Make Cleaning Your Slow Cooker Hassle-Free With A Genius Hack

The slow cooker is one of the greatest small appliance inventions. Place your ingredients in its inner container or ceramic liner, set the temperature and cook time, walk away, and when you return you have a delicious meal ready to serve up to family or friends. But as convenient as this contraption is to make sloppy Joe sliders or spicy Mexican pork stew, it doesn't come without the greasy, grimy, burnt-on mess you often get as result of using it. It can be a bit of a pain to scrub and clean. However, that's because you haven't tried this slow cooker cleaning hack: using a dishwasher pod.

Simply put the dishwasher pod and some water in your dirty slow cooker and run it on low for an hour. You can also skip turning your slow cooker on and simply let the warm water and detergent soak in it for a couple of hours. Afterward, rinse it out and wipe it clean; if you have a ceramic liner, let it cool down before rinsing so it doesn't crack. Note that if the inner container is part of the slow cooker and cannot be removed, do not submerge it in water or you could damage your slower cooker's electronics and it could be dangerous. This hack is a game changer and will ensure you don't scratch up the inside of your appliance with any abrasive cleaners or scouring pads.

With regards to the lid, most of them are dishwasher safe, so unless your manufacturer's manual says otherwise, you can pop it in this appliance with your other dishes to get it sparkling clean. But if you find bits of burnt cheese around the rim from Taco Tuesday's chile con queso or splatters from your Carolina pulled pork slow cooker dip seemingly tattooed along the edges, you may choose to handwash it. To get to those tight spots along the rim, break out a soft toothbrush and gently scrub the burnt-on food remnants until they loosen. Allow your lid to air dry on the counter or use a soft cloth if you need it for immediate use. 

One extra step that you can take that will not only help keep this appliance clean, but can extend its life is to grease the pot of slow cooker before you start cooking. If you rub a thin layer of butter or cooking spray along the inner walls of your slow cooker, similar to how you grease a pan, you will help prevent food from sticking and eventually burning to the surface. Take care of your slow cooker and it will be ready to use when you are ready to use it.