How To Clean A Ninja Blender

How do you clean a Ninja blender?

You’ve got a few options. Some take a little more time than others, but get the job done much more effectively. It’s a question of balancing time with the results you want:

• Dishwasher – Ninja jars, cups, lids and blade units are all marketed as dishwasher-safe. This process takes a little while to complete but is by far the easiest method.
• Self Clean – Fill the jar with warm water and standard dish soap, then blitz the contents several times using the pulse function.
• Manual Clean – The most thorough, but labor intensive approach. Disassemble all of the components, then clean them by hand. Watch the edges on that blade unit!

In the rest of this article I’m going to go into greater detail about why it’s important to clean your Ninja blender regularly, and how to do so using each of these methods.

(My guide to juicing and blending at home contains plenty more tutorials and buying tips!)

Why You Should Regularly Clean Your Ninja Blender

Although Ninja blenders aren’t the priciest kitchen appliances on the market, they’re worth taking care of nevertheless.

While the likes of Vitamix and Blendtec blenders ship with impressive warranties, you’re looking at a standard 1 year warranty for a Ninja appliance.

It doesn’t take long at all for a Ninja blender to get clogged up with the kind of grime and gunk that goes hand in hand with making smoothies, sauces and dips.

Once that stuff starts getting inside the buttons though, you may struggle to select the speeds and other settings you want.

At worst, the blender becomes frustrating to use. At worst, you end up damaging the components underneath the control panel.

Regularly cleaning all of the components on your Ninja blender will also reduce the risk of bacteria building up over time. No one wants a bit of last week’s banana in today’s soup!

In the next section of this article, I’m going to go into greater detail about the different options you have for cleaning your Ninja blender, and getting it back to sparkling condition.

Method #1 – Cleaning Your Ninja Blender In The Dishwasher

Nice and simple this one.

The good news is that all of those jars, lids, single serve cups and blades in the Ninja blender collection are dishwasher safe.

The only part that you can’t put in the dishwasher (it goes without saying) is the motor unit!

The dishwasher method takes a little bit of time, but it’s by far and away the easiest way to keep your Ninja blender clean.

The one big recommendation I’ll make is that you put your Ninja parts through the top rack of the dishwasher.

The reason for this is that the heating element of a dishwasher is typically located in the bottom half of the machine.

Ninja blender jars are made of pretty sturdy BPA-free plastic, but they’re not indestructible.

If they’re exposed to too much heat too often, the plastic may warp over time, rendering the jar unusable.

(This general advice also applies to any other plastic, dishwasher safe appliances you may have in your kitchen.)

Steps

• Unplug the motor unit from the mains supply
• Detach the lid, blade unit and jar from the base.
• Place these items in the top rack of your dishwasher and run through a standard cycle.
• Reassemble once fully dry.

What about that base though?

Obviously it can’t go in the dishwasher, but it’s worth getting into the habit of wiping it down with a damp cloth after each use.

Pay particular attention to the corners, the area surrounding the individual buttons, and any seams in the plastic.

This is the kind of spot that old foodstuff just loves to build up in. If you make a point of cleaning the base after every use, you’ll prevent an unpleasant cleaning task from growing over time.

Method #2 – Self Cleaning Your Ninja Blender

Some of the fancier, more expensive blenders on the market come with a dedicated self-clean function.

You don’t really need a special preset for this though.

It basically involves filling your Ninja blender jar with warm water and a drop or two of kitchen soap, then blitzing the contents with the pulse function.

This sends the water and the soap swishing around the jar, and you can repeat the blitz as many times as is necessary.

It’s not as thorough as using the dishwasher method, or cleaning all the elements by hand, but it’s a pretty good middle ground.

Steps

• Take the lid off the blending jar and put it to one side.
• Leave everything else assembled on the motor base.
• Fill the jar with warm water until it’s around two thirds full, then add a couple of drops of standard dishwashing detergent.
• Put the lid back on and pulse the contents for around 30 seconds. Repeat as many times as is necessary.

Once you’re done you just need to remove the lid, then pour out the water and food residue.

Remove the blade unit from the jar and give it a good rinse under hot water. Then do the same for the jar and the lid, before putting everything to one side to dry thoroughly.

Method #3 – Manually Clean Your Ninja Blender

There’s not an awful lot to say here!

Once you’ve disconnected your Ninja blender from the mains, it’s a case of thoroughly cleaning each part by hand using warm water and kitchen detergent.

Just be extra careful when handling the blade unit. I recommend using a cleaning utensil for this part, so you’re not having to put your fingers too close to it.

A Final Thought

Whatever method you use to clean your Ninja blender, I wanted to finish up with one final point

Always make sure you leave all of the components disassembled until each one has dried thoroughly.

Why?

If you put it back together and seal it up tight while there’s any moisture remaining, you’ll create an environment where bacteria can potentially breed.

Hopefully this article’s given you all the help you need to keep your Ninja blender clean and looking like new.