic. But it’s important to keep your thermometer clean so you avoid spreading germs between family members.
“Thermometers can potentially harbor bacteria and transmit infection,” Tracey Stoll, RN, manager of infection prevention at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California, tells Health. “By cleaning the thermometer every time, both before and after use, you are reducing the risk of infection.”
Here’s how to disinfect your thermometer between uses to help keep everyone in the home healthy.
Before disinfecting a thermometer
Before disinfecting and using a thermometer, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water or disinfect them with hand sanitizer, Stoll says. (If your hands are visibly dirty, you should go for the soap and water option, she adds.)
Only when your hands are clean should you start the disinfection process.
How to disinfect a digital thermometer
First, wipe down your digital thermometer with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, Stoll says. (Rubbing alcohol with an alcohol level of 60% or higher is most effective at killing bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, use a bleach wipe instead.
“The action of rubbing the surface of the thermometer helps to disinfect,” Stoll explains. Take care not to submerge the digital part of the thermometer in fluid (water and electronic components don’t mix well), though the tip can be rinsed in water if desired. Finally, always leave it to air dry before putting it into storage.
Get into the habit of doing this every time the same thermometer is used by two different people and/or used by the same person after a long time.
How to disinfect a forehead thermometer
A temporal artery thermometer is used externally, measuring infrared heat waves coming off the blood vessel that runs across the forehead just below the skin. Some of these thermometers don’t actually come into direct contact with the skin, but they should still be sanitized before and after each use, Ramzi Yacoub, PharmD, the chief pharmacy officer at SingleCare, tells Health.
He recommends the same method you use to sanitize a digital thermometer: Soak a cotton ball or pad with rubbing alcohol that has at least 60% alcohol volume, or use a bleach wipe. Again, give the thermometer time to air dry before putting it back into storage.
How to disinfect a rectal thermometer
The American Academy of Pediatrics says rectal thermometers (inserted into the anus) are the most accurate and recommends them for use on children up to age 4 years. Read more from Health.
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