How to clean your Blender

Blenders are very handy tools that provide their utility in so many of your kitchen tasks; smoothies, milkshakes, sauces, soups, nut butter, whipped cream and so much more!  What’s more? These convenient tools are extremely easy to clean provided that you follow the correct approach. Since there are two basic types of blenders; countertop blender and immersion blender, there is some difference in the steps followed to clean them. In this post, we are going to cater the cleaning process of both types separately.

Cleaning of Countertop Blender:

1. Clean it immediately after every use. If you leave it for a couple of hours before cleaning, food residue inside it will dry and stick to the walls and the base making your job harder.
2. Fill the blender jar halfway with warm water. Add a drop of dish wash liquid. Secure the lid. Pulse it for around 30 seconds. Pour the mixture out and rinse jug and the lid till it is clean.
3. If you want to remove dried food stuck inside the jar, fill the blender halfway with water. Add some baking soda in it and secure the lid. Pulse it for a couple of seconds. Pour the mixture out and wash it with dish wash liquid.
4. If you want t get rid of food odors from your blender jar, add a mixture of baking soda and water in it pulse it for a couple of seconds and let it sit for 5 minutes before washing it.
5. Do not, under any condition, immerse the blender base in water. This is because the base has the motor inside it. If water reaches the motor by accident, it may damage it. To clean the base, just wipe it with a damp cloth and then with a clean dry cloth. If it has food stains on it that you want to remove, you can wipe it with a drop of dish wash liquid.
6. Let the blender dry completely before storing it. If you put the lid on the jar that is not completely dry and store it, you will risk it of bacterial growth.
7. Food residue gets stuck between the control buttons. It is a good idea to clean it every once in a while to maintain the appearance of your blender. Easiest way to do so is to dip a Q-tip in dish wash liquid and rub it between the buttons.

Cleaning of Immersion Blender:

1. 1. It is always a good practice to clean your blender immediately after use, be it your hand blender or your countertop blender.
   2. To clean your immersion, first unplug the machine. Then remove the detachable blending shaft.
   3. Wash the blending shaft with warm water and a drop of dish wash liquid. Make sure no food residue remains on the blades.
   4. If you want to remove dried food stuck to the blending shaft make a mixture of vinegar and water and run the machine with the shaft immersed in the mixture for a couple of seconds and then rinse it thoroughly.
   5. Do not immerse the upper half of the hand blender in water. To clean it, just wipe it with a damp cloth with a drop of dish washing liquid. Next, wipe it with a clean, dry cloth.
   6. If there is food residue around the control buttons, dip a Q-tip in some dish washing liquid and rub it around the buttons till all the residue comes off.
   7. Completely dry all the attachments before attaching them back and storing them.

Some useful tips:

1. Read the instruction manual carefully before operating your appliance for the first time. They may have some cleaning instructions as well.
2. Do not use abrasive materials to clean any parts of your blender since they might leave scratches on the surface.
3. Do not wash your appliance in a dishwasher unless the instruction manual clearly says so. If the appliance is dishwasher safe, wash it in the top rack only because the lower rack has a lot of heat coming in and may damage the plastic body of the blender jar or the metal or plastic shaft in case of an immersion blender.