How to Clean a Crock Pot

Cleaning your crock pot can be challenging, especially when food gets baked on to the lining of the crock. Sometimes, doing a little prep work before you use your crock pot can make cleanup much easier. With a little knowledge and some elbow grease, you can keep your crock pot looking brand new for years to come.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Spray inside your crock with cooking spray before cooking, especially if your crock isn't removable. This will keep food from becoming baked on, making it easier to clean. Or, use a commercially available plastic liner that's made for crock pots. These are made of a heat resistant nylon and fit over the edge of your crock pot. When you're done serving your meal, simply throw it out.
2. Fill the crock after it has cooled with hot soapy water and allow it to soak until anything that's baked on comes off easily. Use a sponge or nylon scrubbing pad with plenty of hot soapy water and elbow grease. Make sure you haven't missed any stains, as they'll be harder to remove if you don't notice it until the next time you clean it.
3. Tackle particularly tough burned on food or mineral stains by filling your crock pot 3/4 of the way full with water and add 1 cup of white vinegar. With the lid on, cook for 2 hours on high, allow to cool, then soak and clean as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use steel wool or any abrasive cleaning products, which will scratch the finish of your crock.
• Don't fill a hot crock pot with cold water, which can cause the lining to crack.