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A build up of gunk and matter in your juicer or blender is not only a nuisance affecting the taste of your drinks but also presents a health hazard as debris from your fruit and veg starts to decay. Here we look at some simple techniques for thoroughly cleaning your equipment.
A common reason that people fall out of love with juicing or making smoothies is that the appliances can be tough to clean. This is why it’s important to find an appliance that can easily be taken apart and that is relatively simple to wash. Many appliances have awkwardly shaped components that make it hard for the owner to scrape out those leftover seeds or small strands of fruit and vegetables which make them a chore to clean. The best way to ensure that you find one that is free of headaches is to do plenty of research – read reviews on Amazon and watch videos on YouTube of your potential new appliance before committing to a purchase. While some reviews are very brief and might not mention daily use, there are often reviewers who give a much broader analysis of how their appliance has performed and how it suits their every day needs, including how easy it is to clean, which will be useful in making your decision.
How to clean your appliance
The best time to clean your appliance is immediately after you’ve made your juice or shake. By cleaning at the first opportunity you can tackle leftovers before they have a chance to harden. If your juicer has a catch container which collects pulp and matter then a good tip to reduce unnecessary cleaning is to add a plastic bag which can hold it. Unless the bag is particularly wet and soaks through to the container then you shouldn’t need to clean it too thoroughly afterwards. After making your juice or shake carefully begin taking apart your appliance and give it a good rinse under the tap.
After rinsing each component use hot water and soap to clean each piece before laying it down on a towel to air dry. Long handled sponges and cleaners are your best friend when cleaning a juicer as the extra length can help you to reach hard to get areas - if you can find one that holds washing up liquid inside it then even better.
Some parts of juicers such as screens and cutting teeth can be particularly troublesome to clean. Dried up pulp that gets stuck in your juicing screen can reduce effectiveness of your machine, so you need to make sure it’s thoroughly cleaned. To do this, take it out and hold it up to the light. You should be able to see any holes that are filled with pulp. If you spot any that are filled then give them a good rinse and scrub under a hot water tap. If you still struggle to free up the holes then let them soak in soapy hot water for a few hours before scrubbing again which should help to ease up the dried pulp.
Fruit and vegetables can easily stain and discolour your blender or juicer but this shouldn’t be your primary concern. While discolouration doesn’t look nice it’s not going to affect the quality of your drink. Instead focus on making sure that no plant matter is left behind on your appliance as if you leave it to long it can breed bacteria and the next juice you make might be dangerous to drink.
For more tips and advice including our favourite smoothie recipes, take a look on our News & Articles and Tips & Advice sections or share your cleaning tips with us by tweeting @TimeForYouGroup.
