Last update: 1 week ago
Knowing how to clean a toaster properly — inside and out — is one of those small kitchen habits that makes a real difference. A build-up of crumbs and grease isn’t just unpleasant; it can affect the taste of your toast, introduce harmful bacteria, and in serious cases, create a genuine fire risk near the heating elements. This guide covers how to clean toaster in full: what you’ll need, a step-by-step method, how often to do it, and what to absolutely never do inside one.
The good news? It’s simpler than it sounds, and once you’ve got the routine down, the whole job takes under ten minutes.
Why you should clean your toaster
Toasters can become quite dirty. They accumulate a huge amount of dust, grime, morsels of bread, and even insects. Unlike other appliances you may use at home, toasters don’t have doors to keep these nasty pollutants at bay.
Using a dirty toaster doesn’t just make your food taste unpleasant: it might also give you food poisoning if the debris has evolved to the point where it’s contaminating an otherwise healthy piece of bread.
At the very worst, a failure to clean your toaster can lead to crumbs and grease accumulating directly against the heating elements — the actual ignition risk. If that debris dries out and the elements fire up, you may notice a burning smell, and in the worst cases, the toaster itself can catch alight. It’s a very preventable scenario, which makes regular cleaning all the more worthwhile.
How to clean a toaster inside and out
Ready to clean your toaster inside and out? Before you get started, make sure you have everything on hand:
What you will need:
- Dishwashing liquid
- Vinegar
- Sponges
- Microfibre cloths
- Pastry brush (small)
- Toothbrush
- Steel wool
1. Unplug your toaster
The first step when cleaning any electrical appliance is to make sure it’s disconnected from all sources of electricity. Ensure that you unplug your toaster from the wall, and that it has cooled down completely before you start cleaning. That way, you can minimise your risk of becoming electrocuted and creating a fire hazard.
2. Find a way to catch your crumbs
Cleaning your toaster can get a little messy, and you don’t want crumbs spilling all over your floor or kitchen bench. Your solution is to create a ‘crumb catcher’, which could be the sink or the bin. Having a way to catch your crumbs as they fall will minimise the need to clean up when you’re finished.
3. Remove (and clean) the crumb tray
The first step to learning how to clean inside a toaster is to remove the crumb tray. This tray is at the bottom of many conventional toasters, and should be easy to remove. It’s designed to catch leftover crumbs that fall off the bread.
If your toaster includes this feature, remove the tray and shake off the excess debris. Then simply run the tray underneath warm water and wash it with soap until it’s sparkling clean. You can use a toothbrush to thoroughly scrub it if you notice that it’s particularly dirty.
Once complete, place the tray on the side as you continue through the below steps.
4. Turn upside down and shake
If you need to clean a toaster with no crumb tray, do it the way everyone knows how. Turn the machine upside down and shake out as much debris as possible. Make sure you do this over your sink or a trash can, rather than on the floor or on the bench. You can still use this ‘shake’ method even if your toaster has a removable tray at the bottom.
5. Brush the stubborn crumbs
Shaking your toaster upside down is not the best way to clean your toaster. It’s very likely that crumbs and debris will be left behind — caked onto the inner machinery. To really get into the nitty-gritty of your appliance, use a soft pastry brush or a clean toothbrush to scrub into the slots and give the machine a thorough sweep. The tough bristles should be sturdy enough to dislodge the excess dirt and crumbs without scratching or damaging the apparatus.
6. Clean the outside of the toaster
Don’t ignore the outside of the appliance. Wipe every component on the outside, including every lever, button, casing and knob. Use a slightly damp microfibre cloth and a drop of dish soap to give the device a thorough external clean. If the toaster is particularly greasy, you can also use steel wool to give it that extra scrub and polish.
If you’re wondering how to clean a stainless steel toaster, using vinegar is the best option. You can combine vinegar with water and a tiny drop of soap, spray it onto a microfibre cloth and wipe your device that way.
If there’s any more vinegar left in your bottle, you may as well use it to clean other stainless steel appliances throughout the house. This could include cleaning your kettle, utensils, stove, oven or other appliances you may have.
7. Re-insert crumb tray
By the time this is all complete, your crumb tray should be dry. Put it back into the toaster, then give your benches a spray and wipe to make sure all your surfaces are crystal clear.
8. Use, eat, repeat
Now that your toaster is sparkling clean, you can eat your next piece of toast knowing you’ve reduced the risk of harmful germs building up in your appliance and a fire starting in your kitchen. Just make sure that after you’ve used it, you clean the toaster again and don’t forget about what you’ve just achieved.
We would avoid putting your toaster into the dishwasher. It’s an electrical appliance, and its heating components may be damaged by water.
How to clean the inside of a toaster
Cleaning the inside of a toaster is simpler than it sounds — and it never involves water. Remove the crumb tray and wash it separately. Then turn the toaster upside down over a bin and shake firmly to dislodge loose crumbs. Finally, use a dry pastry brush or a clean toothbrush to sweep through the slots and clear any stubborn residue clinging to the inner walls. That’s all the inside cleaning a toaster needs — no liquids, no wet cloths, no sprays.
Can you wash the inside of a toaster?
No — never use water or wet cloths inside a toaster. The interior contains live heating elements and other electrical components that can be permanently damaged, or made dangerous, by moisture. To clean inside a toaster, shake it upside down over a bin, then use a dry pastry brush or clean toothbrush to sweep out remaining crumbs. That is all the “inside cleaning” a toaster needs.
Oh, no — definitely steer clear of that! The inside of a toaster is basically a “do not disturb” zone. Water and a toaster? Bad idea. Even a tiny splash could short it out, stop it from working, or turn plugging it in into a mini heart-stopping moment. Stick to wiping just the outside of the toaster with a slightly damp microfibre cloth.
How often should you clean the toaster
If you use your toaster often, you’ll want to regularly clean your toaster at least once a week. But if you don’t use it that frequently, at least once a month should be sufficient. In between full cleans, it’s worth making toaster cleaning a regular kitchen habit — the crumb tray specifically should be emptied after every few uses, or whenever it’s visibly full, even if you’re not doing the whole routine. Staying on top of the crumb tray is the single easiest way to keep your toaster in good shape between proper cleans.
Don’t forget to clean your toaster after buying it
Even a brand-new toaster deserves a little welcome ritual before earning its place in your kitchen. Fresh out of the box, it may still be carrying a whisper of factory oils or a surprising amount of travel dust. When cleaning a toaster before first use, the steps are largely the same as regular care, just simpler and focused on freshness and safety:
- Remove all packaging.
Peel away stickers, pull off any protective films, and check inside for rogue bits of cardboard or instruction leaflets.
- Wash the crumb tray
If your model includes one, slide it out, wash it in warm soapy water, rinse and dry it fully before returning it.
- Wipe the exterior
Use a soft, slightly damp cloth to remove any factory dust or handling marks, then dry with a clean cloth.
- Brush out the slots
Gently sweep a soft, clean pastry brush or small paintbrush through the slots to clear any stray dust. Steer clear of anything metal – you don’t want a toast-shaped tragedy on your hands.
- Let it air
Make sure everything is dry, especially around the crumb tray and the slots. A damp toaster is no fun at all.
- Run an empty cycle
Toast on a low setting without bread. A faint smell is normal as manufacturing residues burn off.
Set up your toaster-cleaning routine today
Just like the importance of cleaning a dishwasher, oven, range hood, refrigerator, cupboards, kettle and benches, cleaning a toaster is just as crucial for a safe and functioning kitchen.
Now that you’ve read this article, grab your calendar right now and set up a weekly or monthly cleaning routine to clean your toaster. Place a sticker on each day you plan to take a mere nine minutes to clean one of the most common yet overlooked kitchen appliances. It’s simple, yet it will go a long way to helping you comfortably and safely eat your toast.
Do you need a helping hand?
Hire a professional cleaning team!
Takeaways
The main takeaways to consider when it comes to how to clean a toaster include:
- Clean your toaster on a regular basis — and don’t forget about it.
- You can use dishwashing liquid to clean your toaster.
- Remove your toaster’s crumb tray (if it has one) and shake your toaster to get all debris out.
- You can use vinegar if you’re cleaning a stainless steel toaster.
- Use a pastry brush to clean the stubborn crumbs remaining inside the toaster after shaking.
- Avoid placing your toaster in the dishwasher.
- Always unplug your toaster before cleaning.
- If you don’t have the time, yet need a thorough cleaning of more than just your toaster – get a cleaning team to cover the entire place on your behalf.
