How do I clean small kitchen appliances?

Small appliances get cleaned less than anything else in a kitchen because they're fiddly, and several of them accumulate genuine problems — crumbs in a toaster are a fire risk, and a blender's blade seal traps food that goes rancid.

Safety

What you'll need

• Washing-up liquid
• Bottle brush or small brush
• Cloths
• Bicarbonate of soda (optional)
• White vinegar (optional)

Step by step

1. Unplug every appliance before touching it.Non-negotiable, particularly for toasters where you'll be reaching near the elements.
2. For toasters, slide out the crumb tray, empty it, wash and dry it.Then turn the toaster upside down over a bin and shake. Accumulated crumbs are a genuine fire risk.
3. Never put anything metal inside a toaster, even unplugged.It damages the elements. Use a soft brush if you need to dislodge something.
4. For blenders, fill a third with warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid and run for 30 seconds.Then rinse. This handles most of it without going near the blade.
5. Dismantle the blender blade assembly periodically and clean the seal.Food gets trapped under the seal and goes rancid. This is the part nobody cleans and the usual source of a bad smell.
6. For air fryers, soak the basket and drawer in hot soapy water.Never use metal utensils or abrasive pads — the non-stick coating is what makes it work.
7. Wipe the heating element area of an air fryer once cool.Grease builds up above the basket and eventually smokes.
8. Wipe motor housings with a damp cloth only, never immersed.Water in a motor housing destroys the appliance and creates an electrical hazard.
9. Dry everything completely before reassembling and plugging in.Particularly anything that goes back near electrical contacts.

Tips

• Clean appliances immediately after use where you can — dried-on food is far harder than wet food, and it takes seconds while it's warm.
• Check which parts are dishwasher safe before assuming. Blender jugs and blade assemblies frequently aren't.
• A bottle brush is the most useful tool for small appliances — it reaches into jugs, spouts and narrow housings.
• Descale kettles and coffee machines separately and regularly in hard water areas.

Common mistakes

• Cleaning without unplugging — Electrical hazard, particularly around toaster elements and blender blades.
• Never emptying the toaster crumb tray — Accumulated crumbs near a heating element are a recognised fire risk.
• Never dismantling the blender blade seal — Trapped food under the seal goes rancid and is the usual cause of a smelly blender.
• Using abrasives on air fryer baskets — It destroys the non-stick coating, after which food sticks permanently.

Questions people ask