5 quick tips to keep your toaster popping

Can you imagine breakfast without the boing! of the toaster? These clever little devices require occasional maintenance and cleaning. Here are some quick tips to keep the toast popping.

Turn bread into toast and you are bound to get crumbs. A toaster that's full of crumbs won't work properly and may even start to smoke. Keep your toaster ready for action by cleaning out the crumbs about once a week, depending on how often you use it.

Fortunately, most toasters come equipped with an easy way to empty the crumbs. Some models have slide-out crumb trays, while others have hinged doors on the bottom.

Always make sure you unplug the toaster before cleaning it.

Follow these steps to get at hard-to-reach crumbs clinging to the toaster's innards. Don't forget to make sure you unplug the toaster first.

• Use a new, dry toothbrush or an old, clean paintbrush.
• Loosen crumbs with the brush and then dump them out.
• Turn the toaster upside down and shake.
• Do this gently, taking care not to damage the toaster's heating elements.

If you still can't get all the crumbs out, try disintegrating them with heat. Run the toaster empty on the hottest setting two or three times.

Now that your toaster is crumb free, give it a quick cleaning.

• Use a damp cloth to wipe around your toaster's control knobs.
• Add a dash of vinegar or a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the cleaning water for more cleaning power.
• For stainless steel toasters, use stainless steel polish, which you can pick up at supermarkets and home-improvement centres.

Did a plastic bread wrapper melt all over your chrome toaster or toaster oven?

• Dab a little acetone or nail polish remover (which is mostly acetone) on the melted mess.
• Next buff with a soft cloth.
• Be very careful not to get any acetone on a plastic part, because the solvent could eat it.

It's tempting to line the crumb tray with aluminum foil to make it easier to clean up. But doing so is a bad idea. Aluminum deflects heat, so the toaster won't work properly. It might even cause a fire.

Follow these quick tips and you'll have a crumb-free toaster that's fit to keep that toast popping.