How To Clean The Inside Of A Toaster The Right Way

There is nothing like a good kitchen reset after a deep clean. Getting into each corner and under every item leaves the heart of your home feeling refreshed. However, in the flurry of doing so, it can be easy to forget to actually clean inside the countertop appliances themselves. The toaster is one such overlooked item. But, it quickly gets filled with crumbs and burnt bits that need to be cleared out regularly in order for it to work properly.

While cleaning a toaster can be a little bit tedious, it's totally doable with the right tips and tricks, and doing so routinely means that each subsequent time will be less labor intensive. If you're a big fan of toast, you probably need to give it a good clean every week. If that sounds like a lot, just consider how many crumbs easily fall off of a toaster grilled cheese, or regular bread and bagels, not to mention the seeds, nuts, oats, and seasonings that can often speckle crusts.

But before you get into cleaning of any sort, unplug your toaster. You definitely do not want to be swiping fingers or inserting cleaning instruments into the device while it's still connected to an electrical outlet.

The outside of a toaster just needs a wipe down with a gentle cleanser like water and dish soap, but the interior is a little more involved. The first step in cleaning the inside of your toaster is to remove the crumb tray. This is the piece of the device that catches any bits that fall to the bottom, and it can easily be pulled out like a drawer.

To access the crumb tray, look for a small handle or notch towards the bottom of the toaster. It could be under the lever or buttons used to control the appliance, or in the back beneath the electrical cord, or on the side. Larger toasters may have two crumb trays. 

After accessing it, dump out the crumbs, clean the plate with soap and water, and dry it off with a soft cloth before sliding it back into place. Doing so will avoid the build-up of breadcrumbs that can make your toast taste burnt or even cause smoke and fire. To prevent this, you should ideally empty out the crumb tray every time you use the toaster.

Cleaning the crumb tray takes care of a good amount of the gunk that builds up in a toaster, but chances are, there are more bits and pieces that are stuck to the interior. These will be more challenging to clean because you absolutely cannot swish around any kind of water or cleaner inside near the electrical components — even when it's unplugged.

To start, simply flip the toaster upside down over a trash can, and give it a gentle shake to knock out some of those crumbs. After that, if anything is still stuck in the interior, use a clean pastry or paint brush to dislodge it. A toothbrush, long cotton swab, sponge, or even just a soft cloth will also work. If there is firmly baked-on crud, melted plastic, or the gooey evidence of a TikTok toaster quesadilla, scrub it off gently with a baking soda and water solution. 

You can also use white or apple cider vinegar to clean your toaster as long as it is not made out of stainless steel. Acids, including citrus-based cleaners, can affect the finish. Make sure to towel dry the toaster as much as possible when you are done, and let it air-dry completely before plugging it back in.