How to Clean a Bread Maker

A bread maker makes it easy to have fresh baked goods on the table every night. Of course, if you want to have fresh baked goods every night, you need to keep your bread maker clean. While many small appliances can be hard to clean, this particular appliance is actually quite easy to wash by hand.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft sponge
• Dish washing liquid
• Dish washing rag

1. Remove stuck on bread. No matter how nonstick your bread maker pan may be, there always seems to be a bit of bread that sticks to the pan and paddle. Luckily, it comes off easily. You can do this before you even attempt to wash the pan.

2. Take out the paddle. It is essential to remove the paddle before washing the pan. If you fail to do this, you could miss some of the dough that got stuck under the paddle. This will also make it easier to wash the pan.

3. Wash the pan. Bread maker pans are almost always nonstick. This means that you'll be able to easily wash the pan with soapy water. A soft sponge and dish washing liquid are the only cleaning supplies you need to wash the pan.

4. Clean the paddle. The paddle is the hardest piece to clean. You need to use a dishwashing rag to get up into the center of the paddle. Do not skip this step. It is easy for dough to get inside the paddle and it must be washed out. The outside of the paddle is easy to clean because it's usually coated with a nonstick coating.

5. Dry the pan and paddle. It's important to hand dry the pan and paddle. This ensures that the pieces don't rust. As soon as they are dry, you can slip them back into the bread maker.

6. Wipe down the machine. The outside of the machine can simply be wiped down with a damp rag.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy an appliance cover that will keep the outside of your bread maker dust-free.
• You should avoid the dishwasher because it can damage the pan and paddle.
• Never use abrasive sponges or cleaners on a nonstick coating.
• The pan and paddle can rust if you leave them to soak.