Take Care of Your Blender! (or…Funnest Cleaning Project Ever)

0 comments

I’m sharing this because we don’t often get to experience kid-like joy after the eight-grade and this is one you can hold on to – just don’t tell your kids.

(DISCLAIMER: please also consult your own blender manual. Who knows, maybe it guides you to make an adult frozen beverage before every use.)

Whenever my girls see me take out the blender, which is usually everyday because I’ve got some fruit or spinach in the fridge about to create their own volunteer compost pile in there, they come running (always running!) into the kitchen, “Can I push it?!” Or more accurately, “I wanna push it!” (if you are a parent, you understand the subtle difference).

So we alternate who gets to start the blender, the six-year-old, then the three-year-old, repeat.

Since the blender is essential in a Zero Waste kitchen, (smoothies, bread crumbs, nut milks, batters, hummus, salad dressings, soups and frickin’ margaritas man) I thought I would offer some tips on how to keep that baby spinning for a good decade. #6 is pretty fun.

W = F x D = mangled rubber mess = new blender

1. Make sure it’s assembled correctly. As in, after you wash your blender, get the cup on the spinny thing properly or make sure the rubber gasket is in the right place. I ruined a sweet Cuisinart blender once because an ill-placed gasket caused undue friction on the spinner.

2. Load it the right way. This seems to be: liquids, then squishy stuff (bananas, fridge or counter top-fruit), then frozen stuff.

And make sure you have enough liquid.

“Dear Blendtec, Can I use this graphic on my blog?”

3. Give the blade a little turn, with your hand (carefully, please), before running it. This lubes things up a bit.

Twilight Sparkle can find another place
to boss around Ponyville.

4. Don’t store crap in it.

5. Don’t put the blender lid on the bottom of the dishwasher – it probably gets too hot down there. In fact (DISCLAIMER) check your guide. Your jug might be uncomfortable down there too.

6. Finally – wash the damn thing every time. Duh.

But get this, your (DISCLAIMER) user guide, the one you didn’t read or didn’t come with your hand-me-down or garage sale blender, might actually tell you this: run some hot, soapy water in your blender.

You get to blend something by yourself! You know the kids are long gone after smoothie time when there’s any chance they’ll be asked to clean/dry/or put something away.

And by doing this you are extending the life of your blender by getting at all the little juices that may have made their way “in between the gaskets/washers of the blade assembly and act somewhat like an adhesive.”

See, someone (DISCLAIMER) read her instruction manual.

Now go blend yourself a drink and try this out.

Simple joys, man, simple joys.