How to Clean a Belgian Waffle Maker

Best way to clean a waffle iron (Removable and Non-Removable Plates)

What’s your favorite breakfast food?

Waffles are probably on your list. I mean, you can’t go wrong with the crispy outside, soft and warm inside. That along with any waffle toppings of your choice. 

Mmm… Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. 

Now, that’s all very lovely… 

But do you know what’s even better than that? A clean waffle iron!

All that hard batter, grease, residue, and ickiness… 😖

Still, cleaning your waffle iron must be done. Unless you want germs and bacteria as flavors. 

If you’re looking to buy a self cleaning waffle maker, I have bad news for you. It doesn’t exist.

You’re the cleaner.

But I’m here to help! I’ll give you the 3 simple tips to get it done. 

In this article, I’ll show you:

• How to clean waffle irons with removable plates
• Cleaning a waffle iron with non-removable plates
• Cleaning the outside of waffle irons

Plus, I’ll tell you about some important “DON’TS” when it comes to a clean waffle maker. 

So are you ready? Let’s get started! 

How to Clean Waffle Makers With Removable Plates

If you have a more modern waffle iron, the plates are most likely removable. 

Hold up…

If you’re not familiar with waffle irons, the plates are where the waffles cook and get their “waffle” design. 

Okay, moving on. 

You’re in luck if your waffle iron has removable or interchangeable plates as this makes it super easy to clean. 

Here are the steps to cleaning it:

1. Unplug the appliance for safety measures. 
2. Wait until it’s cool to the touch. You don’t want your hands burning!
3. Remove the plates. (The instruction manual will tell you how to do this).
4. Wash it with mild dish soap and warm water, as you would any plate or utensil. Use a soft sponge to get inside the grooves. 
5. Completely dry it with a clean cloth. 
6. Place it back into the waffle iron. (Again, you’ll have instructions on the manual for that). 

If you’re looking at cleaning your waffle iron, it’s as easy as that!

Even better, there are some removable plates that you can clean in the dishwasher. However, always refer to the manual first if that’s advisable. 

One last thing. If you wash your plates in a dishwasher, be sure you remove the caked batter first. (We show you how to do that down below.)

How to Clean a Waffle Maker with Regular Plates

 

If your waffle iron doesn’t have plates that are removable, it can get quite tricky. 

You can’t just submerge the whole unit in water. That’ll surely destroy it. 

Good news! I’ve got a great solution for you. 

1. Unplug the unit. You should never forget to do this.
2. Wait for the plates to cool. Again, we don’t want your hands to burn.
3. Thoroughly wipe the plates with a dry paper towel. For the grooves, fold and crease the dry paper towel to fit it through. 
4. If there are hard bits of caked batter, you can loosen it by getting a clean, damp cloth and placing it in the plates. Close it and let it sit a few minutes. The moisture will loosen those hard bits.
5. Once loosened, you can wipe it off with a soft-bristled brush. You can also use a dry paper towel. 
6. Completely dry before storing.

What if your waffle iron has a lot of residual greases that can’t be removed with a paper towel? I have a solution for that as well!

1. Follow steps 1-5.
2. a mixture of 2 parts hot water, 1 part mild dish soap. 
3. Dip a soft-bristled toothbrush (old or new) onto the mixture and brush it onto the plates. 
4. Do this until all grease and residue are gone. 
5. Make sure you wipe it thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth to avoid leaving behind suds. Unless you want your next waffle to be soap flavored. 
6. Completely dry before storing. 

If you’re not too sure about applying soap without rinsing it with water, we have another great mixture you can use. 

Instead of water and soap, you can use water and vinegar. Promise, the vinegar taste and smell will go away. 

A quick tip: To make it easier to clean waffle makers, do it regularly. 

How to Clean the Outside of a Waffle Maker

It’s not only the plates that get dirty. 

The outside of waffle irons gets pretty icky as well. Especially if the waffle batter oozes out from the sides. 

If you’ve been faithful in taking care of your appliance, a simple wiping with a clean, damp cloth will do the trick. 

However, if you’ve left it alone for too long, a lot of hard caked waffle batter, dirt, and dust will accumulate on its cooking surface and it may keep your appliance from baking evenly in the future.

A well-cleaned appliance, both on the exterior and on the inside, will result in a great meal every time. 

Don’t worry…

Instead, follow these steps on how to remove those:

1. Unplug and wait for it to cool. 
2. Make a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part mild dish soap. 
3. Get a soft sponge and dip it into the mixture. 
4. Squeeze it well so that the sponge is damp and not soaked. 
5. Rub the outside of the appliance with your sponge until sparkling clean. 
6. For the hard caked batter, you might want to leave a bit of water to loosen it. Also, you should use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub it out. 
7. Dry with a clean, dry cloth before storing. 

See? It’s very easy!

The “DONT’S” of Cleaning Waffle Makers

If you set out to clean, there are some things that you SHOULD avoid. 

The first thing to avoid is abrasive or rough materials. 

If you’re trying to rub away the grease and caked food, it can be tempting to use an abrasive or rough cloth or sponge.

Sure, it’ll help you remove the grease and batter easily, but it’ll also ruin the plates with scratch marks. Not to mention, it might get rid of the non-stick coating. 

Even if you’re not cleaning it, never use metal utensils to remove the waffles. It might scrape against the plates. 

Over time, cleaning it with utensils will absolutely damage the plates and the nonstick coating won’t work anymore. It just won’t be of much use over time.

Another thing to avoid is dishwashing soap with harsh chemicals. 

Remember, you’re not going to rinse the soap away with water. So you need to make sure there are no harsh chemicals left behind. 

Also, these harsh chemicals can ruin the plates – melt the non-stick coating, create holes on the grooves, etc…

Stick to MILD dishwashing soap. 

A good recommendation is Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Soap. This soap is mild, removes dirt and bacteria, and doesn’t have any scent!

Never soak the waffle maker in water.

I hope everyone knows this. 

But in case you’re tempted, please don’t. You won’t be able to use your waffle make again. 

Don’t use cooking spray.

If you want your waffle maker to be easy to clean, then just avoid the cooking spray. You don’t want a yucky residue to build up. 

Instead, apply a few drops of cooking oil to the plates. This will help the waffle loosen from the plates when cooked. You don’t want to overdo it with the cooking oil, so be sure you use just a tiny bit when cleaning it.

Finally, if your waffle maker has cleaning instructions, follow it. 

Cleaning a Waffle Iron like a Pro

Is your appliance so disgusting already with its greasiness, caked batter, and food?

There’s no special Waffle Iron Cleaner, but you can use these 3 simple, home remedies to bring it back to looking brand new and making tasty waffles in no time.

And this time around, don’t wait for it to get too dirty before you take care of it. Remember, the more regularly you clean it, the easier it gets.

I hope that this has been a great help to you!