Toaster ovens are nifty little versatile appliances. You can cook almost anything in them, not just toast or other baked goods. If you’re like me, you probably use your toaster oven constantly. I even use it to cook my dinners sometimes because the small oven heats up so fast and the food tastes so much better than if it was cooked in a microwave. It can get pretty messy, so let’s go over the steps I use—and you can too—to keep your toaster oven squeaky clean.
Necessary materials
• Soft, lint-free cloth
• Sponge
• Disinfectant spray or all-purpose cleaning solution
• Windex or window cleaner
• Dishes soap
1. Before cleaning your oven
First follow these safety instructions before you begin cleaning your toaster oven:
When cleaning your toaster oven, make sure it’s unplugged and cool if you’ve used it recently. Never soak or submerge your toaster in water while cleaning. Also, do not spray water directly on or into the oven as this may damage some of the electrical components.
2. Cleaning the exterior
First we will start with the exterior of the oven. You want to use a decent cleaning solution or disinfectant spray because there will most likely be stains and grease marks that a mild solution won’t be able to remove. We will also use a soft cloth to do the job. I wouldn’t use a paper towel as parts of a paper towel can tear and get stuck in the various crevices of the toaster oven, and make sure the cloth is lint-free because you don’t want lint in your oven.
Simply spray the solution on each exterior surface and wipe well with the soft cloth. If there is a stubborn stain, spray the stain directly with the solution and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes, then blot diligently with the soft cloth.
3. Cleaning the door
Toaster oven doors are often made of glass or have a glass section that allows you to look inside the oven, so for the glass surface we’ll use Windex or your favorite glass cleaner. Simply repeat the process used for the exterior surfaces, using the glass cleaner instead of the cleaning solution or disinfectant spray.
4. Interior Cleaning
First open the oven door and remove the rack and tray from inside the oven. If the interior is very dirty and has a lot of food buildup, take the empty oven and hold it open side down over the sink or trash can. Shake and tap the oven repeatedly for a few seconds to loosen food particles and drop them into the sink or trash can.
Chances are there is some additional buildup of food stuck to the walls, so it would be best to use a sponge rather than a cloth to clean the interior. If you use a sponge that has an abrasive surface, it will do a better job of scraping any solid buildup from the interior walls. So take your sponge and rinse it with warm soapy water, and scrub the interior surfaces of the oven.
Rinse the sponge with soapy water as needed to keep the sponge relatively clean. Once the interior is finished, you can also scrub the rack and oven tray, or alternatively, you can wash these items in the dishwasher. When you have finished cleaning, allow the oven and its components to air dry completely, which should take no more than a few minutes. Make sure the oven door is open so that the interior can also dry out.
These are all the steps that will allow you to thoroughly clean your toaster oven. Doing this regularly, at least a couple of times a week, will keep your oven looking great and looking like new for months to come.