How to Clean a Toaster Oven

Sara said, “How…do you clean a toaster oven?!!”

You Will Need:

• A cloth
• Dishwashing liquid
• Baking soda
• Nylon scrubber
• Ammonia
• White vinegar
• Window cleaner

Steps to Clean the Toaster Oven:

1. Turn off and unplug the toaster oven. Let it cool completely before beginning to clean it.¹
2. If your toaster oven has a removable crumb tray, release the latch for the tray, remove it, and dump out the crumbs. Wash the tray in soapy water and dry it before returning it to its chamber.²
3. If your toaster oven does not have a removable crumb tray, remove the rack or any other removable part inside of it and shake it out over a trash can to remove the crumbs.
4. Remove the drip pan, rack, door, or any other removable part that needs cleaning and wash it with soapy water. Ensure that each part is dry before returning it to the appliance.³
5. Moisten a cloth with water and wring it out so that it is not dripping. Sprinkle some baking soda on the cloth and rub the baking soda onto any part inside the toaster oven that is greasy or otherwise just needs to be cleaned.⁴
6. For baked-on food, use a nylon scrubber. Dip the scrubber in soapy water, squeeze it to remove the excess liquid, then scrub off the food debris. Try not to let any liquid drip inside the appliance.¹
7. For stubborn residue, make a paste with 1 tablespoon of ammonia and 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Scrub the area with the paste until it’s clean.⁵
8. If there are any stains or if your model has a glass door, combine equal parts of white vinegar and water. Use the mixture to clean the stains or glass.⁶
9. If the outside of your appliance is chrome, wipe it with window cleaner. For a painted steel or plastic exterior, wipe it with a soapy cloth.⁷

• Wiping out the toaster oven with a damp cloth after each use or once per week will cut down on the level of difficulty that a more thorough cleaning would entail later.⁴
• Never store items on the top or inside of the toaster oven as they could start a fire or melt.⁴
• Do not use oven cleaner to clean any part of your toaster oven; it could cause corrosion.³
• Do not use steel wool to clean any part of the inside of your toaster oven; they shed tiny pieces of metal that can give off an electrical shock.³
• Always ventilate the area and use caution when working with ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.

1. Clean it Fast, Clean it RIGHT by Jeff Bredenberg
2. The Complete Household Handbook by Good Housekeeping
3. The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
4. In the Kitchen with Heloise by Heloise
5. Baking Soda Bonanza by Peter A. Ciullo
6. The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money by Richard Freudenberger and Backhome Magazine
7. Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook