Oven Mitt Safety Tips

The most important consideration in the kitchen is safety. Your oven mitts and pot holders are your first line of defense against a hot oven or stove, so it’s good to keep these safety tips in mind:

Oven mitts and pot holders must be totally dry. Cotton loses it’s ability to insulate from heat when damp or wet. If you ever grabbed a hot pan with a damp kitchen towel, you know what I mean. Steam burns can be a very dangerous situation, so make sure your oven mitts and pot holders are dry before using.

After washing, I often stand oven mitts up on a heating vent, or in the summer, lay them in a sunny window to dry.

Gripping something really hot? Double up! If you are grabbing something out of a 400 degree oven or hotter, double up on protection just to be safe. Even the highest quality cloth kitchen oven mitts and pot holders are designed for ‘intermittent use’ at average temps, so at most, you’ll have 5-8 seconds before you begin to feel the heat a bit.

Don’t believe claims by manufacturers of everyday kitchen textiles that say differently. If you are handling a seriously hot item, double up on protection or get a pair of welding gloves!

Wash oven mitts frequently. Over time and with multiple users, the inside of your oven mitts can become contaminated with bacteria from hands and food. Do yourself a favor and drop your oven mitts and pot holders into the wash frequently and stay safe!

Quality kitchen oven mitts, and pot holders should last for years and go a long way to keeping you safe in the kitchen!