Do you clean your can opener after every use?

Yes. I rinse it in hot water and a little soap. I use an old-fashioned hand can opener.

Depends how gooky what I’ve opened is.

I never used to until I noticed the buildup. Wow!
I tossed that one and started over with a new one.
Now I clean it every time I use it. Thanks for the reminder.

No.

I use a model that doesn’t get the can’s inner contents on it.

I only rinse it if it is something fairly benign like a can of pickled beets, but tuna fish, soups, and other stuff, yes, I wash it in hot water and soap and scrub the blade/wheels with a little scrub brush.

I rise it after every use, and when I get really ambitious I scrub it with a toothbrush.

I rinse it every time and wash it here and there.

Once in a blue moon. It’s called the dirtiest inch in the kitchen for a reason. I hardly ever use it.

I saw something on TV once that the electric can opener is one of the most germ loaded items in your kitchen. Ever since I saw that (years ago), I threw out my electric can opener and bought a good manual hand opener. If I open a can I just throw it (the can opener) in the dishwasher along with my other dishes to wash in the cycle.

I had no idea that people didn’t clean them after every use. Mine is a manual one, it just gets thrown into the sink with all the other washing up.

Only when the handle gets dirty or sticky from my hands or something spilling on it. Like @SecondHandStoke (I expect), I use a can opener that opens the top of the can from the side, and whose blade never touches the contents of the can. Even if the blade itself is contaminated from earlier use, that blade isn’t going to be “in the can” like a normal top-down blade will be.

Yes. I have a manual can opener; it’s so much easier to use than those electric models, plus the only energy expended is that of my own. I wash it after every use.

I have a manual one and I put the sponge on it with a little detergent and then rinse.

I have an old one, too (manual) and it’s kind of nasty looking. The blade doesn’t get clean looking but it still opens the cans well so I keep it.

@CWOTUS I have one of those side ones and I hate it, I almost never use it. I figure if it cuts open the can it is touching the contents inside. I think the main goal of those can openers is for dirt on the top of the can not to get pushed into the contents of the can.

But then how do you drain your tuna?

@Seek Exactly. You can’t. Nor your canned veggies, olives, or mandarin oranges.