Smoothies offer tons of benefits with a great taste that makes it easy to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle.
You’ll get a boost of antioxidants, vitamins, protein, and more, depending on the ingredients that you choose to include. Smoothies make it easy to stay hydrated as well.
They’re also simple to make.
But if you want to enjoy healthy, tasty smoothies day after day, you need to learn how to properly maintain your blender. This includes learning how to clean it properly, get rid of locked in residue and stains, use it properly to prevent damage and more.
If you’re ready to learn how to take care of your blender, keep reading.
We’re breaking down the 7 essential blender tips that you’ll need to extend the lifespan of your blender so that you can keep enjoying your favorite healthy recipes for months or even years to come.
1. Clean it as Soon as You’re Done Using it
Not all of the blender tips on this list require a lot of work or time.
Simply remembering to clean your blender each time you use it can go a long way towards improving the lifespan of your blender.
Whether you’ve invested in a high-quality blender or an inexpensive one, not cleaning it after use can be a mistake.
In the immediate hours after using it, your blender will begin to smell if you haven’t cleaned it. Depending on what fruits, veggies, and juices you used for your smoothie, stains may set in.
Not cleaning your blender can also cause build-up on the blades and other parts of your blender, which can affect how well it runs.
You don’t necessarily need to deep clean your blender every time you use it. Simply rinsing away residue and leftover bits of food, and then setting your blender somewhere that it can dry properly is okay most of the time.
Every few times you use it, or when you use fruits or veggies with a strong scent or when a lot of residue is left behind, scrub your blender with soap and a soft sponge.
2. Pay Attention to What Your Blender Can Handle
Another one of the easier blender tips is to simply pay attention to the directions.
Different blenders can handle different ingredients.
Some are designed to blend any type of fruit or veggie, including those with thick stalks like celery. Others don’t have the power to handle those and are better equipped for blending bananas, strawberries, and other softer fruits and veggies.
Putting ingredients in your blender that it can’t handle can damage the blades. This can either leave your blender inoperable or simply reduce it’s blending power.
Some blenders are also food processors or feature food processor attachments. These are better equipped for blending those tough to blend items into liquid form.
If you’re looking to blend tough veggies and fruits, consider investing in a blender with a food processor attachment.
Otherwise, stick to the instructions to keep your blender running properly.
3. Skip the Dishwasher
A select few blenders might be dishwasher safe.
But for the most part, blenders are designed to be washed by hand, not in the dishwasher. Even if your blender is dishwasher safe, opting to wash by hand can help extend the life of your blender and its parts.
Dishwashers heat up and can cause warping of your blender parts. This may affect their ability to blend, or make it so that the lid or other parts no longer fit properly.
4. Cut Up Your Fruits and Veggies
No matter the power of your blender, one of the most important blender tips that you need to follow is to avoid tossing in your ingredients whole.
Most blenders can handle blending small strawberries, spinach, or other soft or small fruits and veggies. Make sure your ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces before blending.
This keeps the blades of your blender from having to work over-time to blend your smoothie, salsa, or other foods.
It can also help to keep the blades of your blender sharper for longer.
5. Add Plenty of Liquid
No matter what you’re making with your blender, make sure that your recipe includes lots of liquids.
Too many solids and ice will force the blades of your blender to work overtime. Adding plenty of liquids, like water or juice, will help keep your blender running properly.
6. Get Crafty
When stains set in or you can’t get the residue off of your blender, it’s time for a few crafty blender tips.
For instance, adding hot water and a bit of soap to your blender’s pitcher, putting on the lid, and turning on the blender will help to dislodge even dried-on residue. You’ll get a sparking clean blender in no time!
Lemon juice is also great for cleaning off stains and leaving your glass blender clean.
7. Replace the Blades
When your blender stops running properly, don’t rush right out to buy a new one.
If you’ve invested in a high-quality blender, you can replace the blades before you have to replace the entire unit. Check with the manufacturer of your unit to see if they offer replacement parts.
If they don’t, you’ll likely have to replace the unit. When you do, it may be a good idea to look into units that offer replacement parts.
That way you’ll have the option of repairing it instead of replacing it next time.
Start Using These Blender Tips Today
Now that you know the blender tips you’ll need to keep your blender running properly for longer, it’s time to find the perfect blender.
Using real reviews of the many blender options on the market today can help you find the best blender for your kitchen. It can also help you avoid buying blenders that don’t live up to manufacturers’ promises.
If you’re ready to find the perfect blender, check out our reviews of the best blenders on the market.