The blender jar gets rinsed after every smoothie, but the base? I ignored mine until the buttons got sticky and the whole thing looked like a science experiment. Cleaning it is easy. You just have to respect the motor.

Unplug it first, always

Before you touch the base with any liquid, unplug the blender. Water and a live motor do not mix, and this is the one appliance where a splash in the wrong place can kill it. Unplugging takes two seconds and removes all the risk.

The wipe-down method

Dampen a cloth with warm water and a drop of dish soap. Wipe the base, the buttons, and the area around the blades where smoothie always drips. Pay special attention to the seams between the control panel and the body, because that is where sticky residue hides. Ring out the cloth well. You want damp, not dripping.

For dried-on gunk

If something crusty is stuck to the base, dip a cotton swab or an old toothbrush in warm soapy water and work it loose. Do not spray cleaner directly onto the base. Spray the cloth instead. Overspray can seep into the vents at the bottom and reach the motor.

Never do these three things

• Do not submerge the base in water. Ever. It is not dishwasher safe.
• Do not run the blender while cleaning it with liquid in the jar to rinse the base. Water splashes down into the vents.
• Do not use abrasive pads on the control panel. They scratch the surface and can wear off the button labels.

I clean my blender base once a week now, and it takes two minutes. A clean base keeps the buttons working and the motor alive, which beats buying a new blender every year because the old one died from neglect.