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Published 02/12/2025

How to clean your toaster

Toasters are a staple in most households, and because of their frequent use, proper cleaning and maintenance may be needed to ensure that they keep producing the best results. The usual signs that your toaster may need some TLC include your toast not popping up easily or a burning odour caused by trapped crumbs.

Before cleaning your toaster, always consult the manufacturer’s manual for specific instructions and follow them if specified. However, dish soap and a cloth are typically all you need. To help, we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide so you can keep your toaster looking and feeling brand new.

Why not give your kitchen a spring clean? We also have guides on how to descale a kettle and how to clean an air fryer.

Unplug your toaster

If you’ve just used your toaster, you will need to give it time to cool down completely before cleaning. Once cooled, unplug the toaster – inserting anything but food into a toaster while plugged in can cause a fire or electrical shock if not careful, so this step is essential to follow. We recommend never inserting anything but bread into the toaster, even if unplugged, as foreign objects can cause damage.

Remove the crumb tray

If your toaster has a crumb tray, gently remove and shake off any crumbs into the rubbish bin. Soak the crumb tray in a cleaning solution of warm water and a mild washing up liquid – while it’s soaking, you can move on and clean the rest of the toaster. Once clean, remove from the soapy water and dry immediately to avoid rusting and any watermarks from appearing.

If your toaster does not have a removable crumb tray, take the whole toaster over to the bin and turn upside down, gently shaking out the crumbs from the toasting slots.

Clean out crumbs from the interior

If there’s still crumbs in the interior of the toaster, use a pastry brush or soft bristled toothbrush to gently reach inside and brush the crumbs to the outside. Position the toaster on its side while doing this, so the crumbs can easily fall out more easily. Be careful when using a brush as you want to avoid damaging the heating elements.

Wipe down the exterior

Use fresh, soapy water and a slightly damp cloth or sponge to wipe the toaster’s exterior. Wipe in the same direction to avoid streaks and dry completely and immediately with a soft, microfibre cloth to avoid rust and watermarks.

If your toaster is made from stainless steel, use a dedicated stainless steel cleaner and a cloth. Wipe down the exterior while going with the grain and dry with a microfibre cloth for a smudge-free toaster.

Reassemble carefully

Once you’re happy with how your toaster looks and it’s clean enough to your liking, it’s time to reassemble. Make sure all parts are fully dry to avoid rusting. If you’ve knocked any of the dials or settings, remember to reset them to your preferred settings. Plug the toaster back into the socket so it’s ready to use.

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