Are You Washing Your Blender Correctly?

Two weeks ago, an influencer discovered bugs in the gasket of her blender. Prior to the Great Bug Discovery, she had been using the blender daily but only washing it with soap “every third time.” While most people—especially the legion of blender-cleaning enthusiasts that commented on the video—know that you should always wash your blender with soap and water, we're using this insect incident as an excuse to bring everyone up to speed on the most cutting-edge blender cleaning techniques.

Blenders Shouldn't Go In The Dishwasher

Ideally, you should avoid washing your blender in the dishwasher. The dishwasher’s heat and detergent are more likely to inflict wear upon the blender than washing by hand. If you’d like to maximize your blender’s lifespan, hand-wash when possible.

Let The Blender Do The Work

Blenders can wash themselves. Simply fill it ⅓ of the way up with water, add dish soap, and then blend on high for 30 seconds. Next, rinse the blender with water and then place on a drying rack.

Disassembling Your Blender

To deep clean your entire blender, you’ll want to disassemble the device. When doing this, refer to the instruction provided by your blender’s manual. If you don’t have the physical manual on hand (very likely), you should be able to find a copy online. If that doesn’t work, you might be able to find an entire dissertation on disassembling your specific blender on YouTube.

Once taken apart, wash the blender components with dish soap and warm water then set aside to dry. When fully dry, follow the instructions for assembling your blender.

Our Favorite Blenders

If your blender is on its last legs and you’re feeling ready to properly take care of something newer and more capable, we’ve got a few great options for you. For personal blenders, I love this model from Zwilling. It’s fully proficient in making smoothies, sauces, and small batches of soups. If you’re interested in something bigger but also tastefully designed, this SMEG blender is an excellent choice.

How do you clean your blender? Let us know in the comments below!