Toaster ovens are nifty and versatile little appliances. You can cook just about anything in them, not just chips 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 is cooked in a microwave. It can get quite messy, so let’s go through the steps I use, and you can use them to keep your toaster oven perfectly clean too.
Necessary materials
• Soft, lint-free cloth
• Sponge
• Disinfectant spray or all-purpose cleaning solution
• Window cleaner or Windex
• Dishes soap
1. Before cleaning your oven
First follow these safety instructions before you start cleaning your toaster oven:
When cleaning your toaster oven, make sure it is unplugged and cooled if you used it recently. Never soak or immerse your toaster in water while cleaning. Also, never spray water directly on or into the oven, as this can damage some of the electrical components.
2. Cleaning the exterior
We’ll start with the outside of the oven first. You want to use a decent cleaning solution or disinfectant spray because there are most likely grease stains and marks that a mild solution will not 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 I’ll make sure the cloth doesn’t have a lot of lint 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 let it sit for a couple of minutes, then gently wipe with the soft cloth.
3. Cleaning the door
Toaster oven doors are usually glass or have a glass section so you can look into the oven, so for the glass surface we will 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. Cleaning the interior
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 accumulated, take the empty oven and hold it open side down over the sink or trash can. Lightly shake and bang the oven repeatedly for a few seconds to shake off the food particles and drop them into the sink or trash can.
Most likely, there is some additional food build-up sticking to the walls, so it would be better to use a sponge rather than a cloth to clean the interior. If you use a sponge that has an abrasive surface, this will do a better job of scraping any solid build-up 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 oven rack and tray, or alternatively you can wash these items in the dishwasher. When you’re done cleaning, allow the oven and its components to air dry completely, which shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Make sure the oven door is open so the interior will also dry out.
These are all the steps that will allow you to thoroughly clean your toaster oven. If you do it on a regular basis, at least a couple of times a week, you will keep your oven in great shape and as good as new for months to come.
