How to Clean a Can Opener [Beginner and Pro]
Many people stock up on canned foods in their refrigerators for future days, which can come in handy when you don’t particularly feel like cooking. Canning is an excellent way to keep perishable food items from expiring and going bad.
However, as convenient as it is to have ready-to-eat canned food, it is equally frustrating to open the can. These cans are often made from tin or metal, so you obviously can’t plop them open with bare hands. You need some device or gadget to tear open the can.
Can openers can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria. These devices are exposed to food every time it’s used, getting bits of food stuck on their blade and wheels. Left unwashed, the can opener quickly becomes unsanitary, leading to the growth of bacteria and often rust.
An old-school-style can opener accumulates bacteria like salmonella and E.coli because the wheel gets food from inside the can and doesn’t get washed properly.
There is a huge variety of cans on the market. Sometimes you even need different types of can openers for each of them. Some are harder to use, leave jagged edges, and cause you to make a mess. But some don’t!
You might be familiar with a few of them, but you may not have heard of some that can do the job better, are cleaner, and handle all the can lid styles. Let’s look at some of the most common and popular varieties.
- Single Wheel Can Opener
This one is also much like the bunker can opener with its design and the way it works. Except this one has a magnet that keeps the lid in place. You need one with a strong magnet, or you’ll have problems with the opener slipping away from the can. The job of the magnet is to hold the can firmly while the wheel cuts through the rim. Attach the opener to the lid of the can and place the wheel as close to the rim as possible.
Then use the key to turn the wheel, and the job is done
- Electric Can Opener
Electric can openers are very easy to use because all you need to do is press the button or flip a switch, depending on the model. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Electric types of can openers offer the most convenience of all of them. They’re like the luxury model.
- Bunker Can Opener
This is possibly the most common type of can opener. The handles of a bunker opener look much like cutting pliers, and there is a serrated wheel and a key too. When you put it all together, you get a machine that opens any can smoothly and quite easily.
The first step is to use the bunker to grip the can effectively with the help of the pliers. Then you must crank up the key and let the wheel rotate and slice through the top of the can.
- Lever-Type Can Opener
- Butterfly Can Opener
- Countertop Can Opener
- Church Key Can Opener
- Tin Can Key Can Opener
- Side Can Opener
How to Remove Rust From a Can Opener
Sometimes can openers or other utensils can get shoved to the back of a drawer for a long time, and when you discover them, they have rust spots that have developed because of moisture that somehow got into the drawer. It won’t be necessary to discard the can opener because it can be made safe for food handling with just a few simple steps. Here’s how you can restore your can openers and other utensils so they can have longer useful lives.
- Use Rust remover
Wherever the oxidation spots appear on your can opener, you must use the spray bottle version of Magica Rust Remover to douse it with a couple of spritzes of the high-powered cleaning formula. Then you will only need to wait about 10 minutes for the cleaning agents to loosen and dissolve the oxidation on your can opener. All remaining traces of the rust can then simply be washed away with ordinary warm water, and you’ll be able to dry off the can opener, so it can be ready for immediate usage in your kitchen again.
- Home Remedies
If you’re waiting for some Magica Rust Remover to be shipped to you, you can still put your can opener back in use again around the kitchen. First, you need to get some white vinegar and a toothbrush, and then you can scrub away those oxidation spots you see on the utensil before rinsing it off thoroughly with more vinegar. Once you’ve washed away all the rust, you can lubricate any moving parts with common mineral oil.
Steps For Cleaning An Electric Can Opener
- Unplug the device
This might seem like common sense. However, it can be easy to forget. While the chances of injury aren’t very likely, it is always best to take precautions just in case and unplug the device. Some can openers require batteries; these are called hands-free can openers; you can ignore this step for them.
- Wipe it down after every use
Getting into the habit of wiping the can opener after every use will help in the reduction of build-up on the surface. A damp cloth and a very small dish soap can help keep it clean between uses. Extra care should always be taken around the blade area to avoid unwanted injury. Always unplug it while doing this step as well.
- Put an old toothbrush to work
Before tossing out an old toothbrush, consider using it for small cleaning jobs like an electric can opener. The brush can be disinfected by dipping it in boiling water for up to three minutes.
The bristles are great for reaching hard-to-reach areas like the rotary wheel, blade, or magnet. The brush should be wet, and a small amount of dish soap or a baking soda paste can be used to scrub the surface. Baking soda pastes are a great cleaning combination and only require two teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of water.
- Consider using a q-tip or cotton swab
These are just as good as the toothbrushes as they can reach hard to get to areas. They don’t necessarily hold soap and water very well like a toothbrush could, so using vinegar is a good option. Vinegar has been a long-time household cleaning tool, and using it for an electric can opener is no exception! Simply soak the q-tip in vinegar and use it in those tight spaces.
- Remove the lever and blade, and wheel
Generally, electric can openers will have removable parts for easier cleaning. The lever is generally attached via a stationary piece of plastic that fits into the machine like a puzzle.
The blade can be attached to the level, but it can also be closer to the wheel on the actual stationary part of the opener. The rotary wheel might require the use of tools or might not be removable at all.
Removing the lever gives better access to the blade and wheel areas for those that aren’t removable. If all parts are removable, soaking them in vinegar or soapy water for a few minutes and completely drying them is the best option.
- Put everything back together
Put all parts back together after drying and cleaning them.
- Make sure it is dry
Using a dry cloth or paper towel to dry the surface, blade areas, etc, is important to prevent rusting. Rusting occurs when the water has sat on a metal surface for too long. This is why thoroughly drying any parts is super important.
Cleaning a Manual Can Openers
Manual Can Openers are the most simple to clean and maintain since they have no spare parts or electronic components. Most models are dishwasher safe and thus a breeze to clean. Don’t have a dishwasher in the kitchen? Fear not.
Steps For Cleaning a Manual Can Opener
- Use wax paper to clean a manual can opener.
Take a piece of wax paper and fold it 3 times, clamp the edge of the paper down with the manual can opener and start to turn the knob as if opening the can.
If you do not clean your can opener, it will often surprise you how much grime you will see left on the paper.
Keep turning until the clean paper comes from under the blades.
If your can opener was not cleaned for a long time, you should use a paper towel folded 3 times for the first cleaning. Because its surface is not smooth, it will get the dirt better.
- Disinfect
Spray the can opener (mechanism, knob, handles – all parts) with hydrogen peroxide. You can use food-grade hydrogen peroxide by pouring it first into a spray bottle.
A useful tip! Keep food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide in an opaque spray bottle on the kitchen countertop near the sink. It is handy for disinfecting all kitchen surfaces, gadgets, and appliances. It kills bacteria and does not leave any odor.
As a cheaper alternative to buying food-grade hydrogen peroxide and a separate spray bottle, you can get regular hydrogen peroxide prepackaged in a trigger spray bottle from CVC brick and mortar stores.
You can get it online from CVC or Amazon if you want to save a trip to the store. After you use the hydrogen peroxide in the trigger bottle – unscrew the trigger mechanism and refill the hydrogen peroxide from a large bottle bought in any grocery store.
Remember, it is important to keep hydrogen peroxide in an opaque container. Otherwise, it will decompose if exposed to light.
- Dry
Wipe your manual rotary-style can opener with a paper towel.
- Lubricate
Clamp your can opener on a piece of silicone-coated parchment paper (alternative – folded waxed paper or a piece of paper towel with a few drops of food-grade mineral oil on it). Crank a paper towel through the spokes to lubricate the wheels (like in step 1). Do not use olive or other vegetable oil to lubricate the blades of a can opener. The oil will go rancid, and your opener will smell bad. Bacteria can grow on it and pose a health risk in contact with food while opening cans.