Wash the thermometer in soap and rinse with cool, clean water before and after you use it. Do not use hot water because the thermometer may break. After washing, it is best to soak the thermometer in alcohol for 20 minutes. You can use ethyl, isopropyl, or medical alcohol (ethanol).
1 In 2015, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.62Â°F (0.90Â°C) above the twentieth-century averageâthe hottest year in the 136-year record.  Since 1976, every year has been warrmer than the long-term average.
Article and Chart Updated: January 28, 2017. Until late 2006, global temperatures were more than a degree Fahrenheit warmer when compared to the 20th Century average. From August of 2007 through February of 2008, the Earthâs mean temperature dropped to near the 20th Century average of 57 degrees.