PREMISE ONE: I fully emerse it in the wash basin like other utensils, and wash it with a dish cloth. PROBABLE OUTCOME: It becomes rusted solid and unusable (believe me, I know from experience).
PREMISE TWO: I simply take a dry paper cloth and wipe the food residue off, being careful not to get it in any way wet. POSSIBLE OUTCOME: Everyone who eats food opened with this can opener gets food poisoning from the food residue I couldn’t wipe away with the dry cloth. (I’ve never had this happen to me, but I have heard stories about health inspectors checking out can openers in cases of food poisoning.)
So, what is the proper way to clean a can opener? Do the manufacturers recommend a way? Do the health departments recommend a way? Do anyone know of a better way than the two discussed above?
After decades of R&D, can opener manufacturers finally designed can openers which don’t rust. It was considered a breakthrough in modern science and mechanics, and all involved recieved nobel prizes and became “TIME Man of the Year” consecutively for two decades running.
And for when you have gunk stuck in there that you can’t get at with a dish rag or sponge, I keep a toothbrush for just this purpose–you can really get the nasty stuff out of there with some gentle scrubbing. If you dry it right away won’t that stop any rusting, too?
If you really want to get serious, clean it the way you’re supposed to clean pruning shears, etc.: with rubbing alcohol. It gets the grime off and the alcohol evaporates, so there’s no rust.
I recommend the kind of can opener that cuts the lid from the outside so the can opener doesn’t touch the food, the dirty can lid doesn’t get the quick dip into the food and the can lid is not sharp. The lid also fits back on the can (not airtight though). Here is a link one site that has this type (with a picture). I bought this about 5 years ago and love it. You never need to wash it either no part of it touches the food
