Argh

April 18, 2020 2:03 PM

I just blew dust out of the cooker base/heating element of my instant pot using "endust" electronics dusting spray. I promptly realized what a stupid, potentially dangerous idea that was. After wiping the whole thing out with a damp cloth, is it safe to use?

Please no judgment, I have quarantine brain along with various other issues. I brought my very dusty instant pot up from the basement and mentally connected it with the can of dusting spray my husband had just been using for a different project. After giving the inside of the cooking element (the part that remains after you remove the washable metal bowl) a few spritzes with the dusting spray, it occurred to me that this was probably not a good thing to use on such a potentially exploding-ball-of-fire thing. I promptly wiped it out with a damp cloth but am now afraid to use it. Did i just ruin my instant pot?

Thanks.

posted by whistle pig to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

No, it's fine. Endust is for electronics.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:11 PM on April 18, 2020 [4 favorites]

I can't see how this is in any way problematic.
posted by Brockles at 2:16 PM on April 18, 2020 [5 favorites]

I think the question is about the fact that endust is full of propellants and quite flammable, not about corrosion.

I would wipe the whole thing out carefully and let it air out for a day before using it, and maybe run it open on sauté with some water in the pot for 20 mins before using it to cook again, but everything should evaporate.
posted by mhoye at 2:18 PM on April 18, 2020 [10 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks, yeah my concern is about the flammability of the dusting spray.
posted by whistle pig at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2020 [3 favorites]

I understood that. 30 seconds after you sprayed it, that issue has dissipated, even without wiping it out. Blowing in it for a few sessions after doing it would have been fine. It's a non issue.

Besides, instant pots heat up so slowly it would evaporate. Just put it on keep warm with the lid off for 5 minutes if you want, but that is really belt and braces.
posted by Brockles at 2:35 PM on April 18, 2020 [17 favorites]

You're talking about one of these products, yes? From the ingredient list (assuming you have the one not labeled non-flammable) it looks like the only ingredients are a bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) and the propellant Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, if that's of any reassurance.
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:54 PM on April 18, 2020 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone, I think I will err on the side of caution and follow mhoye's advice.
posted by whistle pig at 3:13 PM on April 18, 2020

A thing I learned from working with some Mechanical Engineers: Blowing dust out, whether you use Endust or compressed air, tends to wedge larger particles deeper into nooks where they're then harder to remove. Vacuuming is usually a safer approach. On something like an Instant pot, there aren't a lot of nooks and crannies like there are in, say, a laptop, so you're probably O.K.
posted by dws at 9:02 PM on April 18, 2020

When I initially read your question to mean that you had sprayed Endust on the cooking surface of your pot, I thought running it with some tap water a couple of times to make sure all the bitterant was rinsed away was a good idea.

Having read it again and noted that you only sprayed the base, the only risk you exposed yourself to was the possibility that you blew dust into the bowl.
posted by wierdo at 10:09 PM on April 18, 2020