How to clean a Nutribullet — 7 easy tips to keep your blender sparkling

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My kitchen would be incomplete without my Nutribullet Pro 900. From making cheesecakes, to hidden vegetable pasta sauces, to the ubiquitous Nutribullet smoothie, my Pro 900 always lends me a helping hand.

But it can be tricky to get into those finicky blades, especially after blending something thick like cashew cream, or seeded fruits. How do you keep your personal Nutribullet clean and avoid the dreaded musty smell? First, it’s much easier to stay on top of your blender's cleanliness if you use it regularly. Even if you don’t reach for your personal blender often, if you follow these easy steps, your blender should stay smell-free between uses.

Like many of the best blenders, the Nutribullet cups and blades are top-rack dishwasher safe, but to keep your blades sharp, I would always hand-clean them. I seldom clean knives, Nutribullet blades, and Instant Pot inner pots to increase their longevity. If you’ve got a Nutribullet, Nutribullet Pro, Nutribullet Pro+, Nutribullet Ultra , or Nutribullet RX, keep reading to find out how to keep your personal blender clean.

How to clean a Nutribullet

Because of the low-lying blades and a screw-lid, personal Nutribullets look like a nightmare to clean, but it’s actually really simple. All you need to do is follow these 8 simple steps for perfectly clean Nutribullets.

1. Rinse out the cup with hot water

Rinse your Nutribullet blending cup under hot water, making sure to get off all the biggest bits of food.

2. Empty the water

Pour all the dirty water out of the Nutribullet cup.

3. Add dish soap

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Squeeze a tiny drop of dish soap inside the cup. If you put too much dish soap in, the liquid will foam up too much and you might damage the cup.

4. Add water

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Fill about 1-2 inches with warm (not hot) water If you fill the cup with more than a couple of inches you risk over-filling the cup with suds, which could result in excess pressure and damage.

5. Blend

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Blend for about 20 seconds, or until the water fills the inside of the cup. Be careful to keep an eye on the Nutribullet to make sure it’s not over-filling as you blend.

6. Rinse

Rinse the cup and the blades with clean warm water until all the suds are gone. Make sure you get all the suds otherwise your next smoothie might taste like soap!

7. Dry

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Dry with a microfiber cloth, and never leave to drip-dry as the blades could rust.

How to clean the base of a Nutribullet

To maintain a spick-and-span Nutribullet, you must clean the blender base often, especially if your food spills during blending. You must remember that the base is electric, so you should unplug from the wall before cleaning and ensure no water gets inside. Use a dry scrubbing brush to get into the finer areas inside the top.

1. Wipe away the food residue

Use a paper towel to wipe away the food dirt. Do not pour water inside the blender base or use a wet cloth.

2. Use antibacterial cleaner

If it’s still dirty, lightly spray a new paper towel with antibacterial cleaner. Wring out the paper towel to make sure it is not wet or damp — it should be 95% dry.

3. Get into every area

Wipe the base again, making sure you get into the crevices. If you skip this step your Nutribullet might smell musty.

Set of 10 Long Straw Brushes: $9 @ Amazon
This set of 10 straw brushes is super handy for cleaning any hard-to-reach areas. I use mine to reach those fiddly parts of my Nutribullet, but also to clean parts of my coffee maker or even plug holes.

4. Dry

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The cups and blades are top-rack dishwasher safe, but to keep your blades sharp, I would always hand-clean them. I seldom clean knives, Nutribullet blades, and Instant Pot inner pots to increase their longevity.

What can you make in a Nutribullet?

If you’re curious enough to venture beyond the standard smoothie, you can make a vast range of different culinary concoctions in a Nutribullet. Nutribullet warns against blending dry ingredients, but I’ve used my Pro 900 to blend oats into oat flour, cookies into cookie crumbs, and bread into breadcrumbs plenty of times, and it’s not dead yet.

One of my favorite things to make in my Nutribullet is hidden vegetable sauce. One of the easiest ways to get in your 5-a-day is to blend up steamed veggies like cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, and broccoli and add them to marinara sauce or mac and cheese. You could also blend roasting vegetables and meat juices (cooled) with flour to make meat gravy. You can even make frappuccinos at home with espresso, ice, milk, and sugar syrup.

How often should you clean a Nutribullet?

If you’re as much of a Nutribullet fan as me, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking the best care of your blender to extend its lifespan. You should clean your blending cup as soon as you’re finished cooking to prevent the dreaded mold or musty smells. You should also clean the blender base often — but remember, to prevent electric shocks, do not use water.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to use your Nutribullet for a long time. Happy blending!