Toaster ovens are used not just for making toast, but also for baking casseroles, roasting all sorts of meat, making pizza, cookies, and all sorts of other meals. People use it to prepare pretty much anything that can be made in a regular oven.
The fact that the toaster oven is used regularly means that it also needs to be cleaned periodically. That’s the only way to avoid food build-up, as well as to keep it clean, which is essential with anything related to food preparation.
Another thing, you need to clean your toaster oven regularly to keep it clean from the build-up of grease. The thing with grease is that it can be ignited at high temperatures. So, by keeping your toast oven clean, you avoid the risk of setting your toast oven on fire, and even your kitchen.
So, if you want to stay on the safe side, here’s how to clean your oven without any harsh chemicals effectively.
Unplug It From the Power Source
This is a must-do step that is as important as not immersing your toaster oven in water. It is the same rule for any home appliance that runs on electricity. Not only will you protect yourself from a potential electric shock, but you will be protecting the toaster oven as well.
Remove Elements
Place the toaster oven on an old newspaper so that you can catch all the crumbs that will come out of it. Then remove the lower crumb tray, the metal tray, and the rack. Please place them in the sink and wash each part with dish soap. After they are all nicely cleaned, place them someplace to dry up.
If some stubborn stains refuse to fall off, leave the parts to soak in the sink overnight. Just let them soak there while you deal with the remaining parts. Once they are soaked, you won’t have any trouble removing the stains. Again, once they are clean and stainless, place them someplace to get dried from the water.
Never return a part in the oven that hasn’t been fully dried.
Make a Homemade Cleaning Solution
For this, you will need to combine some dish soap and vinegar with some warm water. Mix it all, and you will have the perfect solution for cleaning your toaster oven. Once you make the solution, apply it to the interior with a cloth or sponge. Mind the fact that you will be cleaning heating elements, and you shouldn’t get any liquid on them.
A slightly wet sponge will be more than enough to safely clean the heating elements, as well as the rest of the interior.
Use Elbow Grease
Toaster ovens featuring a non-stick interior or porcelain enamels are somewhat easier to clean. But, one can easily damage them by abrasive cleaners and metal scouring pads. To avoid that, use an old rag, cloth, or sponge for cleaning the interior of the toaster oven. If you come across a stubborn stain, you can use a plastic scouring pad to remove it.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!
Don’t stop until the toaster oven is thoroughly cleaned, even if you need to repeat the process again and again. One of the ways to be more effective in tackling this chore is to clean the toaster oven when it is slightly warm. But bear in mind that you still need to unplug it.
The thing is, even after you unplug the toaster, it will remain warm for some time. Use that time to clean it as thoroughly as possible. After you unplug the toaster, you got a solid five to ten minutes to clean while the oven is slightly warm.
In Conclusion
Cleaning a toaster oven is not particularly difficult, nor too time-consuming. Plus, you can make a homemade cleaning solution, meaning you don’t need to spend money on expensive chemicals.
The only real thing sitting between you and a clean toaster oven is your own will. If you are good in that department, know that a regularly cleaned oven can go without a stop for many years.
If you like that idea, roll up your sleeves and get to work!