Three Ways to Clean the Roughest Part of Your Instant Pot
I’m working on rekindling romance with the Instant Pot. I have had it for at least half a century, and right now we are working on improving the yogurt recipe. Everything is going well, but the burst of activity made me come to terms with how terrible this thing can be, especially the small protrusion between the outside of the device and the earbud.
Judging by the photo above, it’s quite dirty there. Spills, splashes and food particles are trapped, as is dust. To make matters worse, this place is rather inconvenient to clean, as it is recessed and a few small protrusions from the appliance hang over it, making it difficult to access.
However, there are three handy tools you can use to clean up that dark corner of your favorite home appliances.
The cheapest option: a fork wrapped in a paper towel.
I’m sure you have a fork and I’m pretty sure you have a paper towel. While some assembly is required, you can make a great little cleaning tool by wrapping a paper towel around the tines of a fork and then dipping the paper towel in warm, soapy water. Using a fork with curved teeth will help you get to all those awkward spots with ease.
My favorite option: foam brush.
I like them because they are very cheap ( less than a dollar a piece ) and because they are a stick with a sponge on the end, and a sponge is a known commodity when it comes to cleaning. Dip the end of the sponge in hot soapy water, then start scrubbing. The tapered end and soft body make it easy to fit into all those gaps.
Fancy option: the official Instant Pot cleaning brush.
Instant Pot has been in tears lately. The brand is no longer just a supplier of multicookers, it produces all types of household appliances (deep fryers, coffee makers, special grain cookers). Then it makes sense that they would also sell a special cleaning brush. It’s pretty cheap ( a little under eight bucks ), it’s washable, and according to the reviews, it’s quite effective. I may have to catch one once my stock of foam brushes runs out.