Waffles are pure indulgence, but cleaning a waffle maker can be a real pain. How do you easily clean a waffle iron so that it looks shiny and new, without damaging it? Let's dive in to our guide.

Everyone loves making a good load of waffles in the morning, topped with maple syrup to make the ultimate breakfast.

Add some strawberries or whipped cream, and you've got a superior homemade meal.

What everyone hates, though, is cleaning the waffle iron afterwards. But, the scrubbing doesn't have to become as much of a chore as it seems.

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TAG24 will take you through how to clean your waffle maker, so it shines bright like a diamond.

Can you make waffles and then clean the cooker without much of a hassle? Here's some help.

You should clean your waffle iron after cooking every batch of waffles to maintain its sanitary condition and to keep your waffles coming out nice and tasty.

A waffle iron isn't hard to clean, so it's best to make sure that the hot plates are soaked (if they are removable) and scrubbed, so that you don't have waffle batter building up and getting harder to remove, or getting burnt bits in your future breakfast.

If you don't clean your waffle iron, these things could happen:

• Nasty gritty bits in your food
• Burnt taste in future meals
• You could get sick from contaminants
• It could have a negative impact on the machine's functionality

For these reasons, it's best to clean your waffle maker after every use.

One of the best ways to clean a waffle maker is to make use of the residual heat after it's been cooking, scrubbing the plates while they are still hot. It will be a lot easier to get residue off when the device is warm, as the dough dries and sticks more strongly to the waffle iron's hotplates as it cools down.

Other than a moistened cloth or towel, the best way to clean a waffle iron is with paper towels, as you do not need to also clean the cloth afterwards. Paper towels also have a very high level of absorbency and will remove all contaminants if used properly

Here's how to use paper towels to clean a waffle iron:

Lightly wet a paper towel and wipe all the residue from the hot plates with it, removing any excess grease (be careful if the plates are still warm). Use a little bit of dish soap and spread it out with some more paper towel. Once it has soaked for a few minutes, get a clean paper towel and scrub thoroughly with a bit of water added. Switch on the waffle iron and heat it up to burn off any residual moisture, before packing it away.

It might not be very resource-saving to use paper towels, but it is very convenient. Just be cautious not to touch it when it's too hot, as the paper towel won't protect your hands from the heat.

There are a variety of different ways to use homemade remedies to clean a used waffle maker. The most important thing to do, though, is to leave the device on when trying out these washing methods.

Cleaning the waffle maker with leftover dough:

If you have some leftover waffle dough, it's time to get creative. Add a little more oil and mix it with the dough, so that it is nice and oily. Bake the waffle batter as usual, until it is a little darker than usual but not burnt. The oil will dissolve any residue leftover from your previous cooking, and only excess fat will be left on the plates. Once this has been completed, remove the dough, throw it away, and use the kitchen towel method to clean up the residue.

Cleaning the waffle iron with baking soda and water:

If you have used up all the dough, don't fear! You still have the option of using the ultimate cleaning agent: baking soda. Mix some baking soda, a little fat (oil), and some water together until they form a paste, and then rub this onto the waffle iron's hotplates. Apply it thickly to the surface, and then allow it to bake for a while. Now remove the hardened paste, unplug it from the power, and use the paper towel method to clean the rest up.

If you have a waffle maker that contains removable hotplates, it becomes a lot easier to clean the darn thing! Simply disconnect the plates, fill the sink with hot, soapy water, and scrub them in the water with the soft side of a sponge until they are clean.

Once your waffle maker's plates are clean, take them out of the water and rinse them cold under the tap, so that all the soap suds are gone. Allow to drip-dry or wipe thoroughly with a towel (until completely dry) before putting them back into your waffle making machine!

If batter has severely burnt on the surface of the waffle iron, it's important to start by unplugging the device and allowing it to cool down a little. Once it is slightly cooler, but still hot (so that you don't burn yourself), start by brushing off all loose crumbs with a paper towel or kitchen brush.

Soak up any excess oil and then use the baking soda method to make a paste and apply it to the surface. Once the paste has been applied, allow it to sit for at least two hours before removing again with paper towels. If this has not removed everything, get a kitchen brush and give it a good scrub, being careful not to damage the non-stick coating.

It isn't too hard to remove burnt-on residue, just make sure to do it very quickly and in the case that you can remove the plates themselves, allow them to soak in hot water.

Use a wet rag and a small amount of detergent or soap to clean a sticky waffle maker. Wipe it over and scrub until the stickiness is all gone, before giving it another one-over with a dry rag or some paper towels. Make sure that you dry the hotplates thoroughly before using the waffle iron again or putting it away.

Here are a few tips to help when trying to get that waffle iron squeaky clean:

Tip 1: Make sure to never use sharp or pointed objects when cleaning the waffle iron plates, as this will damage the non-stick coating and ruin your device.

Tip 2: Try not to use strong detergents or scouring agents when the plates are still hot, as they can burn or cause an unpleasant taste the next time you cook a waffle.

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Tip 3: If you have yet to buy a waffle iron, try to buy one with removable plates. Much like when you are choosing a sandwich grill, being able to disconnect and wash the plates in the sink is incredibly convenient.

Make sure that you always dry the waffle iron plates thoroughly before use again, so that no damage occurs to the integrated electronics.

As long as you disconnect the waffle iron's plates and soak them immediately after you make breakfast, it won't be too hard to quickly clean them up before you head off to work (or back to bed due to a self-induced food coma).

Using these methods, your cleaning process will be so straight-forward that you'll never doubt a good ol' waffle breakfast again.