The real challenge of cleaning the household lies in the kitchen. Aside from major appliances like refrigerator, stove, and oven, you also have a number of small kitchen appliances to attend to, and different appliances require different techniques of cleaning.

Here are several tips on how to clean your small kitchen appliances and make them last a lot longer, too.

Blender/Food Processor

• Rinse the container in a warm sudsy water after every use. Do not keep on removing the detachable blades and disks because it will loosen their grip. To avoid cutting your fingers, use a small brush to reach the nooks and crannies of the blades and disks.

• To remove oily deposits which have accumulated on the base, use an old toothbrush.

Bread and Oven Toaster

• Leave the door open when you finish the last piece of bread. Allow it to air out and return to normal temperature naturally.

• Open the removable plate at the bottom of the toaster. Shake out the crumbs. Scrape off melted cheese and other food stuff which have stuck at the bottom, and wipe with a clean piece of cloth.

• Use a damp cloth to wipe the body of the toaster.

Microwave Oven

• Put a dish filled with hot water and a slice of lemon inside the oven. Boil until steam fills the microwave oven. Then open the door and remove the dish of water. Allow the oven to cool down a bit and then wipe its interiors with a damp cloth.

Coffee Maker

• Never immerse an electric coffee machine in water. Simply wipe.

• Do not use scouring pads or abrasive cleaners on the coffee maker’s plastic parts. They will leave unsightly scratches on it.

• Use a nonabrasive cleaner to clean a stainless steel or chrome coffee maker. Buff or pat dry with a clean cloth.

• Clean mineral deposits off a drip coffee maker by running a carafe of half water and half white vinegar solution through a brewing cycle. After this, run a carafe of plain water to rinse.

Pressure Cooker

• Never immerse the cover in water. It will damage the gauge and clog the vents. Simply wipe with a sudsy cloth and rinse with a damp cloth.

• Wash the gasket with care. If it is already worn out, get a replacement right away.

• Clean the openings in the cover by drawing a pipe cleaner through them a number of times.

Crockery Cooker

• Never immerse the outer covering in water. It will damage the cooker’s heating elements.

• Do not use abrasive pads when cleaning the ceramic liner. The right way to clean it is to empty out its contents and then fill it with warm sudsy water. Clean with a brush, a soft sponge or a clean cloth. Rinse and wipe dry.

• Remove burned food on the ceramic liner by soaking it in water until it comes off easily.

• Avoid subjecting the ceramic liner to sudden temperature changes.