We might have used towels or cloth to hold hot cookware before, and oven mitts saved us from scald burns.
Oven mitts are great, but when it comes to food safety and kitchen safety, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So are oven mitts safe?
Oven mitts do have the potential to be dangerous. The good news is, most of the potential dangers are easily avoidable as long as you are conscious of them and follow a few simple safety precautions.
Now, let’s take a look at oven mitts safety, and how to make sure your kitchen stays safe, even when you are reaching for hot cookware.
First, Oven Mitts Are Not Toxic
Some people are concerned about toxic chemicals in oven mitts leaching into food. However, this is not something that you need to worry about.
All oven mitts are made from materials that are safe to use around food. In fact, most oven mitts are made from the same materials as other kitchen items like pot holders and aprons.
Potential Dangers of Using Oven Mitts Unproperly
While oven mitts are not themselves dangerous, there is a potential for danger if they are not used properly.
Get Scald Burns
Oven mitts are essential to any kitchen, protecting your hands from the potential danger of touching hot pots, pans, and baking trays.
Unfortunately, wet oven mitts could lead to more harm than heat-related burns.
While we all know that putting water on a hot surface can cause a scalding steam explosion, it turns out that wet oven mitts are just as vulnerable to potential danger.
Moisture in the fabric creates temperatures hot enough to burn skin faster than a dry oven mitt would.
So it’s important to always keep your oven mitts dry before you use them—even if they seem harmless when wet.
Cause Kitchen Fire
Have you ever been tempted to leave oven mitts on your stovetop after taking out a hot pan? Well, don’t.
Though oven mitts are wonderful at protecting your hands from hot temperatures—they are potential fire hazards themselves.
If they are left too close to a burner or a space heater while in use, they can ignite easily due to their insulation-like properties.
And the potential danger doesn’t end there; many materials used for oven mitts are also petroleum-based and may be highly flammable if heat is applied for too long.
Can Oven Mitts Cause Asbestos Exposure?
The answer is——it used to be a definite “yes”. Oven mitts used to be produced with asbestos content, a known carcinogen linked to Mesothelioma.
The good news is that while some older gloves may have been made with asbestos-containing materials, modern gloves are not.
Asbestos-containing materials are now banned from commercial products, so asbestos exposure from modern oven mitts is extremely unlikely.
What Are Safe Oven Mitt Materials?
As we mentioned earlier, most oven gloves are made from safe materials around food. However, if you’re looking for an extra level of safety, you may want to consider mitts made from silicone.
Silicone is a non-toxic material that is safe to use around food. It is also heat-resistant, so it will protect your hands from burns.
Besides, silicone is durable and will last longer than other materials. Silicone is an excellent choice for safe and reliable oven mitts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is no need to worry about the safety of using oven gloves. They are made from materials that are safe to use around food and will not cause asbestos exposure.
If you’re looking for an extra safety level, consider opting for gloves made from silicone.
