If you have ever left a smoothie jug in the sink overnight, you will know why learning how to clean a blender properly is worth a few minutes. In this guide we cover the 60-second soap-and-water blend that handles most days, how to deal with the blade assembly safely, and how to get rid of lingering smells, cloudy jugs and the yellow stains that curry pastes and turmeric leave behind.
Blenders work hard in Singapore kitchens. They grind rempah and sambal, purée baby food, crush ice for drinks and blitz fruit into morning smoothies. Each of those leaves a different kind of residue: oily spice paste, sticky sugar, starchy purée or fibrous pulp. In our warm, humid climate, any of it left in the jug or trapped under the blade can turn sour within hours.
The jug itself is easy to clean. The tricky part is the area around the blades and the rubber seal underneath, where food hides and where fingers get cut. Get the routine right and you rarely need anything stronger than warm water, dishwashing liquid and baking soda.
Before you start: blade and electrical safety
Blender blades are designed to be sharp enough to shred ice, which makes them easy to underestimate when you reach into a soapy jug. A few rules prevent nearly every accident:
- Unplug first. Always switch off and unplug the motor base before you take the jug off, reach into it or touch the blades.
- Never put your hand inside the jug to wipe the blades. Use a long-handled bottle brush instead.
- Never immerse the motor base in water or hold it under a running tap. Wipe it with a damp cloth only.
- Do not leave a removable blade unit loose in a sink of soapy water, where someone may reach in without seeing it. Wash it straight away and set it aside to dry.
- Use warm, not boiling, water. Hot liquid builds pressure in a sealed jug and can push the lid off. If you ever blend anything hot, remove the lid’s centre cap and cover the opening with a folded towel held down by your hand.
Check your blender’s manual as well. It tells you whether the jug and blades are dishwasher-safe and whether the blade unit is designed to come out. Some personal blenders and high-powered models have fixed blades that should never be unscrewed.
The quick soap-and-water blend for everyday blender cleaning
This is the method to use straight after every use, before residue has time to dry. It takes about a minute.
- Pour out or scrape out what is left in the jug with a spatula.
- Fill the jug about one third to halfway with warm water.
- Add one or two drops of dishwashing liquid. More than that produces a jug full of foam.
- Put the lid on firmly and run the blender for 30 to 60 seconds, starting on low and moving to a higher speed.
- Pour out the soapy water and rinse the jug, lid and blades well under the tap.
- Check under the blades and around the lid for leftover bits. If anything remains, scrub it with a bottle brush.
- Leave the jug upside down or on its side on a dish rack, with the lid off, to dry completely.
The speed of the swirling water does most of the scrubbing for you. For daily smoothies and drinks, this is often all the cleaning a blender needs.
A deeper clean: taking the blender apart
Once a week, or whenever you have blended something oily or fibrous, give the blender a full clean. If your jug has a removable blade assembly, this is when you take it out.
Step 1: Disassemble carefully
With the base unplugged, unscrew the collar or blade unit from the bottom of the jug according to the manual. Hold the blade unit by its plastic or metal base, never by the blades. Lift out the rubber sealing ring if it comes free.
Step 2: Wash each part separately
Wash the jug, lid, centre cap, sealing ring and collar in warm soapy water with a soft sponge or brush. For the blade unit, hold it blades-down and scrub the underside and the hub with a small brush, working away from the edges. Rinse every part well.
Step 3: Pay attention to the seal
The rubber ring is where old food and moisture collect, and it is a common source of smells. Wipe it all the way round, including the inner groove. If it is cracked, stretched or permanently discoloured, a replacement from the manufacturer is usually inexpensive.
Step 4: Dry everything before reassembling
Let every part air-dry fully, ideally in a well-ventilated spot. Reassembling while damp traps moisture against the seal, which encourages mould in Singapore’s humidity. Make sure the seal is seated properly when you put it back, or the jug may leak.
The Singapore Food Agency’s food safety tips advise washing utensils between uses, especially after raw food, and disinfecting kitchen sponges regularly. This matters for blenders that handle raw meat for marinades or raw egg in sauces. Clean them straight away rather than letting them sit.
Removing smells from a blender jug
Garlic, onion, shallots and belacan leave strong odours that can linger in plastic jugs and rubber seals. Try these in order:
- Baking soda blend. Fill the jug halfway with warm water, add a tablespoon of baking soda, and blend for 30 seconds. Leave it to stand for 15 minutes, then pour out and rinse.
- Vinegar rinse. If the smell remains, blend warm water with a splash of white vinegar, rinse thoroughly and dry. Use vinegar and baking soda in separate steps rather than together, since they simply cancel each other out.
- Air and light. Leave the jug and seal to dry fully, lid off, in a ventilated spot. Odours fade faster in dry air.
Never use bleach to deodorise a blender jug. It can damage plastic and seals, leave residues where food goes, and if it meets vinegar or another acidic cleaner it releases toxic chlorine gas. As a general rule, never mix cleaning products of any kind.
Dealing with stains and cloudy jugs
Turmeric, curry and chilli stains
The yellow and orange tint left by turmeric and chilli oil is common in plastic jugs. Rinse the jug as soon as possible after blending spice pastes, because oil carries the colour into the plastic. For existing stains, rub a paste of baking soda and water over the marks with a soft sponge, leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse. Some people find that leaving the clean, dry jug in sunlight for a few hours helps fade turmeric colour further. Our guide to removing turmeric stains covers the same pigment on fabric and worktops.
Cloudy or filmy jugs
A white haze on a glass or plastic jug is often a mineral film from water, or a build-up of detergent. Fill the jug with equal parts warm water and white vinegar, leave it to soak for an hour, then wash and rinse as normal. If a plastic jug stays cloudy after this, the plastic itself may be finely scratched or etched, which cleaning cannot reverse.
Dried-on residue
If a jug has been left with nut butter, hummus or thick batter dried inside, fill it with warm soapy water and leave it to soak for 20 to 30 minutes before running the quick blend. Avoid steel wool or abrasive pads, which scratch the jug and dull plastic permanently.
Cleaning the motor base and controls
The base often gets splashed and sticky, especially around the buttons and the coupling where the jug sits. Unplug it, then wipe it with a cloth wrung out in warm soapy water so it is damp, not wet. Use a cotton bud or a soft dry toothbrush for crumbs around the coupling and the gaps between buttons. Dry everything with a clean cloth before plugging it back in.
Never spray cleaner directly onto the base, and do not let water drip into the vents. If liquid has got inside the motor base, or the power cord is damaged, stop using the blender and have it checked by the manufacturer or a qualified repairer before using it again.
The coffee corner often needs the same treatment. See our guide to cleaning a coffee machine, and if your blender jug is dishwasher-safe, our guide to cleaning a dishwasher will help the machine do its job.
Related guides: How to Clean an Induction Hob Without Scratching the Glass and How to Clean an Induction Hob Without Scratching the Glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put my blender jug in the dishwasher?
Only if the manufacturer says it is dishwasher-safe, which you can check in the manual or on the brand’s website. Many glass and some plastic jugs can go on the top rack, but the high heat of a dishwasher can cloud or warp some plastics and dull blade edges over time. Never put the motor base in a dishwasher. For most daily use, the quick soap-and-water blend is faster and gentler anyway.
How often should I clean my blender?
Rinse and run a quick soap-and-water blend after every use, before residue dries. Take the blender apart and wash the seal and blade unit once a week if you use it daily, or immediately after blending raw meat, raw egg or oily spice pastes. In Singapore’s humidity, food left in the jug can start to smell within hours, so cleaning soon after use is the most effective habit.
Why does my blender still smell after washing?
The smell is usually coming from the rubber sealing ring or from food trapped under the blade unit rather than the jug itself. Take the blades and seal out if your model allows it, wash them separately, and dry everything fully before reassembling. A baking soda blend followed by a separate vinegar rinse usually clears what remains. If the seal still smells, it may be time to replace it.
Is it safe to clean the blades by hand?
It is safe if you use a brush instead of your fingers, always unplug the base first and hold the blade unit by its base. Scrub away from the cutting edges and never wipe along them with a cloth or sponge in your hand. Wash a removable blade unit straight away rather than leaving it hidden in a sink of soapy water where someone might reach in.
Conclusion
A blender stays fresh and safe with very little effort if you clean it straight after use. A minute of warm water and a drop of soap, run on the machine itself, handles most days. A weekly strip-down to wash the blade unit and seal stops smells before they start, while baking soda, vinegar and soaking time deal with stains and cloudy jugs. Throughout, keep your hands away from the blades, keep water out of the motor base, and never mix cleaning products.
Small appliances are often the last thing on the list when the kitchen needs a proper clean. If time is short, you can book an hourly home cleaner through us or arrange a one-off deep clean. Contact Femme5 for a quote.
The Femme5 Team
Home cleaning team, Femme5 Agency
Femme5 provides part-time home cleaning, deep cleaning and post-renovation cleaning for HDB flats, condominiums and landed homes across Singapore.
