How to Clean a Blender in 6 Steps

A versatile kitchen appliance, blenders let you make a variety of recipes from hearty homemade soups to thick flavourful smoothies. Regularly cleaning your blender will help keep it in good condition and ensure that it’s ready for whenever you need to whip up a tangy salad dressing or whipped cream. 

Keep reading to learn how to clean a blender in only six easy steps.

Red KitchenAid® blender filled with smoothie Red KitchenAid® blender filled with smoothie

6 STEPS FOR CLEANING A BLENDER

Cleaning is an important part of regular blender maintenance, and the process doesn’t have to be painful and time-consuming. Some KitchenAid® Blenders are even equipped with self-cleaning cycles to help keep the tough-to-reach part of the blender’s jar clean. While cleaning your blender, you must be careful when working near the blades. Always confirm that the appliance is unplugged before you start cleaning. 

Follow the steps below to clean your blender so you don’t waste time scrubbing and drying it before making a batch of peanut butter.

SUPPLIES

  • Blender

  • Washcloth

  • Warm water

  • Dish soap

  • Vinegar (optional)

  • Baking soda (optional)

Person removing blender jar from black base of KitchenAid® blender

Step 1: DISASSEMBLE THE BLENDER

Before you start cleaning your blender, you must take out the removable parts and ensure the blender is unplugged. Next, detach the jar from the base and then twist off the lid. If there are any contents inside the jar, empty them. Set aside the lid but remember that you will need it later on during this process.

 

Person cleaning black KitchenAid® blender base

Step 2: CLEAN THE BASE

Wipe the blender base with a warm, damp cloth. This should remove any splatters or spills and ensure that no food residue remains on any part of the base, including the buttons and knobs.

Person dispensing dish soap into KitchenAid® blender jar half-filled with water next to black base

Step 3: CLEAN THE BLENDER JAR

Fill the blender jar with warm water until it’s half full. Then, add 1-2 drops of dish soap into the blender jar. Reattach the jar to the blender base, replace the lid and plug the appliance into an electrical outlet.

Hand turning dial on KitchenAid® blender

Step 4: TURN THE BLENDER ON TO HIGH SPEED

It’s time to let the blender run for roughly 15-20 seconds. If you prefer, you can use a series of quick pulses during this step. If your blender has a self-cleaning function, now is the time to use it.

Hand holding KitchenAid® blender jar under the faucet over sink of soapy water

Step 5: EMPTY AND RINSE

Once the jar is clean, empty the soapy water into the sink and rinse it thoroughly. You want to clean all the soap out of the jar so that it doesn’t taint your next blending endeavor.

HOW TO DEEP CLEAN AND SANITIZE A BLENDER

Usually, a regular cleaning will suffice but sometimes a deep clean is what’s needed to sanitize your blender. Either way, you should perform a deep clean every so often to ensure your blender remains in good condition. 

To deep clean your blender, fill it with a solution made of either ¼ cup (59 ml) of warm water and ¾ cup (177 ml) of white vinegar, or ¼ cup (59 ml) of baking soda and ¼ cup (59 ml) of warm water and run it on high power.

KitchenAid® Blender Jars have the bonus of being easy to clean as they are designed with rounded inside corners.

HOW TO THOROUGHLY CLEAN BLENDER BLADES

To properly clean blender blades, the options include: 

  • Let the blender do the work by running it with warm, soapy water in the jar.
  • Soak the blades after carefully removing them from the jar.

The blades in KitchenAid® Blenders are not removable. The benefits are that you don’t have to handle them while cleaning your blender or worry about missing spaces or crevices.

Black KitchenAid® blender lid and top on dishwasher rack Black KitchenAid® blender lid and top on dishwasher rack

CAN I CLEAN MY BLENDER IN THE DISHWASHER?

Certain blenders are dishwasher safe but it depends on the model and brand. KitchenAid® Blenders have lids and jars (including the blades) that are dishwasher-safe. Blender bases should only be wiped clean by hand, no matter what.

Shop KitchenAid® Blenders and enjoy the convenience of making smoothies, dips, sauces and soups with ease.

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