You might not know it, but your blender is hiding a lot of dirt and grime that can make you sick. That’s why it’s important to clean out your blender every few weeks or so. Here are some tips on how to do just that!
Dishwasher Vs Hand-Washing
There are two ways you can clean your blender. You can do it by hand, or put it in the dishwasher. Obviously, putting it in the dishwasher is easier. But there are some advantages to washing it out by hand too!
For one thing, if you take proper care of it, your blender will last longer than ever before. Soap and hot water actually help to remove odours from the plastic cracks and crevices that accumulate over time – odours like onion-garlic, fishy bits, etc. That alone makes hand-washing worth doing every once in a while.
Another reason to wash them by hand is if you don’t have any other dishes or pans to use for your blender. If it’s the only thing you have to clean up, then by all means put it in the dishwasher! But if there are other dishes to be cleaned, hand-washing is your best bet.
Is Every Blender Dishwasher Safe?
Some blenders are dishwasher safe, but not all. Some plastic parts can actually warp and change shape in the high heat of a dishwasher.
Before you go ahead and put your blender in the machine, check if soaping it up by hand and washing it is enough to clean it thoroughly first. Just run some water and soap through the blender according to the above instructions, if you think this will do the trick!
As long as it gets completely cleaned out, though, there should be nothing wrong with putting it in a dishwasher every once in a while, as long as that’s okay with the manufacturer/seller of your particular brand of blender (I love that my Vitamix is dishwasher safe). Read those instructions carefully before doing so!
How To Clean Your Blender – Hand Washing Method
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Soap It Up!
If you’re going to wash your blender by hand, go ahead and fill it with hot water. Add a few drops of detergent. Don’t be shy – lots of suds will make this easier on your hands later on. Make sure that you get in all those nooks and crannies where food particles might be hiding.
Leave it sitting for about 10 minutes so the soap has time to start breaking down what’s stuck inside there.
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Washing The Hard Parts
Now it’s time to get down and dirty. Take a dishrag or sponge, and start rubbing away at all those hard-to-clean parts of your blender – the blades, the lid, up inside the handle, etc.
Keep an eye on the soap level as you work. If it’s getting too low for more suds to form, just add a little hot water from your faucet.
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Don’t Forget The Rinse!
After you’ve spent some time cleaning out all those nooks and crannies with a rag or sponge, take a clean container full of fresh clear water and rinse off your blender thoroughly.
Open up every part like the lid and the pitcher (or jar if it has), so you can make sure the inside of the blender is good and clean.
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Wipe It Down!
Now that you’re finished with the cleaning, take a dry dishrag or paper towel, and wipe off all those soapy water droplets from your blender. Open up every part again to make sure there’s no residual soap left on any of the blades, edges, etc.
And that’s it. Clean as a whistle in minutes, and ready for use again in no time at all. No more gross smells or chunks of food clogging up the blades and hard-to-clean areas. Just like new!
How To Clean Your Blender – Dishwasher Method
If you have a dishwasher, here’s how to clean your blender using it.
Fill the machine with hot water and soap. Make sure that there are no dishes already in the machine – this is your chance to clean out the blender! Place the blender inside, making sure everything is open so all parts get wet. Run it on a normal cycle.
Once done, rinse thoroughly with fresh water from the faucet. Wipe off any excess water with a dry cloth or paper towel, and put some fresh clear water back in for next time!
That’s it – easy as pie! Just make sure you keep up this routine every few weeks or so when you use your blender regularly, and when it’s not in use, and your blender will last a very, very long time.
Tips To Keep Your Blender Clean, And Fresh
As you know now, cleaning out your blender is pretty easy – but that doesn’t mean you can put it off or forget about it. You should be cleaning your blender every time you use it!
Here’s a few quick reminders to keep in mind:
1) Avoid letting food sit inside the pitcher/jar for long periods of time. Doing so will eventually lead to stains and the stinky smell we all hate. Even if there aren’t visible food particles floating around in there, bacteria might still be growing and multiplying away at this very moment… and washing will stop them in their tracks. Remember, you don’t want those extra germs anywhere near your next smoothie!
2) Always wash as soon as possible after use. Otherwise, stains will start to form and smells might get trapped inside – the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to clean.
3) After washing, put a little bit of fresh clear water back in for next time – this ensures that no soap remains on any parts of your blender, and keeps it smelling nice and fresh until its next use!
4) Cleaning under running water is just fine – then just wipe dry with a paper towel or dish rag – but using a dishwasher with soap is even better as it really gets those tough grime spots (like the creases around blades).
5) Washing your blender by hand can be kind of messy; sometimes food particles fall all over the place. If your blender is too big for the sink, just put a towel on the counter and place it there instead.
6) Forget about using abrasive scouring pads or sponges with harsh chemicals, as they can damage the finish on your blender over time. Just use warm soapy water and a soft rag or sponge to wipe off stains, odours and food particles.
7) Make sure you clean out every inch of your blender – this includes all the crevices in between blades where grime likes to hide. An old toothbrush will do wonders here!
8) Don’t forget to open up every part like the lid and pitcher (or jar if it has), so you can make sure that the inside gets a thorough wash too.
9) If your blender is dishwasher safe, you can put its parts in the top rack to get them nice and clean – this is great for getting rid of tough stains or stubborn smells.
10) A little bit of dish soap will go a long way! So don’t overdo it on the soap just because you have a lot of food particles built up – if anything, err on being conservative here as an excess amount might leave some soapy residue behind that you’ll have to then wipe off afterwards, which wastes more time and effort.
11) Run an empty cycle with just water to help rinse away the soap from your blender even better after washing, but be sure to let it air dry afterwards.
12) Sometimes food gets stuck in the blades of your blender, which can lead to some pretty nasty smells over time. For these big chunks that won’t go down the drain easily, try using a spoon to scrape them off and transfer them to wherever you want – they’re no longer inside your blender so they shouldn’t be there!
13) Blender blades are sharp – especially if one has just broken on you (ouch!) – so always handle with care when washing or opening up parts. We wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt now, would we?
14) Rinse off all soap residue after washing, as this will help prevent any lingering odours that might cause trouble later on.
15) Keep your blender blades out of the dishwasher; they’re not made to handle that sort of heat/moisture and this will cause them to rust.
16) A dirty blender is an unhappy blender – keep it clean or your smoothies might end up tasting like soap!
How To Clean Your Blender – Final Thoughts
So that’s how you clean your blender. A little bit of soap and water, and you’re good to go again!
If the blade doesn’t come off for cleaning, make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies anyway (I’ve found all sorts of food particles stuck in mine) – they can build up really fast if they’re not cleaned regularly.
That’s it! Now you know how to clean your blender, and you can get back to making your delicious smoothies again in no time. I’m all for cleaning products (I’ve got a great deal on some at Walmart right now), but this method is so easy, fast, and cheap, why bother with the extra work?