How to Clean Every Appliance In Your Kitchen

With all those nooks and crannies (that admittedly lead to the gloriously crispy ridges and valleys that are perfect for cradling pools of warm maple syrup), the waffle iron is easily one of the most annoying appliances to clean. All the same, if you want to live your best waffle live, you gotta do it eventually. We’ll take you through it one step at a time.

Do not fear what lurks beneath those coils; the time to unhook them and face the gunk is now! Electric grates generally mean you’re not looking at the quick after-dinner wipe-down that one can pull with other stovetops, but just imagine how good it’ll feel once this chore is finished.

If you’ve ever spilt a splash of chicken stock or even starchy pasta water onto your glass stovetop while cooking, and left the mess to dry rather than immediately wiping it up… you know the truest definition of the word crusty. Fear not, it’s actually not all that difficult to remove the caked-on crud.

There’s a solid chance you’ve literally never cleaned your current oven. No judgement, it’s not exactly the most pressing task on anyone’s to-do list. But supposing that one day you do get tired of that weird burning smell that fills your kitchen every time you preheat to 350° (probably because of the berry pie that bubbled over during baking last summer, coating the bottom of your oven in a layer of blackened sugar)—here are two foolproof methods for knocking out this weekend cleaning project.

As if cleaning the fridge isn’t bad enough, dealing with the refrigerator drawers is like a whole separate chore. However, the most trying tasks in life are often the most important—not to mention, the most rewarding. So roll up your sleeves, folks; we’re doing this.

If you are the proud owner of an Instant Pot, chances are, you use it a lot. That being the case, you should know how to take proper care of this hard-laboring kitchen workhorse so that it will stay in the best shape possible.

This small plastic piece is easily overlooked, but forgetting to clean it can lead to some seriously unappetizing developments in your favorite countertop appliance.

To avoid stubborn gunk, you really should wash your blender immediately after use. Cleaning the blender by hand may seem like a pain, but it can be surprisingly easy. In fact, with this smart method, the blender practically cleans itself.

Yes, cleaning the toaster is actually something responsible adults do. And yes, cleaning it thoroughly requires a little more than hoisting the machine upside down and banging out the crumbs into the sink. Good news is, it’s really not that much more. Unplug your toaster and let’s do this.

Trust me, I realize it seems insane to clean a device thats primary purpose in your kitchen is to clean other objects, but it is actually necessary. I mean, think about it—you’re filling the racks with dirty, drippy dishes, oftentimes leaving them there to hang out for a couple days while you fill with dishwasher. If you’ve never experienced an odorous case of dishwasher funk, consider yourself lucky… and clean your dishwasher while you count your blessings.

Ah yes, the age-old irrationally dreaded task of addressing thy sauce-, grease-, and grime-spattered microwave. No, it’s not the most thrilling way you’ll ever spend 20 minutes, but cleaning the microwave does offer some real-life payoffs. For one, food you reheat post-cleaning won’t continue to absorb the odors of meals reheated days ago. And for two, now you can hold it over your housemates’ heads that YOU cleaned the microwave, so maybe than can tackle one (or more) of the other appliances on this list.

I totally understand the urge to dispose of your current drip coffee maker and buy a new one in lieu of cleaning the thing, but here’s the thing—it’s actually fairly easy to make cleaning this appliance a part of your weekly routine. And your coffee will taste all the better for it! This is truly one case where avoidance is not the answer.

Much like a drip coffee maker, your pod-based, single-cup coffee brewing appliance likewise requires regular maintenance to avoid stale flavors and icky bacteria growth. Luckily enough, routine cleaning of your Keurig or Nespresso coffee maker is similarly simple to adopt. Here’s everything you need to know.

These are some of the easiest kitchen items to entirely overlook cleaning, and simultaneously the most horrifying when you realize that you have no idea when they were last cleaned. Don’t let that moment of panic happen to you as you’re sipping a cup of relaxation tea you just brewed using water from an electric kettle that’s probably never been washed.

It’s not a glamorous job, but boy, does it ever have to get done. Few spots in the kitchen are as prone to disgusting, slimy build-up as your garbage disposal. The longer you put it off, the nastier this chore will be.

For even more cleaning insights, check out our guide to tackling the trickiest spots to clean in your kitchen.