I would sooner purchase a new blender, food processor or Kitchen-Aid mixer than try to clean the innards of one in an attempt to get it to run better. I know very, very little about the inner workings of small appliances, and I don’t see that changing anytime in the near future.
However, I recently read an article about Spring Cleaning 2011. In it the author provided directions on how to use specific industrial cleaners to revive small appliances. The article was very well written, and it almost convinced me that I could conquer such a time consuming project. Almost.
There is no way I plan to take apart my kitchen appliances to deep clean their inner chambers. However, I was struck by how fervent the writer was about a cleaning product called Blue Gold. The non-toxic, liquid, water soluble cleaner can be used for a variety of purposes, including disinfecting electronics.
The big thing is that it is environmentally safe and very economical. It is designed to remove lime and particle build-up without leaving behind nasty residue. It also removes oil effectively without the worry that your small appliance will be compromised in the process.
According to Blue Gold’s website, the product can safely clean painted surfaces, rubber, silicon, metal, aluminum, leather, carpet, electric wiring insulation and a variety of other materials. What’s more, the cleaner has an indeterminate shelf life, which means you can use a little today and not use it again until you have grandkids and the stuff should still be good.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of using industrial cleaners in the house. However, Blue Gold is considered one of the safest cleaners on the market. Still, if you plan to use it to clean a household appliance I would recommend using gloves when handling the product. Whereas Blue Gold claims to be non-toxic, it’s never a good idea to be handling industrial cleaners for long periods of time without some type of protection. In addition, you should always wash your hands after using Blue Gold.