How to Clean Your Toaster

Cleaning your toaster may not be the first thing that pops into your mind when cleaning the kitchen, but it is important to keep your toaster running safely. Here is a quick guide on how to clean your toaster.

Do you clean your toaster very often? Most people don’t even think about it because it’s used so often or it’s just out of sight/out of mind. Cleaning your toaster may not seem like something to prioritize, but it can help your toaster not only run more efficiently but also keep it from becoming a fire hazard. Here are some tips for how to clean your toaster.

How to Clean Your Toaster

Always clean your toaster when it is cooled and unplugged – This will prevent accidents like electrocution and burns and will also make sure your toaster stays in good working order.

Remove the crumb trays to wash – Most toasters have removable crumb trays located at the bottom of the toaster. If you have a double toaster with 4 lots, you probably have two. You can take them out and wash them in warm soapy water. A pastry brush is good for giving these a good scrub. Be careful not to scrub too hard as many of these crumb trays are made of a metal mesh and you don’t want to warp yours. If you don’t have removable crumb trays, you probably have a part on the bottom that allows you to open the toaster and give it a shake.

Give your toaster a good shake – Whether you have removable crumb trays or not, you should turn your toaster upside down and shake it into a trashcan or the sink. This will help loosen up anything that wasn’t on the crumb trays and get it out of your toaster.

Make sure your trays are dry before you place them back in your toaster– Allow your crumb trays to dry thoroughly before placing them back into your toaster. You can let it air dry if you like.

Plug it in and allow it to ‘burn off’ anything left – I like to plug my toaster in, turn it up all the way, and allow it to burn off anything left inside. If it is drying out, I will do this outside to keep the smell and smoke out of the house. Make sure you are able to watch your toaster during this time and don’t leave it unattended at all. Do 2-3 cycles. Afterwards, bring your toaster inside and give it a shake over a trash can upside down to remove anything left.

Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth – Unplug your toaster again and wipe down the exterior with a warm, damp cloth. Depending on what your toaster’s exterior is made of, you may want to shine it up too.