To clean a toaster oven, unplug it and let it cool completely, remove and wash the crumb tray, soak the racks in warm soapy water, scrub the interior walls with a bicarbonate of soda paste, clean the glass door separately, then wipe everything dry before reassembling. The full process takes around 30 to 45 minutes and should ideally be done every two to four weeks depending on how often the oven is used.
Most people wipe down the outside of their mini oven regularly but neglect the interior, where grease splatter, burnt food residue, and baked-on crumbs build up. Left untreated, this can cause smoke during cooking, affect food flavour, and shorten the appliance’s lifespan. This guide applies to basic small ovens, glass-door toaster ovens, and multi-function air fryer toaster ovens, with only the crumb tray and rack layout varying between models.
What Do You Need to Clean a Toaster Oven?
Gather everything before you start so you can move through each step without stopping halfway.
You will need:
- A few clean rags
- Dish soap (washing-up liquid)
- A small detail cleaning brush (an old toothbrush works too)
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- White vinegar
- Warm water
- A spray bottle
- Rubber gloves (optional, but useful for the bicarb paste)
What to avoid: Never use an abrasive scrubber on the non-stick interior of a toaster oven or mini oven. The coating on the interior walls is thinner than in a full-size oven, so it scratches easily, and once scratched, food residue sticks to it more stubbornly in future.
How to Clean a Toaster Oven Step by Step
Step 1: Unplug and Let It Cool Completely
Never clean a toaster oven while it’s warm, plugged in, or in standby mode. Even a cool-looking exterior can be hiding heat retained in the interior walls after recent use.
Unplug the appliance from the wall socket and make sure it’s fully cool before you touch the interior. Cleaning a warm interior spreads grease rather than lifting it, and moisture inside a warm oven turns to steam, which just redeposits the residue you’re trying to remove.
Step 2: Remove the Trays and Racks, and Leave Them to Soak
Take out every removable part, crumb tray, wire racks, and any baking trays, before you touch the interior walls. Most HOMCOM mini ovens and countertop ovens have a crumb tray that slides out from the front or side, plus separate wire racks.
Fill a sink with warm water and a few squirts of dish soap. Place the trays and racks into the solution and leave them to soak while you move on to the interior, this softens baked-on grease and crumbs without much scrubbing effort later.
Step 3: Wipe Out Loose Crumbs with a Dry Rag
Grab a dry rag and use it to wipe the inside of the toaster oven, clearing out loose crumbs before any wet cleaning begins. Doing this dry first stops crumbs turning into a soggy mess once you introduce water or paste in the next steps.
Step 4: Get Into Corners and Crevices with a Detail Brush
Use your small detail cleaning brush to reach into the corners and crevices a rag can’t fully clean, around the door hinges, along the base edges, and any recessed seams inside the cavity. This is the step most people skip, and it’s usually where the worst buildup collects.
Step 5: Wipe Down the Non-Stick Interior with a Damp Soapy Rag
Use a damp rag with a little dish soap to wipe down the non-stick interior of the toaster oven. Work across the top, bottom, and side walls, trying to keep the heating elements as dry as possible, a barely damp rag wiped carefully around them is enough; don’t apply the soapy rag directly onto the elements themselves. Avoid using any abrasive scrubber here, as it will damage the non-stick coating.
Step 6: Rinse and Dry the Trays and Racks
Take the trays and racks out of the soaking solution. Wipe off any remaining grime with your rag, then give them a proper rinse under the tap. Dry them off thoroughly before placing them back into the toaster oven, a damp tray or rack going back in undoes a lot of the work you’ve just done, since trapped moisture encourages new grease and residue to stick.
Step 7: Clean the Outside of the Toaster Oven
Don’t forget the exterior housing. Use a rag dampened with an all-purpose cleaner, or just warm water and dish soap, and wipe the outside clean. Follow up with a dry cloth so no moisture is left sitting on the casing or around the controls.
For stainless steel exteriors, common on HOMCOM 3-in-1 models and larger countertop convection oven models, wipe in the direction of the grain rather than across it, to avoid dulling the surface with microscopic scratches.
Step 8: Clean the Glass Door
Clean the toaster oven glass using the same approach you’d use on a full-size oven door. Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it to the glass, and let it dry. Once dry, spritz it with white vinegar and wipe off, the vinegar reacts with the dried baking soda and lifts it away along with the grease underneath.
If any haze is left behind, buff it dry with a clean cloth.
Step 9: Clean the Heating Elements
To clean the heating elements, use a damp rag and gently wipe them down. Don’t scrub, soak, or apply any paste directly to them, interfering with the elements beyond a gentle wipe risks damaging the oven or creating a safety hazard. If food residue is stuck on, it’s safer to let it burn off during the next use rather than trying to scrape it away.
How Often Should You Clean a Toaster Oven?
| Task | Frequency |
| Light wipe-down (crumbs, interior, exterior) | After each use, if used daily |
| Full deep clean (all steps above) | Weekly |
| Glass door clean | Every 1–2 weeks, or when visibly greasy |
| Trays and racks soak | Every deep clean |
If you use your toaster oven daily, a quick light clean after each use, clearing crumbs and giving the interior a wipe, keeps the deep clean short and easy. Leave it too long between cleans and the deep clean above takes noticeably longer, since grease has more time to bake on.
How to Keep a Toaster Oven Cleaner for Longer
Preventing buildup is a lot easier than removing it once it’s baked on.
Line the crumb tray with a sheet of aluminium foil and replace it every few uses instead of scrubbing the tray each time, one of the simplest time-saving habits for any countertop oven owner.
When cooking anything fatty or saucy, chicken, fish, or marinated dishes, place a sheet of foil loosely underneath the food on the rack to catch drips before they reach the oven floor or element. Avoid covering the whole rack, though, as this blocks air circulation and affects cooking results.
It’s also worth avoiding overfilling the cavity. Food that touches the heating element or interior walls burns and leaves residue that’s genuinely difficult to shift afterwards.
If your mini oven is difficult to clean due to worn coating, a faulty crumb tray or degraded door seal, replacing it may be easier than repeated deep cleaning. Explore Aosom’s Small Kitchen Appliances, Air Fryers and Kitchen & Dining ranges for easy-to-clean options.
FAQs
1. Can I use oven cleaner spray inside a toaster oven?
Standard oven cleaner is usually too harsh for a toaster oven’s interior coating. Use a damp soapy cloth for routine cleaning or a baking soda paste for tougher residue, avoiding abrasive products that could damage the surface.
2. Can I put toaster oven racks in the dishwasher?
Some toaster oven racks and trays are dishwasher safe, but check your model’s manual first. High temperatures and strong detergents may cause discolouration or corrosion, so hand washing is often the safer option.
3. What's the difference between cleaning a basic mini oven and an air fryer toaster oven?
The basic cleaning method is similar, but air fryer toaster ovens may have fan guards or vents. Wipe these carefully with a barely damp cloth and never soak them, as moisture can damage the fan motor.