Built-up mineral deposits on the sides of a juicer can literally make you vomit someday (at least I could vomit). Being hygiene conscious, the best way to clean a juicer is no more a stranger to me. In the beginning, cleaning a juicer might seem like legwork to do, but once it becomes a routine – that’s the smoothest thing!
In this article, I would share how clean a juicer, is and some outstanding tips to keep your machine squeaky clean.
But before I explain how to clean a juicer, you need to understand how the juicer works, and why dirt pile up so easily in the appliance.
How Juicer Works, And Why It Gets So Dirty
The mechanism of a juicer might look like a wild contraption, but it is pretty uncomplicated. Although the mechanism may differ depending upon how the type of juicer, and the brand but the basic functionality stays the same.
As soon as you feed ingredients in the filter, or ingredient-collector (the part that has holes), it goes through a tube or a chute. The machine separates the juice from the pulp. The juice is collected in the container, meanwhile, the dried pulp is captured in another part of the appliance.
The reason dirt is easily attracted to the machine is, that people usually delay the cleaning process as it seems a tedious task to do. I did that mistake back then until I realized it. Moreover, people make the blunder of not paying attention to the sides and contracted parts of the machine, which ultimately results in a disgusting smell. And they freak out cleaning only when the smell is unbearable.
Now since you know the mistake, let me guide you on the right way to clean your juicer.
The Correct Way To Clean a Juicer
What You Need to Get Started:
- A mild dish soap
- Scrub brush
- Toothbrush
- Clean and soft cloth
- A sink, and a steady supply of water
How to Do It:
Turn Off the Machine: The process begins with the very basic and obvious step, which is turning off the machine. Now that might be a very obvious thing to do – but since the outcomes are miserable, it deserves repeating. Moreover, move your juicer to another place, so it is distant from other appliances. You surely need enough room, so water splashes don’t mess up with the neighbour’s appliances.
Disassemble: Every juicer has different components. Some come with a variety of parts, meanwhile, some are very straightforward and don’t require much dissemblance. Refer to your manual, to know what should be disassembled. This step is important because the dried plump is easy to enter every nook and cranny. Disassembling it will let you deep clean the product.
The basic parts which can be disassembled are the strainer basket, food chute, and blade.
Empty The Container: After the machine has separated the juice from the pulp, the pulp gets collected into a separate area, which needs to be cleaned. You might simply turn the container upside down and get all its contents out of it, but the reliable method is to use a spatula to remove every bit of it.
Hack: I never throw the dried pulp, as it is best for gardening purposes. I always put it into a compost bin – you may try that too!
Rinse the Parts: It’s the time to take all the parts under the sink’s faucet and allow water to rinse off all the minute particles. The water removes all the dirt and makes it clean. The stickiness of juice might still exist, but not to worry. I’d explain the next step.
Another way to rinse the parts is, to fill a wide bucket with water, and allow the parts to swim in it. Swish around the parts, and you have the dirt free parts.
Add some soap: To remove the greasiness or the stickiness, you need to apply the soap to all the parts, clean it using a very soft cloth, and rise in. If you use a bucket – that would be even better. I recommend using soft clothe for scrubbing purpose, but sometimes if the pulp gets stuck in the strainer basket, and resists coming off, I take help from an abrasive scrubbing brush. Even if that fails to work, soak the part in soapy water for an hour so the dirt softens, and detaches the part.
Extra care needs to be given to parts like the strainer basket.
Grab The Brushes: Hard to reach areas like a blade, or strainer basket holes require a brush to be cleaned. The little holes cannot be reached by fingers, but brush bristles are approachable to them and can wipe out any dirt in them. Good scrubbing is the key.
Generally, manufacturers send the brush along with the product, but in case you have lost it, consider getting a new one.
Final Cleaning: Once your appliance parts are free from dirt, it’s time to give a quick rinse to all parts. Again, fill up the sink with water, and allow the parts to take a dip in it. This will take off the soap, and now you can give it a final rinse. Use your hands gently to take off the soap.
Clean The Base: While you wait for the wet parts to dry, utilize this time to wipe clean your machine. Since the machine cannot be cleaned with water, I suggest you a damp cloth for this purpose. While grinding, the juice drips off and dries on the body, which makes your machine look older and dirty. Gently wipe the machine to make it shiny, and new.
Reassemble: When your machine parts have dried, it’s time to put all the parts together and make your appliance ready for the next day. Assembling wet parts will result in rusting, and mess up with the electronic part of the machine.
These are the steps that I use, and honestly, the outcomes are worth it! I have done a lot of mistakes until I became a crackerjack of it. I see people repeating the same mistakes, hence, I would share some tips for enhanced outcomes.
Juicer Cleaning Mistakes That Almost Everyone Does
Being Lazy With Cleaning: Not cleaning your juicer as soon as you have used it, you invite bacterial and mould growth yourself. Be it any type of juicer, they need to be clean as soon as you are done with the juicing process. Of course, you might want to enjoy your drink first, but don’t go too slow with that.
Not Rinsing Every Part: Even if you feel a certain part doesn’t need to be rinsed, rethink! The residues of the juices are bound to spread everywhere. Do not overlook the importance of cleaning every part of the unit.
Forgetting Base: You are all dressed up from the top, but didn’t pay attention to the bottom – would that look nice? No, for sure! Not wiping the base can make it look well-worn. Every time you clean the parts, don’t forget to wipe the base too.
Soak The Parts: People adopt the shortcut method i.e. rinsing parts under the sink. But I suggest soaking the unit’s part in water. I have noticed a measurable difference by doing this. They become odourless and are fresher.
Summing Up
I hope my guide would be enough helpful for you to clean the juicer in a pro manner, and avoid any mistakes for a better shelf life of the unit. I tried my best to sum up the information in this piece of writing. Do implement my tips & tricks, and let me know, how it went!
