Tested: How to Get Cooking Spray Out of Blender Fast

By Sarah Mitchell · September 16, 2025

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

Cooking spray seems harmless at first glance. It is just oil, right? Wrong. Aerosol sprays like PAM or Spectrum contain lecithin and anti-foaming agents. When these chemicals hit the plastic or glass of your blender jar and dry, they polymerize. They turn into a sticky, glue-like resin that feels like tree sap. I have ruined a few Ninja blender pitchers by letting this sit overnight after making Sunday brunch. If you just sprayed the inside to make a batch of protein pancakes, do not walk away. Rinse it with hot water immediately.

I am talking 120°F water straight from the tap. Cold water just shocks the oil. It makes the lipids cling tighter to the polycarbonate walls. Grab a paper towel and wipe out the excess droplets before they cross-link. It takes exactly 45 seconds. Do this right away, and you will save yourself 20 minutes of frustrating scrubbing later. Learning how to get cooking spray out of blender containers starts the second you stop blending.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

I have tested dozens of degreasers over my 12 years of testing kitchen appliances for ScrubNook. You do not need expensive industrial chemicals to fix this. You just need the right surfactants to break down the emulsifiers in the cooking spray. Here is my exact toolkit for tackling aerosol oil residue.

Item	Brand/Model	Price Range	Why I Use It
Dish Soap	Dawn Ultra (Original Scent)	$3 - $5	Cuts through lecithin without clouding plastic.
Degreaser Spray	Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray	$6 - $8	Alcohol content dissolves dried spray instantly.
Scrub Brush	OXO Good Grips Bottle Brush	$7 - $10	Stiff bristles reach the bottom curve safely.
Cloth	Amazon Basics Microfiber	$10 - $15 (pack)	Leaves zero lint on the motor base.

I prefer Dawn Ultra over Palmolive for this specific sticky mess. Palmolive tends to leave a cloudy film on Tritan plastic. Dawn strips it completely bare. The OXO brush is stiff enough to agitate the residue but soft enough to prevent micro-scratches. Micro-scratches are terrible because they harbor bacteria and make future cleaning even harder.

Step-by-Step Removal

This is the classic blender smoothie cleaning trick. But I have optimized it specifically for heavy cooking spray buildup. I use this exact sequence on my Vitamix E310 Explorian after making keto fat bombs. It works flawlessly every single time.

Step 1: The Hot Water Fill

Fill your blender jar to the 32 oz line. The water temperature should be around 110°F to 120°F. Hotter water works faster, but you do not want to warp the plastic or burn your hands. If you are using a glass jar like the older Oster models, you can push the temperature to 140°F safely.

Step 2: The Soap Drop

Add exactly 3 drops of Dawn Ultra dish soap. Not a massive squirt. Too much soap creates a foam volcano when you turn the machine on. I have made that mistake before. Cleaning soapy water off the kitchen ceiling is not fun, and it wastes product.

Step 3: The Blend Cycle

Secure the lid tightly. Start on Variable 1 and slowly ramp up to Variable 10. Let it run for exactly 60 seconds. The vortex creates friction, which heats the water slightly and forces the soapy solution into every microscopic crevice of the blade assembly. Never do this with a sealed Nutribullet cup. The pressure buildup from hot water can blow the gasket right off.

Step 4: The Soak

Turn off the machine and let the soapy water sit for 10 minutes. This gives the surfactants time to break the chemical bonds of the polymerized cooking spray. I usually use this time to wipe down the stove or load the dishwasher.

Step 5: The Gasket Check

This step is crucial for Ninja and Oster blenders with removable blades. Unscrew the bottom blade assembly. Check the rubber O-ring. Cooking spray loves to hide under this gasket. If it turns black or smells sour, soak the gasket in a bowl of white vinegar for 15 minutes. I sometimes forget this step myself, and I always regret it when my next smoothie tastes like old onions.

Step 6: The Rinse and Dry

Pour out the dirty water. Rinse the jar with warm tap water until the bubbles are completely gone. Dry it immediately with a microfiber cloth. Air drying leaves hard water spots that look exactly like leftover oil residue.

Alternative Methods

Sometimes the blend trick does not cut it. If your roommate left the Blendtec jar in the sink for three days after spraying it with avocado oil spray, you need heavier artillery. Here are three backup methods I rely on when the standard wash fails.

Method 1: Baking Soda and Vinegar Paste

Mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. It will fizz aggressively. Apply this thick paste directly to the stubborn, sticky rings near the blade base. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Scrub it with your OXO brush. The mild abrasion of the baking soda lifts the resin without scratching the Tritan plastic. I will be honest, this takes some elbow grease, but it works wonders on week-old buildup.

Method 2: Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) for the Base

When you spray inside the jar, a fine mist escapes. It settles on the motor base. Over time, this creates a yellow, tacky ring around the coupling. Unplug your blender. Dampen a paper towel with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Wipe down the motor base and the plastic coupling. The alcohol dissolves the aerosol propellants instantly. Do not use alcohol on the inside of the blender jar, as it can degrade certain polycarbonate plastics over time.

Method 3: Denture Tablets for Cloudy Plastic

If your blender jar looks permanently cloudy from years of cooking spray and hard water, try this. Fill the jar with warm water and drop in two Polident denture cleaning tablets. Let it fizz and soak for 30 minutes. The effervescent action and mild bleaching agents lift the embedded oils out of the plastic pores. This is not the cheapest option on the shelf, but it brings old, hazy pitchers back to life beautifully.

Prevention Tips

Why use aerosol spray in a blender at all? I will be honest, it is a bad habit. I used to do it when making low-fat muffin batters to keep them from sticking. Now I use a Misto olive oil sprayer. It mists pure oil without the chemical propellants and anti-foaming agents that cause the sticky residue.

If you must use a non-stick coating, try wiping the inside of the jar with a silicone pastry brush dipped in melted coconut oil. It gives you the exact same non-stick benefits for your batters and doughs. Plus, coconut oil washes out easily with standard dish soap. You will completely eliminate the need to figure out how to get cooking spray out of blender jars in the future.

FAQ

Can I put my blender pitcher in the dishwasher to remove cooking spray?

You can, but I highly recommend against it. The high heat of the dishwasher drying cycle actually bakes the cooking spray residue into the plastic. This makes the sticky film nearly impossible to remove by hand later. Always hand wash your blender jar immediately after using aerosol sprays.

Why does my blender smell like rancid oil even after washing?

Cooking spray often pools under the rubber gasket or inside the hollow plastic blade hub. The oil goes rancid over time and taints your food. You need to disassemble the blade base completely and soak the rubber parts in white vinegar to neutralize the odor.

Will baking soda scratch my plastic blender jar?

Baking soda is a very mild abrasive, so it will not scratch high-quality Tritan or polycarbonate plastic. However, you should avoid using it on glass jars with heavy scrubbing pads. The combination can create micro-scratches that dull the glass over time.

How do I clean the rubber gasket without breaking it?

Use a blunt wooden skewer or a plastic dental pick to gently lift the gasket out of its groove. Never use a metal knife or screwdriver, as you will easily nick the rubber. A nicked gasket will leak liquid down into your motor base and ruin the machine.