Proven: How to Get Tar Out of Dehydrator Fast (2026)

By Priya Sharma · December 19, 2025

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

Seeing thick, black, crusty gunk inside your food dehydrator is a nightmare. I've been there. You pull out the trays after a 14-hour batch of figs, and the bottom looks like a paved driveway. Before you panic, unplug the machine. Seriously, do it right now. I've seen too many people burn their fingers trying to scrub a hot Excalibur 3926TB.

Next, let the unit cool down to exactly 90°F. It should feel warm to the touch, but not hot. This specific temperature keeps the carbonized sugars or resins slightly pliable without burning your skin. Grab a plastic scraper. Scrape off the thickest chunks immediately. Don't wait. If you let it cool completely to room temperature, that black gunk hardens into a cement-like shell.

Now, identify your 'tar'. If you store your dehydrator in a dusty garage, you might actually have environmental roofing tar or asphalt dust mixed with humidity. But 99% of the time, what looks like tar is actually carbonized fruit syrup or pine resin from foraging. Both require slightly different approaches, but the initial scrape is identical. Get the bulk of it off before it sets.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

I'll be honest, this takes elbow grease. You can't just wipe this mess away with a damp paper towel. Over the last ten years of testing kitchen appliances, I've ruined a few scrub brushes and melted a few sponges trying to figure out how to get tar out of dehydrator units. Here is the exact arsenal I keep under my sink.

Plastic Bench Scraper: Metal will gouge your plastic trays. Get a sturdy $5 plastic one.
Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray: The enzymatic action breaks down baked-on sugars better than anything else I've tested.
Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser: The liquid version ($4-$6) is safer for heating elements than the powder.
OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush: The stiff bristles get into the mesh without snapping.
Microfiber Cloths: You'll need at least three. They will get ruined.
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%): Essential for dissolving actual pine sap or environmental tar.

Cleaning Agent	Best Used On	Food Safe?	Avg. Price
Dawn Powerwash	Plastic mesh trays, catch pans	Yes (with rinse)	$5 - $8
91% Isopropyl Alcohol	Heating element, pine sap	No (evaporates)	$3 - $5
Bar Keepers Friend Liquid	Stainless steel trays (Excalibur)	Yes (with heavy rinse)	$4 - $6
Goo Gone (Original)	Exterior casing only	Strictly NO	$6 - $10

Step-by-Step Removal

This isn't the cheapest option, but replacing a $250 Cosori Pro dehydrator is way more expensive. Follow these steps exactly. I've tested this on my own oven and dehydrator setups, and this sequence yields the best results without damaging the internal fan motor.

Step 1: The 140°F Tray Soak

Remove all the trays from the dehydrator. Fill your kitchen sink or a large plastic storage bin with water heated to exactly 140°F. Add two tablespoons of Dawn Powerwash. Submerge the plastic or stainless steel trays completely. Let them soak for 20 minutes. The hot water softens the carbonized sugar tar, while the surfactants start lifting the edges. Don't use boiling water. Boiling water will warp the plastic mesh on older Nesco Snackmaster models.

Step 2: Scrubbing the Mesh

Pull one tray out of the water. Take your OXO Good Grips brush and scrub in tight, circular motions. Focus on the corners where the gunk accumulates. If you're dealing with stainless steel Excalibur trays, you can use a non-scratch Scotch-Brite pad here. For plastic mesh, stick to the bristle brush. Rinse the tray under warm running water. Repeat for all trays. If a spot refuses to budge, spray it directly with undiluted Dawn Powerwash and let it sit for 5 more minutes.

Step 3: The Heating Element Wipe-Down

This is the scary part. The heating element and fan are at the back or bottom of the unit. Never submerge the main housing in water. Dampen a microfiber cloth with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Wring it out until it's barely dripping. Gently wipe the metal coils and the surrounding metal housing. The alcohol dissolves the tar-like resin instantly. It also evaporates in about 60 seconds, leaving zero moisture behind to rust the coils. Never use soap here. Soap residue on a heating element will smoke and smell terrible the next time you turn it on.

Step 4: Tackling the Fan Blades

Look closely at the fan blades behind the heating element. Sometimes, vaporized sugars get sucked into the fan and bake onto the blades. Take a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Carefully wipe each individual blade. This takes patience. If your fan is clogged with black tar, your dehydrator will overheat and shut off prematurely. I learned this the hard way after a batch of mangoes ruined my first Cosori unit.

Step 5: The Final Rinse and Dry

Rinse all your trays one last time with cool water. Shake off the excess moisture. Place the trays back into the dehydrator. Turn the machine on to 135°F and let it run empty for 30 minutes. This flash-dries the trays and burns off any lingering alcohol fumes from the heating element. Your machine will smell like a sterile laboratory. That means you did it right.

Alternative Methods

Sometimes the standard soak just doesn't cut it. If you have kids who love making fruit roll-ups and spill the puree everywhere, the resulting baked-on mess might require heavier artillery. Here are three backup methods I rely on when the Dawn Powerwash fails.

The Freezer Trick (For Thick Resin)

If the 'tar' is actually thick pine sap from dehydrating foraged herbs, heat won't help. Heat just makes sap stickier. Instead, put the affected trays in a large trash bag and shove them in your chest freezer for 2 hours. The extreme cold makes the resin brittle. Take the tray out and immediately flex the plastic mesh. The frozen tar will crack and pop right off. Use a plastic scraper to flick away the shards. It's incredibly satisfying.

Vegetable Oil and Baking Soda Paste

If you are strictly opposed to using commercial chemicals near your food, make a paste. Mix three parts baking soda with one part cheap vegetable oil. Smear this thick paste over the black tar spots on your trays. Let it sit for 45 minutes. The oil breaks down the lipid bonds in the carbonized gunk, while the baking soda provides gentle abrasion. Scrub it off with a sponge. This method takes longer, but it's 100% food-safe and costs pennies.

Citrus Solvent (d-Limonene)

For actual environmental tar or asphalt dust that got into your garage-stored dehydrator, you need a heavy-duty solvent. Buy a food-grade d-Limonene citrus cleaner. Spray it on the exterior casing and the removable catch pans. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Wipe it away with a paper towel. The citrus oils dissolve petroleum-based tar instantly. Just make sure you wash the catch pans thoroughly with dish soap afterward to remove the oily residue.

Prevention Tips

Cleaning is a chore. Preventing the mess is a lifestyle. When you're prepping for a weekend camping trip and need your jerky done fast, you don't have time to scrub trays. Here is how I keep my dehydrators spotless year-round.

Use Silicone Mats: Stop putting sticky fruits directly on the mesh. Buy a $12 pack of silicone dehydrator sheets from Amazon. They catch all the dripping syrup. When they get dirty, just toss them in the dishwasher.
Don't Overfill Juicy Fruits: If you're dehydrating figs, dates, or mangoes, leave a half-inch of space between slices. Overcrowding causes the fruit to steam and burst, releasing massive amounts of sugary juice that drip down to the heating element.
Use a Catch Tray: Always place a solid plastic catch tray or a piece of parchment paper on the very bottom rack. This acts as a shield for your heating element. If syrup drips, it hits the paper, not the metal coils.
Clean Immediately: Don't let the trays sit in the sink for three days. The longer carbonized sugar sits, the harder it gets. Rinse them under hot water the second you unload the machine.

FAQ

Can I use Goo Gone on my dehydrator trays?

No, you should never use standard Goo Gone on any surface that touches your food. It contains petroleum distillates that are toxic if ingested and nearly impossible to rinse completely off porous plastic mesh. Stick to food-safe options like Dawn Powerwash, baking soda, or isopropyl alcohol, which evaporates cleanly.

Why is there black tar on my dehydrator heating element?

That black substance is almost always carbonized fruit sugar, not actual tar. When high-sugar juices drip onto the metal heating element and bake at 135°F for 12 hours, they undergo a chemical change and turn into a hard, black, carbon crust. Using a bottom catch tray or parchment paper will stop this from happening.

Will baking soda scratch my plastic dehydrator trays?

Baking soda is a very mild abrasive and will not scratch standard BPA-free plastic dehydrator trays when used as a paste. However, if you scrub aggressively with dry baking soda powder, you might leave micro-scratches that harbor bacteria over time. Always mix it with water or oil first to create a smooth paste.

How do I get pine sap out of a dehydrator used for foraging?

Pine sap requires cold, not heat, because heat makes it gummy and impossible to remove. Place the sap-covered trays in your freezer for two hours until the resin turns brittle, then snap it off with a plastic scraper. For any leftover sticky residue, wipe the area with 91% isopropyl alcohol.