4 Steps to Cleaning Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Now that you’re getting the hang of cooking with Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you might start to wonder “How to get rid of the Instant Pot Sealing Ring Odor?” or “How to clean the discolored Instant Pot Liner?” Time for some Instant Pot Cleaning!

So, what have you made so far in your new Instant Pot?

Hard boiled eggs? Ribs? Mac and Cheese? or something crazy adventurous? 😀

After a couple of meals, many Instant Pot users notice the curse of the unavoidable stinky Sealing Ring.

How to get rid of the smell of the last dish?
Will it cross-contaminate into the next dish?

What’s scarier is when they peek inside the pot, they see a scattered rainbow – the dreaded discolored Stainless Steel Inner Pot.

Fear not! Some Instant Pot Cleaning will take your troubles away!

Below are 4 Simple Steps to give your precious new kitchen helper a deep cleaning.

Instant Pot Cleaning Tips Guide:

• Step 1: Clean Exterior Housing & Rim
• Step 2: Clean the Liner (Inner Pot)
• Step 3: Wash the Lid + Parts
• Step 4: Clean Sealing Ring
• Summary: Cleaning Tips

Step 1: Clean Instant Pot Exterior Housing & Rim

1.1 Clean Exterior Housing with Damp Cloth

First, wet a clean damp cloth to wipe off any food residual or stains on Instant Pot’s exterior housing. We prefer to use Microfiber Cleaning Cloth for our magic pot.

If Microfiber Cleaning Cloths are good enough for cars’ paint, it’s good enough for the Instant Pot. 😉

*Caution: Never immerse the exterior housing in water or any other liquid.

1.2 Clean Rim with Foam Brush

Food or liquid might drip into or get caught in the rim as we cook with our Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. The rim can be quite hard to wipe & clean.

2 Ways to Clean Instant Pot Rim

1. Easy Solution: Rim Cleaner Foam Brush – many users find it’s easiest to soak their craft foam brush with soapy water, then clean by sliding and scrubbing it around the rim.

2. DIY Solution: If you don’t have foam brushes handy, you can also wrap a wet Microfiber Cleaning Cloth around a stick or chopstick, and clean the rim by pushing the cloth around the rim.

Step 2: Clean Instant Pot Liner (Stainless Steel Inner Pot)

2.1 Wash Instant Pot Liner (Stainless Steel Inner Pot)

The Stainless Steel Instant Pot Liner is dishwasher safe. But you can always hand-wash it with warm soapy water.

2.2 Remove Cloudy or Rainbow Stains with White Vinegar

After using the Stainless Steel Inner Pot, you might start to see discoloring, cloudy stains, or even rainbow stains at the bottom of the pot.

Don’t panic! It’s normal and they’re easy to remove! 😀

3 Ways to Clean Instant Pot Liner Stains

Level 1 Minor Discoloring – White Vinegar

White Vinegar – you can easily remove the usual discoloring with simple white vinegar. Check out the photos below. They work like a charm! 🙂

Level 2 Stronger Stains – Bar Keepers Friend

For stronger stains that white vinegar couldn’t take out. You might want to invest in some Bar Keepers Friend.

They remove rust and hard water stains for Copper, Tile, Brass, Stainless Steel, Porcelain, Plastics and Glass surfaces.

They work miracle! You can easily revive your stained stainless steel liner to the shiny and fresh look. As good as new! 😀

Level 3 Tough Stains – Bar Keepers Friend + Magic Eraser

For tough old stains, you’ll need to kick it up a notch combining Bar Keepers Friend with Magic Eraser Cleaning Sponge.

*Note: This skillet has only been washed with warm soapy water for the past few years. Look at what Bar Keepers Friend (Photo #2) + Magic Eraser Cleaning Sponge (Photo #3) can do in about 5 minutes.

Jacky said he can probably make this looks almost brand new with more elbow grease. 😛

With this combination and elbow grease, you will be able to clean off 99% of stains. 🙂

Step 3: Wash the Lid + Parts

3.1 Wash Instant Pot Lid with Warm Soapy Water

Under normal use, the Instant Pot Lid only requires a quick rinse under tap water after every use.

If it’s splattered with food or liquid, you can wash it with warm soapy water by hand. It’s best not to wash the lid in the dishwasher.

3.2 Periodically Rinse the Instant Pot Parts

*Note: We rarely take out the parts on the lid for cleaning. But if your Instant Pot needs a deep cleaning, here are the steps. 🙂

a. Anti-Block Shield – you can push it on the side to lift it up (as shown in photo below) to check for food residual or liquid. After rinsing and drying, press it down in position to install it back in.

b. Instant Pot Steam Release Valve (Venting Knob) – remove it for washing by pulling it straight out.

c. Condensation Collector – simply slide it out, pour out the liquid (if any), and give it a quick rinse.

Step 4: Clean Instant Pot Sealing Ring

4.1 Wash Instant Pot Sealing Ring

The Instant Pot Sealing Ring is a critical part of the pressure cooker that directly affects the pressure cooking process. So, remember to be gentle and take great care of the ring. 🙂

The Instant Pot Sealing Ring is dishwasher safe.

However, we try our best to minimize the number of times we pull the silicone sealing ring out of the lid to avoid stretching or deforming the sealing ring.

Unless it’s splattered with food or liquid that requires thorough cleaning, we usually gently rinse and dry the sealing ring while it’s seated in the lid (as shown in above photo).

*Caution: Don’t use the Sealing Ring if it has cracks, cuts, or any other damages.

4.2 Instant Pot Sealing Rings Odor

Ah! So this is the question we get asked a lot about Instant Pot Cleaning!

How to get rid of the Instant Pot Sealing Ring Odor?!

Easy Solution: White Vinegar – many users like to soak the silicone sealing ring in white vinegar, then air dry it to get rid of the stinky smell.

Best Solution: Extra Silicone Sealing Rings – we believe the best solution is to have 2 pairs of Sealing Rings – 1 for Savory dishes, 1 for Sweet dishes. Then, you won’t have to worry about the smell cross-contaminating between savory and sweet dishes! 🙂

Instant Pot Cleaning Guide Summary

Dishwasher Safe Parts: Instant Pot Liner (Stainless Steel Inner Pot), Instant Pot Sealing Ring, Trivet (Steamer Rack)

• Exterior: Never immerse the exterior housing in water or any other liquid
• Rim: Clean the rim with a foam brush
• Inner Pot: Remove the rainbow stains with White Vinegar or Bar Keepers Friend
• Lid: Wash lid with warm soapy water
• Instant Pot Parts: Periodically rinse the Anti-Block Shield, Steam Release Valve, Condensation Collector if necessary
• Silicone Sealing Ring: Remove odors with White Vinegar or get an extra pair of Silicone Sealing Ring

Instant Pot Cleaning was easy, wasn’t it? 🙂

Looking for Easy Starter Recipes?

Check out these Easy Instant Pot Recipes to get you started.