How to Clean Juicer? | The 10-Minute Routine

Juicer cleanup is the chore that decides whether you actually keep juicing. Leave pulp to dry and you’re scrubbing caked-on fiber for half an hour; rinse parts right away and the whole job takes about ten minutes. The routine below follows the cleaning steps manufacturers put in their own manuals, so it works whether you own a centrifugal model or a slow masticating juicer. If you’re shopping instead of scrubbing, our tested roundup of the best easy-to-clean cold press juicers points you to models that take less work in the first place.

What Is The Correct Way To Clean A Juicer?

The correct way is to unplug the machine first, then disassemble every removable part and rinse it before the pulp dries. The motor base never touches water.

Here’s the order that works for nearly every machine:

1. Unplug the juicer so there’s no chance of the motor engaging while your hands are inside.
2. Disassemble the lid, bowl or chamber, pulp container, filter or strainer, pusher, and juice collector or spout.
3. Empty the pulp and juice containers into the compost or trash.
4. Rinse each part under running water immediately to knock off loose pulp before it sets.
5. Soak removable parts in warm, soapy water. Breville recommends about 10 minutes; a consumer guide suggests up to 15.
6. Scrub the mesh filter with a soft brush, and clean the grooves, threads, and gasket seats where pulp hides.
7. Wash by hand, or use the dishwasher only if your model’s manual says the parts are safe.
8. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth only; never submerge it or run it under the tap.
9. Dry everything completely before putting it back together.
10. Reassemble, and if your model allows it, run a brief water rinse to flush any residue left in the chamber.

The mesh filter is the part that takes the most abuse. One manual specifically says to pre-clean it with a soft brush in cold water, which lifts the pulp fibers without grinding them into the mesh. You can finish with warm, soapy water after that.

Can Juicer Parts Go In The Dishwasher?

It depends entirely on your model, so check the manual before you load it. Some juicers are fully dishwasher safe; others will warp or discolor.

The Tefal Juice & Clean, for example, allows every removable part in the dishwasher except the juice collector, which should be washed in soapy water. The Bosch Juicer Mixer Grinder manual takes the opposite line: its components are not dishwasher safe and must be hand-washed. KitchenAid’s drive assembly should be wiped only, never immersed.

The safe play is to hand-wash everything unless your manual explicitly says otherwise. If you do use the dishwasher, put the fragile mesh filter on the top rack so it doesn’t get battered by the spray arm.

How Do You Remove Stains And Built-Up Pulp?

Prompt cleaning is the real stain preventer, but when residue has already set, warm soapy water and a soak will lift most of it. A soft brush handles what soaking loosens.

That’s a specialized product, but a 15-minute soak in warm soapy water handles everyday buildup on most models.

Some machines include a self-cleaning feature. Tefal’s Juice & Clean line lets you run warm water through the chamber with a little washing-up liquid for about a minute to flush residue, then finish with a hand-wash and full drying. Only use this water-flush method if your model’s manual describes it, since not every motor base is sealed for it.

What you should never reach for: abrasive scourers, metal brushes, bleach, alcohol, benzine, thinner, polishing powder, and nylon brushes. Panasonic’s slow juicer instructions specifically warn that these damage the surfaces, and once scratched, plastic parts hold onto stains and pulp even harder. A damp cloth for the base and a soft brush for the mesh is all you need.

What Happens If You Don’t Dry The Parts Before Reassembly?

Damp parts reassembled into a closed juicer can develop odor or mold, and trapped moisture can work its way into the motor over time. Every manual in the research is consistent on this: dry everything fully before you put it back together.

Lay the parts on a drying rack or a clean towel for a few minutes after washing. The mesh filter holds water in its tiny holes, so give it the longest drying time. Wipe the motor base dry with a cloth after its damp wipe-down, too, since a wet base is what attracts dust and grime in storage.

The single habit that makes the biggest difference is rinsing the parts before you walk away from the sink. Thirty seconds of rinsing right after juicing saves ten minutes of scrubbing later, which is the difference between a juicer you use daily and one that sits in the cabinet because cleanup feels like a project.