From kneading homemade bread to mashing potatoes, stand mixers are a cook's best friend, but they can quickly get grimy without proper care. Sticky dough, greasy butter or melted chocolate are standard messes to deal with, but when particles from various foods collect in various nooks, crannies and mixer attachments, it can interfere with your appliance and eventually cause your mixer to stop working.

To keep it in good working order, it's important to give your entire mixer a good cleaning after every few uses, or more depending on frequency of use. You should be careful to include the various knobs, levers and ventilation ports, as well as areas you may not see, including fine grooves and crevices within the mixer design.

If your mixer is still under warranty, check your owner's manual for any precautions.

Directions:

1. Unplug the appliance. Remove mixing beaters, mixing bowl, kneading paddles and other attachments.
2. Clean the attachments. Fill the mixing bowl with hot water. Add 1 oz. of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner per 1 cup of water. Place the beaters, hooks, and attachments in container. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes. Wash as usual or place in the dishwasher.
3. Clean the mixing bowl. Scrub away any grime remaining after soaking (from step 2). Wash as usual or place in the dishwasher.
4. Remove crumbs and built-up grime from the ventilation shaft with a toothpick or small, dry brush.
5. Use a small brush to scrub away any visible build-up in the area near the motor head. Avoid scrubbing parts with painted markings. Gently wipe them clean with hot water and a microfiber, terrycloth or paper towel.
6. Tilt the motor head back, spray with Simple Green and scrub thoroughly, including the outer rim and lipped area beneath the motor head where residue can accumulate. Wipe these areas with a damp cloth or paper towel after cleaning.
7. Pay attention to build-up. The rim on the back of the motor head casing collects dust and grime that may go unnoticed. The lipped area underneath the motor head is a prime spot for splatters and food residue, as is the rim of the bowl clamping plate and any exposed screws. Use a Q-tip or small brush wet with Simple Green to remove grime and residue. Wipe these areas with a damp Q-tip, cloth or paper towel after cleaning.
8. Thoroughly clean the beater shaft and bowl clamping plate. The shaft and clip surrounding the shaft both gather a lot of fine ingredients and need to be cleaned well. Use a paper towel or small brush to remove flour and other ingredients.
9. Spray Simple Green on a paper towel or cloth and wipe down the stand mixer body, being careful not to leak liquids into ventilation ports or openings around knobs and levers. Repeat wipe-down with damp cloth or paper towel.
10. Reconnect the components of your stand mixer.