Moisture conducts heat extremely well – this leads to severe burns.
Why is this so dangerous?
Water conducts heat up to 25 times better than dry air. If your oven mitt or cloth is damp, the heat from the hot tray is transferred to your hands immediately.
The physics behind it
- Thermal conductivity of water: ~0.6 W/(m·K)
- Thermal conductivity of air: ~0.024 W/(m·K)
- A damp cloth feels instantly hotter
What you should do instead
- Use dry cotton oven mitts
- Silicone oven mitts – heat resistant
- Wait 5 minutes after turning off
A damp cloth never belongs near the oven.