How To Clean A Slow Cooker To Remove Baked-On Grease And Grime

Slow cookers are magical when it comes to convenient meal solutions that don't require nearly as much attention as stirring a pot of beef stew on the stovetop. That is, until you have to clean the cooking appliance. Removing baked-on grease and grime from the ceramic bowl of a crockpot or slow cooker can be a bit of a nightmare. But with the right cleaning tips, it doesn't have to be. To easily clean a slow cooker and remove stuck-on residue, you can apply a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to the bowl, give the bowl a thorough scrub, and rinse it out.

While you can certainly use dish soap or chemical grease-removers to clean the aftermath of a crockpot recipe, natural ingredients work great to make your own crockpot cleaning solution. Plus, they're typically gentler, which helps preserve the quality and longevity of your appliance. For a natural clean that doesn't involve harsh chemicals, a 1:1 ratio of baking soda to vinegar forms a fizzy paste which works wonders to loosen caked-on food. Once you've covered the grease in the baking soda solution, just be sure to let the dish of your slow cooker soak for 10 to 20 minutes before scrubbing it further to remove any final food remnants. The abrasive side of a sponge or steel wool scrubber will apply the strength needed to fight stubborn debris, but the whole process will be a lot easier with this seamless cleaning solution.

While there are a variety of slow cooker recipes that take 10 minutes or less to prepare, the cleanup of your appliance may require a little extra patience. If you're dealing with an extra sticky mess, say from slow cooker Swedish meatballs, you may need to take a step back and let your slow cooker soak with water before giving it a good scrub with baking soda and vinegar. Hot water works well to slowly release coating, grime, and food debris. You can also let your slow cooker deep clean itself by heating a mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda to loosen stuck-on food residue. This method is similar in principle to auto-cleaning a coffee maker, and involves adding water and equal parts distilled vinegar and baking soda to the bowl, placing the lid on, and running the appliance on low for an hour or two.  

If you still find that grease impossible to scrub with the best attempts, you can also try greasing your slow cooker or spraying it with cooking spray before cooking in it to reduce the chances of a sticky situation. This can help maintain the bowl's shine, too. And if you find yourself out of baking soda and vinegar but want to make a natural paste to clean the appliance, you can also try cleaning it with a mixture of lemon juice and salt.