The season three finale of The White Lotus came out on Sunday — and if there is one food-focused takeaway from this episode, it’s to properly clean your blender. Spoilers ahead.
In the episode, Lochlan (played by Sam Nivola), the youngest of the three Ratliff siblings, decides to copy his brother after being told to “man up” and make himself a protein shake for the first time. Little does Lochlan know, the blender in his family’s Thailand suite contains residue from his father’s (Timothy, played by Jason Isaacs) poisonous piña coladas. In a failed murder-suicide attempt, Timothy had blended up the fatal seeds of a pong-pong fruit into the drinks, but ultimately threw the concoction away.
Lochlan pays no attention to the odd grinds at the bottom of the blender and proceeds to chug his protein shake. Minutes later, he loses consciousness.
Although Lochlan is thankfully alright, he would have steered clear of harm’s way if he’d only washed the blender before using it. If you want to avoid the chance of being indirectly poisoned, here’s how to clean a blender to get out any leftover residue.
Can I put my blender in a dishwasher?
Absolutely not! Washing your blender in a dishwasher can dull the mixing blade due to harsher soaps and higher heat. To keep your blender clean and in ideal condition, it’s recommended to wash your blender by hand.
What materials do I need for how to clean a blender?
For the most basic cleans, all you really need to clean a blender is a bit of warm water and dish soap. For more heavy duty cleans, you might need a long and thin spatula, as well as a water bottle brush just in case.
What are the steps for an easy clean?
If you made a less viscous concoction such as a smoothie, salsa, or gazpacho — cleaning your blender is awfully quick and simple. Fill your blender about halfway up with warm water and a quick drizzle of dish soap. Plug in your blender and run in on high for about 30 seconds.
Doing this should cause the dish soap to foam up. The rotating motion of the blender will create friction and pull in any residue left on the blender’s sides. When you’re done, pour out the soap mixture and rinse a couple of times. Lochlan will definitely need this tip when he attends college.
What if I blended something more thick or oily?
If you’ve made something that sticks a bit more to your blender’s walls, try adding a touch more dish soap and running the blender for slightly longer. This technique should help get tricky aiolis and vinaigrettes out quite easily.
If there is still leftover residue (like that of the pong-pong fruit), you can go in with a long spatula or water bottle brush to get whatever’s left out. Make sure to be careful around the blender’s blade, as it can damage your kitchen tools. Rise when you are done.
By following these simple steps, your blender will be squeaky clean — perfect for the next protein shake and poison-free piña colada.