How to Keep Your Masticating Juicer Clean & Healthy?

One of the biggest complaints for those who like to juice is the time it takes to clean the machine after you're done. Unfortunately, there are many parts to clean with some juicers. With masticating juicers, it's vital that they are cleaned immediately, too. There are fine screens in the juicers where the pulp collects. They shouldn't be allowed to dry on the screen since they'll act as hard as cement. It makes them more difficult to remove later, and can ruin parts of the juicer.

First, you'll want to unplug your masticating juicer from the outlet. You'll be taking the juicer apart and soaking all the interior parts. It's important that there is no electricity flowing through the unit before removing screens and plastic pieces.

On the interior of the unit, there will be a basket and filter that needs to be cleaned. Pulp is usually screened through the filter and dumped into a basket on the interior. You'll need to ensure that all the pulp is removed from the various small parts. Otherwise, it can become stuck like glue to the interior of the unit.

Each interior piece of the juicer that can be detached from the main motor should be rinsed under warm running water. You'll want to remove any bits of produce debris from the plastic parts before the next step. Don't leave any bits of food in the threads or edges of the plastic parts.

The juicer should have come with a brush to clean the unit. If you didn't receive a brush with the juicer, you can pick up a small cleaning brush at the store. Have a cleaning brush dedicated to the juicer, and don't allow it to be used with other cleaning in the kitchen.

Fill the sink with warm, sudsy water and use the brush to remove oils and juice from the pieces. While some manufacturers only recommend rinsing the parts, they should be washed thoroughly with soap. You'll be missing the oils that can accumulate with juicing especially those that can come from the skins of some fruits and vegetables.

After each piece is washed thoroughly, they can be left in a drying rack. You can assemble as soon as the pieces are dry or leave them until it's time to juice again. You could leave them to dry during the day while you're at work or overnight after using the juicer before bed. It depends on when you make your juice.

If you don't have a ton of time to clean your masticating juicer immediately, you should do some preparation for cleaning later. As mentioned above, if you don't clean the screen, you'll end up with a screen that's filled with hard pulp that's almost impossible to remove.

Many people who juice want to make their juice in the morning before work. They feel better when they can have a drink filled with vitamins and minerals to start their day. When you have to clean the masticating juicer before heading off to work, it becomes a huge hassle, and most people don't have that kind of time. 

After making your morning juice, take the juicer apart completely and leave the parts to soak while you're at work. The metal parts shouldn't be left in the water for a very long time, though. For parts that are metal, rinse them before placing in a drying rack. As long as you get the pulp and oils off the metal parts, you won't have to worry about them sticking.

As long as you start the cleaning process, you're not going to have to worry about ruining the juicer. You definitely can't leave it plugged in with juice and pulp still sitting in the container or in the parts for hours until you get home from work.

When you get home from work, that's the time to clean the rest of the juicer. Aside from the metal screens, there are mostly plastic parts on the interior of the juicer. These parts can soak in warm, soapy water throughout the day with no side effects.

The outside of the machine shouldn't be ignored. While you should disassemble the juicer to wash every single day, there are times when you might remove and clean the filters alone. We don't recommend that process, but you might not have the time for a deeper cleaning every day. You should clean the filter at the very least. Don't leave the pulp or debris to harden. It'll adhere like cement to the parts.

The outside of the machine can become dirty from the grease of the kitchen as well as overflow and drippings from the juicer. Don't leave juice to dry on the outside of the unit, either. While juice from fruits and vegetables are incredibly healthy, they're more apt to become full of bacteria after a few days. You don't want that as part of your juicing regime.

There might be days that you use the juicer more than once a day. If you plan on using the juicer in the morning and at night, you don't want to clean it after each use. That's time-consuming. Instead, place some of the parts in water for soaking. If you have bits of food you want to save, you can remove the collection part of the unit and place it in the refrigerator.

At the end of the day, it's important to wash the entire unit to be prepared for the next morning's juicing adventure. Never leave oils or food debris on the strainers or screens of the unit. It's almost impossible to remove easily. At the very least, you'll need to soak parts of the unit to keep them ready for next time you use it. As you use the masticating juicer, you'll find a rhythm for cleaning that works for your busy schedule.