How to Maintain Your Mixer for Holiday Baking
APP Expert / Thursday December 1, 2022
Sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, and gingersnaps, oh my!
If you’re ready to whip up cookies and treats for the holidays, you might be planning to use your stand mixer quite a bit. In this case, it’s essential that you maintain and clean your electric mixer this season so you’re not left doing all your mixing by hand.
To help you keep up with your holiday baking, our experts at AppliancePartsPros.com have put together key ways to maintain your stand or electric mixer.
At AppliancePartsPros.com, we’ve got a great selection of genuine mixer parts for your next repair. Shop with us today!
Article Contents
How to Maintain Your Mixer This Season
Before you start making mouth-watering holiday treats, consider these key maintenance tasks for your mixer.
1. Readjust Your Beater If It’s Misaligned
The most common problem that bakers face with stand mixers is having a misaligned beater. When your beater is misaligned, the ingredients won’t mix uniformly, resulting in lumpy or poorly mixed dough.
Luckily, there’s a simple way to find out if your beater is misaligned. Called the “dime test,” simply put a dime in the bowl of your mixer and set it to low speed. If the dime doesn’t move, the beater is too high; if it continuously moves in a circle, it’s too low. Ideally, the dime will move slightly with each pass of the beater.
If you need to align the beater, grab a flat-head screwdriver and adjust the screw counterclockwise (to lift it) or clockwise (to lower it). The location of this screw will differ depending on your mixer model, so check your user’s manual if you have trouble locating it.
2. Lubricate the Gear Parts
Your stand mixer may also be suffering from a lack of lubrication. If you notice a grinding noise, it might be time to oil the gear parts using food-grade grease. Rub the grease over the gears and bearings, as well as any attachments.
To access these parts, you may need to open the panel of your mixer using a screwdriver. Check your user’s manual for specific instructions for your model.
3. Replace Worn Out or Broken Mixer Parts
It’s also important to check your stand mixer for any worn or broken parts. Some common issues that come up include:
- Your mixer won’t turn on, even though it’s plugged in → replace the motor brush.
- Your mixer doesn’t stay in the OFF position → tighten loose bolts on the circuit board.
- The speed lever doesn’t stay in the OFF position → replace the speed lever.
- All speeds are the same → replace the speed control plate or the circuit board.
- Your mixer is making loud grinding noises → lubricate the gears or replace the worm gear.
Remember that you can get the mixer parts that you require on AppliancePartsPros.com. Troubleshoot your mixer and find the replacement parts you need by browsing our platform.
4. Deep Clean Your Mixer
Finally, you should clean your mixer thoroughly on a regular basis. While you should always wipe up major spills, splatters, and food residue, you’ll also need to do a deep clean every month or so. To help you do this, we’ve outlined all the steps for cleaning your mixer below.
How to Deep Clean Your Stand Mixer
Cleaning your mixer is essential to ensuring great performance and a long lifespan for your appliance. Here’s what you should keep in mind when deep cleaning your stand mixer.
How Often Should a Mixer Be Cleaned?
Any big mess should be cleaned up after every use, such as wiping off food residue. However, you should deep clean your mixer at least once a month when using it regularly.
How to Clean an Electric Mixer?
You can follow these steps to thoroughly clean your electric mixer. Before you get started, be sure that your appliance is unplugged, as it can be hazardous to clean or maintain your mixer while it’s on.
1. Hand-Wash Attachments
Start by washing the stand mixer attachments with soap and warm water, including beaters, pouring shields, and other attachments. Dry them fully before using or storing them.
2. Clean the Mixing Bowl
Next, clean your mixing bowl by hand. Some may be dishwasher safe, but check your manual beforehand to make sure. For extra shine, use stainless steel cleaner to keep the outside sparkling.
3. Wipe Down All Areas of Your Mixer
Now you should wipe down the mixer using a clean cloth, especially any spills, splatters, and food residue. For any hard-to-reach grime, you can use a Q-tip, toothbrush, or vacuum.
In addition, be sure to clean all areas including the:
- Stand
- Knobs and levers
- Attachment hub
- Motorhead
- Beater shaft
- Ventilation ports
Once clean, be sure to let these parts dry before using or storing your mixer.
4. Scrub Out Tough Areas with Baking Soda
If you’re having trouble with any areas or attachments, you can use a mix of baking soda and water to scrub the part or soak it. Just be sure you don’t soak any parts with electrical components, as this is dangerous to you and can damage your stand mixer.
5. Dust and Clean Around and Under the Mixer
Finally, clean around and under the mixer, so there’s no food residue or dust entering the mixer while it’s sitting on your countertop or in storage.
Tips for Using Your Electric Mixer
Now that you know how to maintain and clean your stand mixer, you can also extend your appliance lifespan by using it properly. To keep your mixer in optimal shape, follow these usage tips:
- Dry your mixer right away and avoid getting water in/on the body.
- Don’t overload the mixer.
- Don’t put frozen foods in the mixer.
- Don’t force a sudden change in speed.
- Hand-wash parts and attachments, unless otherwise marked dishwasher-safe.
By putting these tips into practice, you’ll protect your stand mixer from damage and keep it in good working condition.
Maintain Your Mixer With AppliancePartsPros.com
Excellent work! Your stand mixer is now ready to take on all your holiday baking. Keep in mind that using your mixer this season may involve some key maintenance tasks, such as deep cleaning, keeping it well-greased, and troubleshooting any issues.
If you need any mixer replacement parts during the holidays, head straight to AppliancePartsPros.com to get everything you need.
Mixer Maintenance FAQs
Do KitchenAid Mixers Need Maintenance?
Yes, all stand mixers – whether KitchenAid or another brand – will require maintenance at some point. While mixers are known for being relatively easy to maintain, it’s important to follow key tasks such as checking your beater for misalignment, replacing worn or damaged parts, oiling the gears, and deep cleaning your mixer on a regular basis.
What’s the Average Lifespan of a Mixer?
The average mixer lasts about 10-15 years, though the exact timing will depend on how often you use it and how well you care for it. By performing regular cleaning and maintenance, you can better extend your mixer’s lifespan.
Why Is My Mixer So Noisy?
A noisy mixer is a sure sign that you need to take action. Sometimes your appliance becomes noisy because of a lack of lubrication. You can easily solve this by greasing your gear parts. However, sometimes the worm gear will have worn down, causing friction within the mixer. In this case, you should buy a new worm gear and replace the old one.
What Are Safety Precautions for Using a Mixer?
When using a mixer, it’s important to keep you and your family safe. Here are some key safety precautions to follow when using a mixer:
- Don’t ever submerge your mixer in water.
- Don’t plug your mixer into a power strip. Instead, it should plug directly into an outlet.
- Ensure that the cord to your mixer is properly hung away from water and other hazards.
- Avoid contact with moving parts, including your hands, hair, long sleeves, loose jewelry, and kitchen utensils.
- Always keep your mixer unplugged when not in use.
- Turn off your mixer if you notice any burning smells or strange noises.
- Only buy genuine replacement parts and attachments for your mixer’s brand.
What to Do If You Notice a Strange Gray Residue in Your Mixing Bowl?
If you notice a strange gray residue in your mixing bowl, don’t panic. Though annoying, it’s not dangerous. To clean it up, you can add olive oil to the bowl, spread it around and let it sit. Then, after you wipe away the oil, you can wash it with soap and warm water several times.
This should make the gray residue wash out. If not, you might also try lemon juice or baking soda, but avoid using a scouring pad as this can scratch your mixing bowl.
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Hi! I’m Matt H., and I’m thrilled to be your guide through the world of appliance repair with over 25 years of invaluable experience in the industry.
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