An old mercury thermometer needs careful handling, even if it still works.
Keep an intact thermometer protected from breaking and out of household trash and curbside recycling. Call a household hazardous waste or mercury program to confirm acceptance.
If it breaks, move people and pets away and follow EPA’s spill instructions. Never vacuum, sweep, walk through the spill, or pour mercury down a drain.
First, Check Whether Your Thermometer Contains Mercury
If the liquid is colored, it’s usually alcohol.
If the liquid is silver, it may be mercury or a mercury-free substitute.
Look for the words “mercury free” on the glass or the calibration strip.
If the liquid is silver and you can’t find that wording, EPA says to assume it’s mercury.
An electronic thermometer doesn’t have a silver liquid column, but its battery may need separate recycling.
Follow the product manual and your local battery rules.
How to Dispose of an Intact Thermometer
- Leave your thermometer whole. Do not cut, snap, or dismantle it.
- Put it in its original protective case. If the case is missing, use a rigid, closed container that prevents breakage.
- Search your city, county, or state waste directory for household hazardous waste, mercury collection, or thermometer recycling.
- Call before you travel. Ask whether the site accepts household mercury thermometers and how you should package yours.
- Transport it according to the facility’s instructions.
EPA recommends that you keep the thermometer out of the trash and check with a local recycling or household hazardous waste facility.
Your pharmacy may accept it only through a specific take-back program.
Call first because many pharmacies don’t handle mercury.
If the Thermometer Breaks
These steps apply only when the spill is no larger than the amount in a household thermometer.
For a larger spill, leave the area and follow EPA’s guidance for more mercury than a thermometer contains.
Move people and pets away without letting anyone cross the spill.
Open windows and outside doors, close doors to the rest of your home, and turn off systems that circulate indoor air.
Do not vacuum, sweep, or walk through the spill.
How you clean up depends on the surface and where the mercury beads traveled.
Follow EPA’s complete small-spill instructions before touching the glass or mercury.
The EPA instructions explain which tools to use, how to find small beads, how to package debris, and how long to ventilate.
If mercury reaches carpet, upholstery, cracks, or another hard-to-clean area, call your local environmental or health agency for advice.
Do Not Use These Cleanup Methods
- Do not use a vacuum. It puts mercury into the air and contaminates the machine.
- Do not use a broom. It breaks mercury into smaller droplets.
- Do not pour mercury into a sink, toilet, storm drain, or septic system.
- Do not wash mercury-contaminated clothing in a washing machine.
- Do not let children help with the cleanup.
In the United States, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you have questions about exposure.
Seek urgent medical help if anyone becomes ill.
If you’re outside the United States, contact your local poison center or emergency health service.
Replacing a Mercury Thermometer
You don’t need to wait for an intact thermometer to break before replacing it.
EPA recommends mercury-free thermometers.
Keep your old thermometer protected until you can take it to the program you contacted.
There is no set schedule for replacing an accurate, undamaged mercury thermometer.
If you have a mercury thermostat, it has different handling requirements.
Use our guide to disposing of a mercury thermostat for that item.