If you’ve ever left a piece of bread or bagel slice to toast for a minute too long, crunchy burnt crumbs have likely fallen into your stand-up toaster. As tempting as it is to turn the toaster upside down and give it a good shake to "clean" it, your urge to get this chore over with in the easiest way could do more harm than good.

Toasters seem sturdy, but have fragile internal components that can easily be broken if shaken. You might get away with it the first few times, but with enough shaking, your toaster will break down, and you’ll find yourself struggling with a toaster that doesn't heat up right, or a spring lever that doesn’t return and "pop" up your toast.

Instead, look for a little door or lever that conceals the crumb tray at the bottom of the toaster and remove it with a gentle tug, then clean it without damaging the rest of the toaster. Toast is more likely to burn if this tray isn’t clean, and your gentle attention to this appliance can help your toaster work properly for close to a decade.