Mold on bamboo skewers

[Roberta]

I would just stick the skewer into the pot when you want to check it, don't leave it in there. Then you won't have any mold problem. If you coat the skewers so they don't absorb water, they'll be much less accurate to test moisture - if it's a bare skewer, you put it in the pot for a couple of minutes and feel it, you can tell whether it's moist or not.

Do note that this is an almost 12-year-old thread. It is better to start a new one for a new question. (At that time maybe peroxide was fashionable, now we know that it can damage roots, so don't use it,.)