How To Clean Stubborn Grease And Grime Off Your Crock-Pot Heating Base

It's obvious that, like other cooking tools, a Crock-Pot's ceramic crock should be cleaned after every use. What might be less obvious is that the heating element, also known as the base, should also be kept free of grease and grime. Unremoved food residue can be a fire hazard. Bits of food and liquid sometimes seep into the base when the crock overflows and accumulate over time. Regularly cleaning them out should be part of every owner's routine both for safety and to extend the Crock-Pot's life.

When trying to make your grimy Crock-Pot sparkle again, you can't wash all the parts in the exact same way. While you might soak the inside of the cooking vessel, you do not want to submerge the heating element in water. Doing so could damage the electrical components. Instead, dampen a non-abrasive sponge or washcloth and add a little mild dish soap to cut through the grease. Carefully wipe down both the inside and outside of the base. If needed, an old soft-bristle toothbrush will help you reach smaller nooks and crannies, and a vacuum can be used to suck up loose crumbs and spices.

Some burned-on stains will not yield to grime-fighting dish detergent and elbow grease alone. Luckily, there are multiple ways to attack them that don't resort to using abrasive tools like scouring pads and steel wool that could damage the Crock-Pot. One simple method requires damp paper towels placed over the stains. Let them sit for about an hour, then use the towels to wipe the stain away.

Baking soda and vinegar, both longtime saviors of burnt pots and pans, may also increase your cleaning power. (However, some experts recommend using them separately because they could neutralize each other chemically when mixed.) Another effective Crock-Pot cleaning hack making the rounds on TikTok is the power paste from Scrub Daddy, one of the best kitchen tool brands we've seen on "Shark Tank." Just be mindful in your scrubbing zeal that you don't rub so hard you scratch the finish or remove the temperature readings and other important info printed on the exterior of the base.