I used to let smoothie gunk dry inside my blender for a full day before dealing with it, which meant scrubbing around the blade with a sponge and praying I did not slice my finger open.

Then a friend watched me do it and asked why I was making life hard. Turns out the blender cleans itself.

The 30 second method

1. Fill the pitcher about halfway with warm water.
2. Add a single drop of dish soap.
3. Put the lid on and run it on high for 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Rinse and set it upside down to dry.

The spinning blade does the scrubbing for you, and the soapy water hits every corner you could never reach with a sponge. It is the same idea as a dishwasher cycle, just faster.

When it needs a little more

If you made something thick like nut butter or a frozen banana smoothie, add a splash of white vinegar with the soap and run it twice. For stubborn smells, blend warm water with half a lemon and let it sit ten minutes first.

My one mistake was using cold water. Warm water cuts through the residue way faster, especially anything oily from peanut butter.

I still forget to clean it right away sometimes. But now the worst case is a 30 second job instead of a five minute one, and I have not cut my hand on a blender blade in a year.