Cleaning a toaster is most easily achieved by unplugging it from the mains then removing the crumb tray for emptying and cleaning. Use a dry tooth brush and compressed air can to clean the interior of the toaster and wipe down the outside with a damp cloth. Re-insert the crumb tray and you are good to go.
It may not seem that important, but regular cleaning can both vastly extend the life of the toaster and make it a lot safer to use, as well as having the added benefit of making your toast taste better.
Something most people don’t consider is that the build up of crumbs inside the toaster over a prolonged period of time can be both unsanitary and a fire hazard. Most people use the toaster with bread and nobody would think of leaving bread crumbs sitting in their kitchen for months or years on end, yet they are happy to leave them in a toaster.
There are several easy steps for cleaning a toaster and we have listed them below.
1. Unplug the toaster
The most important thing to remember about cleaning a toaster is to make sure that it is unplugged from the mains power before doing anything else. It’s no coincidence that cockney rhyming slang for dead is “brown bread”, as that’s how you could end up if you attempt to clean the toaster without unplugging it first. Safety is important.
2. Remove then empty the crumb tray
Most modern toasters will have an inbuilt tray to catch the crumbs, so after unplugging,find and remove the crumb tray from the toaster. Most toasters have a slightly raised section on the edge of the tray to make it easier to remove. If it is an older toaster that is lacking a tray, holding the toaster over an open bin and shaking it gently may have to suffice to dislodge the crumbs.
3. Clean the crumb tray
The crumb tray should be cleaned with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. This step may take quite a bit of effort so it may be worth leaving the tray to soak for a while before attempting it, in order to loosen off some of the baked-on crumbs.
4. Clean the interior of the toaster
The crumb tray can catch most of the mess but that’s no reason to neglect the inside of the toaster. It is often quite a narrow space that doesn’t allow easy access and the best tools for the job appear to be a narrow, dry toothbrush and a can of compressed air. These allow stubborn crumbs to be dislodged. The one thing to avoid is sumberging the toaster in water. There are delicate electrics which wouldn’t recover from this.
5. Clean the outside of the toaster
When cleaning the rest of the toaster, there is no reason to neglect the outside. This is, after all, the most visible part and it is nice to have a presentable kitchen. A soft, damp, soapy cloth will get the job done.
6. Dry and replace the crumb tray
If your model of toaster has a crumb tray, dry and replace it now, so it is ready to continue using. It is recommended that you clean the toaster once every week or two. This makes the task a lot easier and prevents the burnt taste and smell that will otherwise accumulate over time