Getting onion/garlic smell out of rice cooker

Question

I used my rice cooker for rice with pork, onion and garlic. I washed it well twice but it still smells of pork and onion. It seems like the fat from the meat permeated the teflon (slightly scratched). I cleaned the lid well too. I wonder if I should just cook rice with it and see if that works but not sure if the smell being there means there is any bacteria growing on it. Or boil water with it to clean it?

Answer 1

Nothing's penetrated the teflon, what's happened here is that you haven't got all the fat off, garlic smell is fat soluble so it's remaining with a small film still on the pot. Put some dish soap right into it, then rub it all over the insert with damp fingers, then rinse, that should get rid of the fat. Sometimes washing with soapy water doesn't get rid of it all; the fat floats to the top of the water and if there's not enough soap you end up getting it right back on when you pull the pot out.