Mixer Fixer: How to Clean a Blender

Is your morning smoothie starting to taste a little funky or not coming out as smooth as normal? It could be time to deep clean your blender. With so many nooks and crannies, blenders can be tricky to clean.

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Deep-Cleaning Your Blender

From homemade salad dressing to healthy smoothies, blenders crank through all sorts of jobs in the kitchen. They're also really good at collecting little bits of everything you blend. That's why it's important to know how to clean a blender well. With regular cleaning, your next blended creation tastes great, and the blender keeps working well with sharp blades that slice through the ingredients smoothly.

Things You'll Need

You don't need a special blender cleaner to get your appliance fresh and clean. Many effective cleaning products are likely already in your pantry. Gather the following supplies and tools to make the cleaning process easier:

• Dish soap

• Vinegar

• Baking soda

• Cleaning cloth

Step 1: Disassemble the Blender

Before you do any cleaning, make sure your blender is unplugged and turned off. Remove the blender jar from the base and take out the blades. You might also have other parts to disassemble, such as a removable bottom or the lid. It's easier to clean the parts individually.

Step 2: Clean the Blender Jar

Most blender jars can go into a sink of warm, soapy water like other dishes. Use a dishcloth or sponge to wipe all surfaces of the blender jar.

Some blenders are dishwasher safe or at least have some parts that can go into a dishwasher safely. This could be the case with your blender jar. Check the owner's manual to determine if your model is dishwasher safe. If so, place the blender in the dishwasher and run a normal cycle.

Step 3: Clean the Blades

You can wipe the blades with a soapy dishcloth, but that's a potentially dangerous method if you're not careful. It can also be difficult to clean the blades well with a cloth.

An alternative method is to reassemble your blender and fill it partway with warm, soapy water. Turn the blender on, using short pulses to swish the soapy water around inside the jar. The soapy water helps clean the blades as the blender works.

If you need a stronger blender cleaning solution, add one part warm water to three parts vinegar or equal parts baking soda and warm water. Run the blender just as you did with the soapy water.

Another option is to soak the blades in warm, soapy water. As the blades sit, the food debris softens and wipes or rinses away easily. An old toothbrush or dishbrush helps you tackle any remaining food debris in hard-to-reach areas.

Step 4: Rinse Everything

With all the food gunk removed, it's time to give the blender components a good rinse. Run the blades, lid and blender jar under warm water to remove any remaining cleaning solution. This ensures the next food you blend tastes normal. Dry off the parts and reassemble the blender.

Step 5: Wipe Down the Outside

No matter how careful you are, it's easy to splash food onto the base of your blender. When you're deep cleaning, wipe the outside of the appliance to remove any splashes. Use a clean cloth dampened with soapy water to clean the exterior. Be careful not to use a dripping wet cloth. Water could leak inside the machine through cracks or around buttons and cause damage. Wipe the outside with a clean cloth.

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Keep Your Blender Clean on a Daily Basis

An occasional deep clean gets all the built-up gunk out of your blender, but it's also helpful to clean it after each use. Daily cleanings keep the food particles from building up, making it easier to deep clean the small kitchen appliance.

Rinse all parts of the blender as soon as you get done using it. The food is generally still soft and rinses off easily. If you let it sit, even for a short time, the leftover food hardens and is much more difficult to remove. You can place the parts in soapy water to wash them or fill the jar with soapy water and run the blender for a few seconds.