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My toaster is smoking and activating the fire alarm. I tried to clean the tray and the dust from the inside. I shook it pretty much and many black "things" came out. Although, it's still smoking. I believe that the butter melted inside it and has gone to particulars places that I can't clean by shaking or taking the tray off.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to clean it?

BaffledCook
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Angélica C Brandão Marcolino
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    Did you put buttered toast inside a toaster? – Stephie Feb 01 '17 at 07:45
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    Welcome to the site. If you are putting buttered bread into a toaster then please stop it, the fat could start a fire! Bread should be buttered after being toasted, not before. – GdD Feb 01 '17 at 11:48
  • @baffledcook are you sure about this edit? Some kinds of sandwich are called "a melt" in English, it is possible that the OP meant one of those. – rumtscho Feb 02 '17 at 09:48
  • If for some strange reason you want to butter something before putting it in the toaster, [you can get reusable bags](http://www.planitproducts.co.uk/toastabags) to put it in. They work well for toasted sandwiches for example. – Chris H Feb 02 '17 at 09:48
  • @rumtscho, I think this is grammatically better, but the OP can decide. – BaffledCook Feb 02 '17 at 09:49
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    Vertical toaster, or horizontal? – Joe M Feb 02 '17 at 15:25
  • A "toaster oven" (United States terminology)(https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/media/products/images/31334.jpg), or a "toaster"(http://kitchen-electronics.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/1/1/27118291/6608936_orig.jpg) ? – PoloHoleSet Feb 02 '17 at 21:21
  • The vertical one. I didn't know we were not supposed to put buttered bread inside it. I tried to let it on until it finishes burning the butter, but the smoke never ended, and the smell is awful, so I turned it off. And if I turn it on, it's still smoking. – Angélica C Brandão Marcolino Feb 03 '17 at 12:09

2 Answers2

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By toaster I am assuming you mean the type that has slots that you pop the bread into from the top. Normally they also have a removable tray at the bottom, which you say you have taken out and cleaned. Shaking does normally work, but this can also lead to breakage... so maybe not quite so vigorously would be a good idea. I don't understand why you have butter inside your toaster, but that is irrelevant now - so how to clean it. I would suggest opening some windows, and getting the toaster as close to an open window as possible, and putting it on repeatedly until it stops smoking, you are basically just burning off what is left in the machine. Just as a side note, every time you use your toaster, after it has cooled down, turn it upside down and give it a little shake, and try not to put anything other than bread in it. If you want to make toasted sandwiches or anything with butter/cheese, get a toasted sandwich maker.

dougal 5.0.0
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    I'd suggest just doing the burning off outside. It *might* work out next to a window with a fan blowing the smoke out, but in general if you have something pumping out smoke indoors it's just going to go everywhere. – Cascabel Feb 03 '17 at 17:55
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Let the grease and crumbs burn all the way.

At some point it will stop smoking and just shake the toaster upside down to remove all the crumbs and other particles (some toasters have a small hatch underneath to clean up the crumbs)

Tell your neighbours not to call the emergency sevices/fire department .

If possible, do that outside.

Max
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