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5 Small Appliance Cleaning Tips

5 tips for cleaning your home's hard-working small appliances: the coffee maker, toaster, waffle iron, toaster over, and the electric can opener.

Yes, you really do have to regularly care for your kitchen's appliances, even the smallest (and most often used) ones in your kitchen. If you don't want to have to prematurely replace them, that is.

Here's how.

1. The coffeemaker.

After each use, rinse the pot and filter in warm, soapy water. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth.

Once a month, mix a cup of water and a cup of white vinegar and run it through the coffeemaker. Follow with a rinse of clear water.

2. The toaster.

Unplug and shake out the crumbs over the trash can. Wipe down the exterior with a damp sponge.

3. The waffle iron.

Skip washing the grids of a non-stick waffle iron. Unnecessary! Instead, simply wipe grids after each use with a paper towel, and toss.

If waffles stick to the iron, it probably needs to be seasoned again with vegetable oil.

4. The toaster oven.

Empty the crumb tray after each use. Scrub racks as needed. Wipe the exterior with a sponge.

5. The electric can opener.

Remove the cutting wheels and soak them in warm soapy water for a few minutes.

Next, scrub with an old toothbrush. Wipe the rest of the unit with a damp sponge.

For best results, give your appliances the once-over after each use. Simply wait for it to cool, then unplug and wipe it with a damp cloth.

And if it's really grungy, wipe with a sponge dipped in soapy water, then rinse-wipe with a wet sponge. Use baking soda in water to gently scrub exterior metal surfaces; window washing solution for plastic or enamel ones.

Finally, be sure not to immerse any electrical units or power cords in water.

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About the Author

Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.