Introduction
Toasters are one of the most common appliances in a kitchen. The core issue with this electrical apparatus is its dual cooking sides. A toaster can prepare food on both sides, making it challenging to find the right side of each piece. This is why it’s essential to clean your toaster once a month (or more if you cook sticky or burnt foods). A few simple steps will have your toaster bright and shiny in no time at all.
Toasters are an essential appliance in many households. They can toast bread, bagels, and even the occasional donut or cake. They’re easy to use and have a long life span. You’ll likely be using yours for decades to come. Unfortunately, like anything else that lives in your kitchen and gets regularly used, these appliances will build up grime over time. Therefore, it becomes essential to take care of them when they’re consistently being used.
In this article, I will show you some easy methods to clean your toaster and safe-keeping it.
Tools Required for Cleaning a Toaster
1. A bowl or shallow (2 cups) capacity container
2. Small Pastry Brush
3. Dish Towel
4. Vinegar
Steps to Cleaning a Toaster
It’s essential to keep your toaster clean. Toasters are great for reheating bagels and toast for breakfast. However, dust and food residue can build up over time, which can eventually cause some severe damage. Therefore, the most effective way to keep your toaster in good shape is to keep it free from impurities. To clean a toaster, you’ll have to follow these steps.
1. Unplug Your Toaster
Turn off the power at the circuit breaker or remove the plug from the wall outlet. When the toaster is not connected to power, it will be easier to clean all machine parts.
2. Remove the Crumb Tray
The crumb tray is usually located at the bottom of your toaster. To remove it:
- Press down on it with both hands and lift it.
- Pour the soap into the tray and let it dry completely.
- Use a clean kitchen towel to dry it.
3. Clean the Crumb Tray
Remove all the food remains from the toaster, take a paper towel and wipe down the crumb tray. This will make the appliance reusable.
4. Clean the Toaster
Take a paper towel and wipe down the toaster. Ensure all residue or crumbs have been completely cleared. Also, take care of the interior structure and the slots which can cause food to get burnt easily.
5. Clean the Outside
Using a damp (wet) cloth or brush, clean the outside of the toaster. Ensure smooth and proper scrubbing of the toaster to keep the edges safe from being broken. If you’re not satisfied with the cleaning job, scrub again with a new damp cloth until the whole toaster is clean.
6. Re-Insert the Crumb Tray
Re-insert the crumb tray at the bottom of your toaster, ensuring that it lines up with its holes. Your crumb tray will also need to fit inside of your slots for it to work properly.
7. Replace Any Bagels or Bread
Finally, re-heat any bagels or bread you had previously removed from the slots. Re-assemble your toaster by plugging and pushing it down on either side of the handle until it clicks into place.
Safety Measures of Using Toasters
While toasters aren’t very dangerous, there are a few things you should be aware of.
1. Don’t leave small children unsupervised around toasters.
Children can severely injure themselves if the crumb tray is full. They try to remove it while the toaster is on or insert their fingers into the slots. If you have kids, store any bagels that you’re not using in a secure place.
2. Cleaning Your Crumb Tray
Ensure that it’s unplugged and completely cooled before doing so. Otherwise, you can get burned as the metal gets extremely hot when it’s in use.
3. Don’t Use the Toaster Oven for Anything Except Toasting Bread
Ovens can get extremely hot, which can cause burns and skin issues if one is not careful with them. Some people like to bake cakes in their toaster ovens while others want sausages and chicken.
4. Tripped Breaker or Blown Fuse
If a breaker has been tripped or a fuse blew, ensure that the power is completely off before attempting any repairs. This could save you from getting electrocuted by your toaster.
5. Never Insert Any Metal or Thing in the Toaster or Oven
Sometimes, flammable materials like clothing, leaves, or newspapers can be set on fire by an overheated appliance. If you have a fire extinguisher near your toaster, don’t use it unless you’re sure that the fire is continuing.
6. Never Attempt to Open Your Toaster
Some models contain small parts that can provide interruptions if they’re not properly assembled. They can cause an electrical short circuit or even a fire.
7. Unplug Your Toaster Before Washing Or Repairing
Switch off and remove the plug from the socket after finalizing the meal. The user can experience electrocution and shocks if the appliance is left unattended.
8. Don’t Put Your Fingers Into the Slots
Ensure that your kids are not allowed to do this. This can cause severe burns or even get them stuck, having to sever off their fingers if the situation goes out of hand.
9. Never Use a Lighter or Match Around Your Toaster
It’s dangerous because some models don’t have a heating element and instead rely on the heat given off by these things to toast bread.
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Conclusion
The toasters are an essential appliance in many households. It’s important to take care of them and ensure proper preventive measures. A toaster can last for decades if it’s properly maintained and handled. Its body is constructed from metal, and there are electrical parts inside that can be damaged easily if handled without care. This article should be able to assist you in cleaning your toaster or toaster oven.
Good Day!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I clean my toaster?
A. Most toasters have removable crumb trays, but it’s still not a good idea to put fingers or a metal object into the slots of the appliance. This could result in severe burns or even electrocution.
Q. Can I use my microwave in the toaster?
A. If your microwave is designed for use with a glass door on top, then you can use it that way if you’d like. Ensure that there are no metal parts on the interior side and it’s unplugged before inserting the food material.
Q. How do I defrost a frozen piece of bread?
A. Putting the bread in the slot on top of the toaster seems to be the easiest and most effective way. This is what many toasters are designed for. It will take about half an hour or more for it to begin defrosting.
Q. Can I use my toaster for toast and bagels at the same time?
A. It depends on the design of your toaster. Some models can accommodate both bread and bagels since they have larger slots than other kinds. However, you might not want to do this because the bagels will be over-toasted.
Q. Which commodities can be used for the cleaning process?
A. Dishwashing liquid, detergent, soap, white vinegar (for stainless steel toasters), soda, steel-wool and others.
