Cleaning Small Kitchen Appliances

You keep a nice clean house. Your cabinets sparkle. The laundry's always done.

You could eat off your floors. OK, most of the time anyway.

But how long has it been since you cleaned your coffee maker? That's what I thought.

Let's face it: It's hard enough to get through your regular cleaning routine without worrying about toasters, waffle irons, and electric can openers.

So small kitchen appliances are often overlooked. Most of us would clean the silly things - if we just knew how. Here's how to clean small kitchen appliances.

Cleaning Small Kitchen Appliances: The Toaster

To clean the toaster, unplug it, and shake out the crumbs over the trash can. Wipe down the toaster exterior with a damp sponge.

Cleaning a Coffeemaker

After each use, clean the pot and filter in warm, soapy water. Wipe the exterior of your coffeemaker 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 pot of plain water to rinse it clean. You could also buy commercial cleaners that do the same thing. But why?

Cleaning a Waffle Iron

Never wash the grids of the non-stick waffle iron with soap and water. Instead, wipe them clean after each use with a paper towel. If waffles stick to the iron, it probably needs to be seasoned again with vegetable oil.

Toaster Oven Cleaning

Clean a toaster oven crumb tray after each use. Scrub racks as needed. Clean the toaster oven exterior with a damp sponge.

Cleaning an Electric Can Opener

Remove the cutting wheels of the electric can opener, and soak them in warm soapy water for a few minutes. Then scrub with an old toothbrush. Wipe the rest of the electric can opener clean with a damp sponge.

For best results, clean after each use. Wait for it to cool, then unplug it and wipe it with a damp cloth or sponge.

If it's greasy, wipe it with a sponge dipped in warm, soapy water, then wipe with a wet sponge to remove any soapy residue.

Be sure not to immerse any electrical units in water. Use baking soda in water to clean exterior metal surfaces and window washing solution for plastic or enamel ones.