As of: April 3, 2024, 4:36 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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Toasters are indispensable in many households. But not everyone knows how to clean the device properly. If you smell burning, you should act quickly.
Hardly any household would give up its toaster voluntarily. Not just because you can roast delicious toast in no time. The baking function is also popular with many people to conjure up crispy, warm rolls on the breakfast table. When baking with the toaster you even save money compared to other methods of preparation. However, in order for the device to function properly, it should be regularly cleaned of grease residue and crumbs. At the latest when it smells burnt, it's time to take a closer look at your toaster.
How to clean the toaster properly
If you smell burnt coming from the toaster, it's time for a thorough cleaning. (Symbolic image) © Francis Joseph Dean/Imago
Toasters should be regularly cleaned on the outside and old crumbs removed from the inside. That's how it's done:
Unplug the toaster before cleaning.
The best way to clean common dirt on the outside, such as crumbs or fingerprints, is to use a damp cloth and a little dishwashing liquid. Be careful, the cloth should never be too wet: if water drips into the toaster slots, it could lead to dangerous short circuits and also damage the device.
Avoid aggressive cleaning agents such as scouring powders as these can leave scratches on the surface.
Finally, empty the crumb tray and clean it with warm water and detergent. If there are stubborn deposits, the manufacturer
Zwilling
recommends using a kitchen scraper, which can also remove stubborn grease residue on tiles.
What to do if you smell burning coming from the toaster?
If your toaster smells burnt, emptying the crumb tray is often not enough. Then a crumb or piece of bread has probably settled in a corner of the toaster or on the heating elements and is now charring. According to
Mediamarkt.de,
leftover food on exposed heating elements can even release toxic formaldehyde fumes. However, most modern toasters work with quartz glass heating, as the electrical retailer informs on its website. In these devices, the heating wires are covered with a protective layer, which solves this problem.
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To avoid smelling burnt, the charred food remains must be removed from the toaster as quickly as possible. To do this, switch off the device, carefully turn the toaster over and gently pour out the crumbs over a tea towel. If there is still rustling in the toaster, take a soft brush (preferably a pastry brush made of real hair) and run it over the inside walls. This will help you get the crumbs out of every crack - and the burnt smell should quickly disappear. If you have pungent food smells in your home, home remedies can help neutralize them.
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What to do if there is fat residue inside the toaster?
Anyone who prepares snacks such as special schnitzels for toasting or waffles in addition to toast or bread will sooner or later have to contend with grease deposits on the heating elements. The best way to get rid of these is to use the toaster's grease cleaning function. If your device does not have this function,
Mediamarkt
recommends the following procedure:
Heat the toaster briefly on a low heat and
then pull the plug.
Then carefully stroke the inside of the heating elements with a soft brush to remove the grease.
Never use sharp objects such as knives or forks to clean the toaster. These can damage the device. Other household appliances such as dishwashers can also be damaged if you make mistakes while using them.