Sustainability Week 2026
This article is part of a series of sustainability-themed articles we’re running to observe Earth Day 2026 and promote more sustainable practices. Check out all of our Sustainability Week 2026 content.
Do you have a broken kitchen appliance lurking at the back of a cabinet? Perhaps an air fryer that’s stopped heating, or a blender with a broken seal? You’re not alone. According to research from appliance manufacturer Tefal, 88% of British people have at least one unused appliance at home, and over a third have three to five in what Patrick Lucereau, Marketing Director at Tefal UK, calls a “kitchen graveyard”.
However, the best thing to do is keep your appliances out of the “kitchen graveyard” in the first place by taking proper care of them, with careful cleaning and maintenance. Here’s how to show your small appliances some love and give them a long and useful life.
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Also remember that if a small part of an appliance breaks (like a lid or a seal), the manufacturer often sells replacements or can send you one if you write to their support department.
Air fryers
Air fryers get greasy — it’s in their nature — but regular deep cleaning will help prevent dirt building up and causing problems like overheating and bad smells.
Most of your air fryer’s components, including the baskets, racks, and trays, are removable for easy cleaning, and the basket almost certainly has a non-stick coating that prevents food and dirt from getting truly stuck on. Always read the instruction manual before you start washing, and avoid harsh and abrasive cleaning products that could damage the surface.
Don’t have the manual anymore? Find your air fryer on the manufacturer’s website, and you should be able to download a PDF copy.
When it’s time to give your air fryer a proper deep clean, start by unplugging it and making sure it’s cool, then soak a cloth in warm, soapy water, wring it out so it’s just damp, and use it to clean any grease and fingermarks from the outside of the appliance. When that’s done, rinse the cloth, wring it out again, and wipe the machine down to remove any soap left behind.
Don’t be tempted to use glass cleaner if your fryer has a window; the next time it heats up, so will any residue left on the glass, releasing fumes. Instead, clean it the same way as the rest of the exterior, then buff away any streaks with a dry cloth.
Now look inside your air fryer. If you notice food stuck to the fan blades or heating element, clean it off with a new toothbrush. If the model allows it, remove the rubber or silicone seal, give it a good wash with warm, soapy water, rinse, and let it dry before replacing it. Dirty seals are a common cause of odors, so keep on top of maintenance to avoid unpleasant smells.
Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to submerge your air fryer in water or try to clean it by using it to heat water or cleaning chemicals.
Espresso machines
Espresso machines also benefit from deep cleaning, which will keep them brewing like new. Every part of the machine that comes into contact with beans, water, or milk is a potential breeding ground for bacteria (and can even grow mold), so it pays to keep up with maintenance.
You should give your coffee maker a quick clean each time you use it, a thorough clean at the end of the day, and a descaling every month, or after brewing 100 cups of coffee (whichever comes first).
Each time you prepare a brew with a manual espresso machine, make sure you rinse the brew group, purge the steam wand, and wipe the outside of the wand with a damp cloth. At the end of the day, empty and wash the drip tray, wipe out the portafilter basket with a damp cloth, and hand-wash the handle and basket.
If you have an automatic coffee maker, things are more complicated because moisture and stray coffee grounds inside the machine create a perfect environment for things to grow. At the end of the day, remove the side panel, take out the brewing group, and rinse it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the waste coffee grounds container, empty it, and wash it with soapy water. Empty and wash the drip tray, too, then use a damp cloth to clean up any coffee grounds you can see inside the machine.
When you’re done, leave everything out to dry thoroughly overnight, and leave the side panel off the machine so moisture can evaporate.
Whatever type of espresso machine you have, also clean the water tank at night and fill it with fresh, clean water in the morning.
It’s also worth cleaning the bean hopper and grinder from time to time, since oils from coffee beans can build up and eventually go rancid, while debris can get caught in the grinder burrs and cause them to stick.
Blenders
With the right care, your blender can last for 10 years or more — trust me, my faithful Dualit has been going even longer!
You should never immerse your blender’s motor unit in water. Instead, detach the jug or blending cup and wipe the outside of the base with a damp cloth. If the jug is dishwasher-safe, this will be the easiest way to get it completely clean, but make sure you read the manual to see how you should clean the blade unit and seal.
If the jug isn’t dishwasher-safe, fill your blending jug about a third of the way up with warm but not boiling water. You can add a very small amount of dish soap at this stage, too, but not too much, or you’ll end up with a mountain of suds.
Turn the blender on to give the soapy mixture a good whizz around before emptying the jug and rinsing it with water. Leave the blending jug to fully dry before placing the lid back on, as this could cause damp odors to build up.
If there are any pieces of food left around the blade assembly, remove them with a small, stiff-bristled cleaning brush or an unused toothbrush.
Recycling
All of these tips will help ensure your kitchen appliances have a long, useful life, but eventually a motor will wear out, or a heating element will give up the ghost. When it does, don’t stuff the broken gadget in a cupboard and forget about it — a surprising number of small household appliances can be recycled, and it’s easier than you might expect.
In the US, Best Buy accepts small kitchen appliances for recycling in-store, or you can request a mailing box if you can’t take them in person. Staples and Walmart also offer programs that will accept e-waste, including kitchen appliances. Take a look at MRM Recycling and Earth 911, where you can enter your ZIP code to see e-waste recycling facilities near you.
In the UK, Currys and B&Q take small electrical items for recycling, and your local recycling center might accept them, too. To see your options, visit recyclemyelectricals.org.uk and enter your postcode or address, then enter the type of appliance you want to get rid of. Depending on the type of item you have and its condition, you can choose whether you’d like to donate, repair, or recycle it, and the site will show you locations within a five-mile radius where you can do that.
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catherine.ellis@futurenet.com (Cat Ellis)
