How often should you clean your pH electrode?

an image of a Hanna electrode being cleaned
Published: 18 June 2025

Maintaining your pH electrode is vital for ensuring long-term accuracy. Read on to learn how often you should clean your electrode with steps for easy cleaning:

When should you be cleaning pH electrodes?

Cleaning your electrodes after testing is the ideal way to ensure continued accuracy when measuring pH. While a pH electrode may appear clean, a film of material can settle on the glass of the electrode, which can cause inaccurate readings. If there is any visible dirt or debris on a pH electrode you are planning to test with, it is important to further clean the electrode before you start the measurement process. We cover the steps for cleaning your pH electrode below.

How do you clean pH electrodes?

Rinsing

After using a pH electrode, you can rinse it with distilled or deionised water to remove any debris left on the surface. Using a squirt bottle is an ideal way to rinse off your electrodes effectively.

Drying

You should never wipe a pH electrode, as this can produce a static charge that interferes with future pH readings. Instead, after rinsing the electrode, you can follow any of these three methods:

  • Tap the electrode arm holding the electrode to disperse excess moisture
  • Leave the electrode to air dry
  • Blot the surface with a lint-free cloth to remove excess liquid

Cleaning solutions

Regularly using cleaning solutions is vital for cleaning stubborn dirt and materials off of pH electrodes, which may not be visible to the eye. If you are measuring materials that are more likely to leave deposits on the electrode, such as food or soil, using the relevant cleaning solutions available in bottles and sachets from Hanna ensures your electrode is clean and ready for testing. 

The cleaning solution should be rinsed from the electrode following the cleaning process to ensure the electrode is ready for use.

Steps for cleaning a pH electrode

After measuring with a pH electrode, you can follow these steps to ensure your electrode is clean and ready for the next use:

  • Rinse off any materials with DI or distilled water
  • Ensure the electrode is dry using any one of these methods:
    • Tapping the electrode arm to remove excess moisture
    • Allowing the electrode to air dry
    • Blotting with a lint-free cloth
  • Place the electrode in a suitable storage solution, ready for the next use

It is recommended to use the relevant cleaning solution from Hanna’s range to thoroughly clean your pH electrode, including monthly deep cleans, to ensure no deposits are left between testing. The electrode should be rinsed following the use of cleaning solution following the steps above.

Can you use DI water to clean electrodes?

Deionised or distilled water is the recommended option to rinse off pH electrodes following testing. However, these types of water should not be used to soak the electrode beyond rinsing, and you should also never store a pH electrode in DI water. 

Over time, ions leach from the reference electrolyte and the glass membrane of the electrode if they are not stored in the correct storage solution, resulting in slow response times and inaccurate measurements during testing. Using a suitable storage solution is the best choice for storing your electrode between uses, preventing damage and reducing inaccuracy.

What else should you do to maintain pH electrodes?

Following a proper maintenance routine is the ideal way to maintain your pH electrodes and ensure accurate results when testing. These best practices include:

  • Storing your electrode in a storage solution to maintain hydration
  • Inspecting your electrode regularly
  • Cleaning the pH electrode after testing
  • Using the right electrode for each application
  • Calibrating regularly using appropriate pH buffers

Frequent calibration helps to keep electrodes accurate and also provides an opportunity to notice any maintenance issues with the electrodes. For example, if an electrode struggles to calibrate, this may suggest that the electrode needs to be cleaned or rehydrated.

See our guide to best practices for maintaining pH electrodes for further details on how to effectively care for your electrodes.

Do I need to replace pH electrodes if I clean them?

pH electrodes will still require replacement once they reach their specific lifespan or if any damage occurs to the electrode itself. Properly cleaning your electrode helps to maintain good condition throughout the lifespan, ensuring continued accuracy in testing. 

Following all of the best practices for pH electrodes, including storage and calibration, helps to preserve pH electrodes for as long as possible and achieve the most accurate results when testing.

Buy cleaning solution for pH electrodes from Hanna Instruments

Hanna Instruments stocks a wide range of solutions for pH electrodes, including specific cleaning solutions for different applications, such as soil and beer. 

All in-stock solutions are available with next-day delivery, and replacement pH electrodes are also available with free delivery over £50. Shop pH solutions online now, or contact our team directly for personalised recommendations on the best electrodes and solutions for your requirements.

Laboratory
Water
Food
Brewery
Winery
Gardening
Wastewater
pH
Next
Previous

Relevant Articles:

Which pH calibration solution should you use?
How to calibrate your pH electrodes

Learn More:

If you would like to know more about the applications of our products from this blog you can contact one of our industry experts using the form below!