Cleaning your crock pot can be challenging, especially when food gets baked on. Sometimes, doing a little prep work before you use your crock pot can make cleanup much easier. With some elbow grease, you can keep your crock pot looking brand new for years to come. This kitchen tip will change your life!
How to clean your crockpot:
One thing you can try is spraying the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray before cooking, especially if your crockpot isn't removable. This will keep food from becoming baked on, making it easier to clean. Or, you could use a plastic liner that's made for crockpots. These are made of a heat resistant nylon and fit over the edge of your crock pot. ((I make sure to use a coupon when I buy them)) When you're done serving your meal, simply throw it out.
If you have cooked a meal and there is a lot of baked on food try filling the crockpot, 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.
You can tackle particularly tough burned on food or mineral stains by filling your crock pot ¾ 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 with hot soapy water and clean as you would normally do.
Check out these amazing Crockpot recipes:
Crockpot Bacon Cheese Potatoes
Homemade Crockpot Caramel Dip (Dulce de Leche)
Shelley is a boy mom, marine wife, and is blessed with an amazing family. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
Heather
A trick I learned years ago is to fill my crockpot with water and throw in a couple of dryer sheets and let it slow cook over night. Makes the house smell great and the crockpot wipes clean afterwards!!!
Richard Ahlquist
My fav option for cooked on stuff is powdered citric acid. Because you can vary the acidity quite easy. For typical cooked on stuff in the crock pot I use about 1tbsp of citric acid powder to 1/2 cup water and spread it over the stuck on gunk, just let it sit at room temp for 20 mins then knock of the loose part and re-apply if needed(using the same solution).
Same trick with cookie sheets, 1/2 to 1 tbsp in enough water to just cover the bottom of the cookie sheet. Let it sit for 30 mins when you come back thinks should wipe right off.
I buy mine from a place online. AmericanSpice but you can get it at any of dozens of sources.