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How to Clean a Vitamix and Eliminate Persisting Odors

How to Clean a Vitamix and Eliminate Persisting Odors

If you own a Vitamix, you know that if you take proper care of it and clean it regularly, you’ll be able to use it safely for up to 10 to 15 years. The more you clean your Vitamix, the better it will work.

Instead of excessively scrubbing your Vitamix every chance you get, you need to learn how to clean it the right way to make sure it stays in perfect condition for a long time.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to clean a Vitamix, some ways to get rid of the cloudy film that appears on its surface over time, eliminate persistent odors, and remove stubborn stains with ease.

How to Quick-Clean a Vitamix

Here’s the thing about your Vitamix, the more you clean it, the easier it will be for you to maintain it and make sure it stays in great condition for a long time. The best part is that it doesn’t take more than a minute for you to clean it.

Instructions

  • The first thing you need to do is to brush all the sticky food residue from the walls of the blender. It’s advisable to do it under warm running water so the residue gets washed away quicker. You can use a scrub brush for this step.
  • Fill your blender halfway with hot water and pour in a few drops of dish soap and start the cleaning cycle. First, you need to blend it on low setting and then on high for around 10 to 30 seconds.
  • After the cleaning cycle has ended, rinse the blender thoroughly and set it aside to dry.

When you get into the habit of cleaning your blender every time you use it, you’ll find that you won’t have to deal with any buildup, odors, or stubborn stains down the road.

Can You Put the Vitamix in the Dishwasher?

Even if your machine is dishwasher safe, it’s best to avoid putting it in the dishwasher because the harsh temperatures can shorten the lifespan of your machine and exert pressure on the container and the blade. The dishwater detergent can also be harmful to Vitamix.

How to Clean a Cloudy Plastic Pitcher

Your Vitamix can appear cloudy with frequent use which can make you feel like you haven’t been cleaning it properly. It’s understandable for you to worry about your machine, but you should know that excessive scrubbing won’t help you get rid of the white film.

The cloudy appearance doesn’t really mean your Vitamix isn’t clean or it has a permanent stain that you can no longer scrub out. It’s a natural result of using your machine to blend fruits and vegetables that are high in minerals. If hard water is a problem where you live, then that can also be the cause of your cloudy Vitamix.

If you’re looking for ways to clean your cloudy blender, here are some options you can consider:

1. Make a Baking Soda Paste

Add a small amount of baking soda in a bowl and take a slightly wet paper towel to rub the baking soda on the inside of your blender. Once the paste has been rubbed all over, start the cleaning cycle.

2. Magic Eraser

This technique is only recommended if you’ve been using your Vitamix for quite some time since the Magic Eraser contains chemicals that aren’t the safest for your machine. The Magic Eraser is basically made out of melamine foam which works quite like incredibly fine sandpaper. It can get rid of any stains from the surface and doesn’t leave any scratches.

You shouldn’t use this method frequently.

3. Bleach Soak

You can also do a bleach soak if you’re desperate to get rid of the cloudy white film from the surface of your blender, but you need to be extremely careful because bleach is caustic and can cause significant damage to your blender.

Notes

  • If you don’t want your Vitamix to get cloudy again, you need to towel-dry the container after you’ve cleaned it to make sure there aren’t any mineral deposits left behind.
  • If you’re not able to get rid of the cloudy appearance with the baking soda paste, then you may have a bigger problem on your hands. Sometimes hard ingredients can leave tiny scratches on the walls of the container as they’re thrown around while they’re being blended. In this case, it’s better to consider using a secondary container and use smaller batches when you’re working with harder ingredients.

Eliminating Odors from a Vitamix

Over time, your blender can start smelling a little strange. Here’s what you can do to get rid of the odor and freshen it up:

  1. Fill your Vitamix halfway with a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Run a cleaning cycle, rinse the blender, and then use dish soap to scrub out the inside and outside of the container under warm running water.
  2. If this doesn’t help eliminate the odor, then fill the carafe all the way to the top with the same solution and let it sit for about 4 hours or overnight if you have the time. After it has been soaking for enough time, dump the contents in the sink, and clean the machine using the quick-clean method.
  3. If this doesn’t do the trick, you need to fill the blender halfway with warm water, pour 1 and a half tablespoons of liquid bleach to it, and run a cleaning cycle. After the cycle has ended, rinse the blender, and follow the quick-cleaning steps to clean it.

Getting Rid of Turmeric Stains from a Vitamix

If you’re familiar with Turmeric, then you know it’s extremely pigmented and leaves the most stubborn stains. If you’re using turmeric in your blender, it’s important to clean it right after use to make sure there are no stains left.

If it’s too late and you have turmeric stains all over on the inside of your Vitamix, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Use UV light to try and break down the stain. This can be done by putting your Vitamix container out under the sun for a couple of hours.
  2. If setting it out in the sun doesn’t help, you should try filling the container halfway with warm water and then add about 1 and a half tablespoons of liquid bleach to it. Start a cleaning cycle, rinse it properly, and use dish soap and warm water to do a quick-clean afterwards.
  3. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you can try using a toothbrush with soft bristles to rub a paste of baking soda and water to scrub your Vitamix clean. Rinse the container with soap and water after you’ve applied the paste.

The bottom line

You need to make sure you’re cleaning the base of your Vitamix regularly as well to avoid letting grime build up in the crevices. Use a sponge or cloth to wipe down the walls of your blender after each use. Get into the crevices and any other spaces that are harder to reach and scrub out any grime you can see.

Now that you’ve learned how to clean your Vitamix in just a few, simple steps, there’s nothing stopping you from taking great care of your machine and making sure it lasts a long time in your kitchen.