How To Clean A Toaster: 6 Easy Steps And Some Extra Tips

You probably don’t remember the last time you cleaned your toaster. Am I right? 🙂

The secret to a good toast is a clean toaster. And I am sure you prefer your kitchen appliances shiny and polished as you bought them yesterday. If you don’t know how to clean a toaster properly, it can turn out to be a big mess. It isn’t as hard as it may seem.

Cleaning your toaster is important because the annoying crumbs that get stuck in there can smoke and stink up your kitchen or even set your alarm off, and we don’t want that. It is ideal if you clean your toaster once a month.

How To Clean A Toaster

Today I am going to lead you, step by step, on how to a clean toaster without much trouble.

Just follow my instructions, and before you know it, you won’t be able to look away from your new toaster. You only need 10 to 15 minutes to do this.

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These are the things you will need:

Clean toothbrush
Clean sponge
Mild soap or dishwashing solution
Clean cloth
Vinegar

If you don’t have a spare toothbrush, you can wrap a table-cloth (or something like that) around a pencil and use that instead of a toothbrush.

Instructions: 6 Easy Steps To Clean A Toaster

1. Unplug your toaster

Make sure it is completely cool before you start cleaning it. It is best if you put it near a sink. That way, it will be easier to clean up afterward. Put something under your toaster, like a newspaper or a tablecloth.

Warning: Never soak the toaster in water to clean the heating implements!

2. Clean the interior first

The next step is brushing off crumbs. You will do it with a brush. Simply insert the brush into the toaster slots and brush the crumbs of the metal parts inside going in the downwards direction.

3. Lift the toaster and remove the crumb tray

The crumb tray is located on the bottom side of a toaster. Most of the toasters have a removable crumb tray. If you want, you can simply take the tray out and dump the crumbs into your sink. If your model doesn’t have a removable crumb tray, you’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Turn your toaster upside down and shake it gently.

4. Inspect your toaster for crumbs

If you still have crumbs in your toaster, turn it upside down and shake it a few times. You can also use a hairdryer. Turn on your hairdryer and direct the air in your toaster. It should get rid of all the crumbs that are stuck. If you want to use a hairdryer, it’s advised to remove the crumb tray if possible.

5. (Optional) Clean your tray

Use the sponge and mild soap or dishwashing solution, rinse and dry it before you put it back.

6. Clean the exterior

If the exterior has stains, wash it with a sponge and a mild soap or dishwashing solution. Don’t use the scratching side of a sponge! For a finishing touch (especially if you have a metal toaster), put a little diluted vinegar on a cloth and wipe your toaster with it for extra shine.

Now you have a toaster that looks new! 🙂

Extra Tips

If any bits of plastic bags or containers have melted on your toaster, you can wipe that off with a nail polish remover. Apply it using a simple cloth.
For a new polished look, you can put salt on a cut out lemon and wipe your toaster with that. When you do that rinse it with a wet cloth. You can spread a layer of vinegar on the toaster after this washing. That way you will maximize the shine of your toaster.
If you set your toaster on the highest mode and run it without actually putting something in it the heat should kill all the germs that are inside. That is sure a plus!
If you want to disinfect your toaster’s interior, moisten a soft cloth with a mixture made from water and bleach (1 part bleach / ten parts water). Squeeze it out well to get rid of the excess mixture. You want the cloth to be moist, but not wet. Wrap the cloth around a long wooden spoon or something similar. Carefully wipe the interior of your toaster. Make sure it is completely dry before you use it again.
The exterior of a metal toaster can be cleaned with a window cleaner too and it has the same effect as soap or a dishwashing solution.
If you don’t want to hold your toaster upside down you can get a similar result by using compressed air to blow out the crumbs. Be careful not to spill any chemicals from the compressed air can into the toaster. Always hold it in an upright position and at least an inch or two away from your toaster.

That wasn’t so hard, was it? And it only took a few minutes. I hope you will clean your toaster regularly from now on. Your toasts will taste much better and your kitchen will shine even more!