Is it possible to wash a meat grinder in the dishwasher, how to restore its shine

Why did the meat grinder turn dark?

First you need to understand why the meat grinder has darkened. The reason will allow you to find out whether it can be washed. Without knowledge in the field of chemistry it is impossible to understand this. The thing is that the metal from which the device is made reacts with a detergent dissolved in hot water. Most meat grinders are made of aluminum alloy, which interacts well with many substances, even water.

Conditions are created inside the dishwasher that speed up interaction processes. To make it suitable for use, a special oxide film is created on the surface of an aluminum device, which prevents the metal from deteriorating. But this film itself is easily destroyed under the influence of strong alkalis, which is what happens in the dishwasher. With prolonged contact with hot water, the metal begins to darken.

For your information! Some old meat grinders are made of cast iron and may not darken when washed in a PMM. But you shouldn’t wash them this way, as cast iron will begin to rust over time.

The most important thing is that the scary thing is not that the meat grinder has oxidized and become covered with a dark coating, but that the metal has undergone partial destruction. It can enter the human body. Scientists have long been talking about its negative effects on internal organs. Therefore, we draw your attention once again, do not violate the rules for operating equipment, do not wash aluminum dishes in the dishwasher, and you will find a complete list of such dishes in the article What dishes cannot be washed in a PMM?

Laundering methods

It is impossible to say unequivocally whether a meat grinder can be washed after a dishwasher.
Firstly, everything will depend on the degree of darkening and oxidation of the metal, and secondly, it is important what alloy the device is made of. Even aluminum can be different. Therefore, you should not immediately despair, trusting the words on the forums that the black film is sodium tetrahydroxyaluminate, which cannot be dissolved at home. It may be impossible to dissolve, but who forbids physically cleaning it? We will not rack our brains with complex chemical names and conduct dangerous experiments, but will try available means that have been tested by experience. It will help some, it won’t help others, the main thing is that it won’t get worse. Let's list these means:

• Baking soda. You need to pour it onto the damp surface of the meat grinder and rub it with a metal brush. After several such cleanings, the coating will come off and the smearing will stop, but the metal will not shine. Just don’t boil the meat grinder in a soda solution, you’ll make it even worse.
• Soap. Rub the darkened parts with a brush for a long time using soap.
• GOI paste for final polishing. You need to apply the paste to a felt cloth and rub off the dark spots with force.
• Dialux polishing paste.
• Rust converter HORS. This product is intended for cars, so you should only use it to clean the meat grinder as a last resort, after you’ve tried everything.

  

Important! Such improvised means as acetic and citric acid should not be used when cleaning the meat grinder after washing it in the dishwasher; they are weak and are unlikely to help.

Some tips from housewives

After washing the meat grinder in the dishwasher, housewives immediately begin to look for ways to clean the damaged device, sharing their experience. We read not a single review, but here are some valuable tips we found:

• Brush with toothpaste and brush. True, a man washed a damaged meat grinder in this way, apparently using good physical strength.
• Use the product “Shining Shine of Metals” from the Italian company CENTRALIN. My husband had to scrub the frying pan again using abrasive brushes. He dealt with all the spare parts in 20 minutes.
• Try JIF together with a wire brush. As mother and son assure, they managed to restore the shine to the meat grinder, but some minor scratches remained.
  

  ! When washing the meat grinder, wear gloves to protect the skin of your hands from gray deposits and the harmful effects of all substances used.

• Soak in Sprite or Coca-Cola. How much it helps is unknown, since the woman did not share the result.
• Wash with Sanitol Steel Shine and then polish, for example, with Biolan. The method is effective and affordable.
• Soak in hot water with tar soap. As the woman writes, everything comes off on its own, you don’t even have to rub it.

That's about all we managed to find. Of course, there are also chemical methods, but they are not safe, so we will not describe them. It’s better to remember and tell everyone that you can’t wash the meat grinder in the PMM, no matter how much you want to. Good luck!

Why do meat grinders turn dark?

The main thing in this matter is to find out the reason for the blackening of the meat grinder. Whether the meat grinder can be cleaned or not depends on the cause of the blackening. To understand, you need to know well the type and quality of the material from which the item is made. Most often, meat grinders are made of aluminum alloy, which can withstand contact with hot water and various chemicals. For example, cleaning powder, cleansing cream, liquid laundry soap or dishwashing detergent do not affect the meat grinder in any way and do not worsen its condition.

However, a dishwasher speeds up chemical reaction processes. A special protective film is glued to the outside of the meat grinder, protecting it from corrosion upon contact with various substances that can cause oxidation and rusting. Actually, the destruction of the metal begins after the protective film is deformed as a result of aggressive external influences.

A dishwasher works on a similar principle to a washing machine. Pumping water into the tank, the machine begins heating the water and treating all the loaded dishes with water vapor. A special “tablet” is used as a detergent - hardened alkali, which has specific properties. This reagent is quite aggressive in its formula and can damage dishes made from materials that are not susceptible to such a chemical environment. In the dishwasher, as a result of the interaction of alkalis, hot water and a sharp temperature change, the film may delaminate and the meat grinder will darken.

Important! Old-style meat grinders are made of cast iron and cannot darken when washed. However, the material is prone to corrosion; over time, cast iron rusts. A dishwasher speeds up the chemical reaction, so a cast iron grinder should be washed by hand to prolong its life.

When darkened, the meat grinder not only looks less aesthetically pleasing, but the metal also corrodes. The material gradually breaks down and particles begin to disintegrate. If you grind minced meat in such a meat grinder and then eat it, many small particles will enter the human body. Aluminum particles have harmful effects on internal organs. For this reason, aluminum cookware should not be washed in the dishwasher. Aluminum is not the only material that undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to alkali and boiling water. For safety reasons, it is highly recommended that you read about the types of utensils that should not be washed in the dishwasher. This includes not only a manual meat grinder, but also some other types of utensils.

Is it possible to wash the meat grinder in the dishwasher?

The process of washing a manual or electric meat grinder is practically the same. First of all, the device is disassembled into parts, then the remaining food is removed and washed with warm water using cleaning products. Naturally, the body of the electrical unit, which contains the elements of the electrical circuit, is prohibited from being immersed in water. The removable parts of the meat grinder require careful cleaning, so in order to save time, many housewives put them in the dishwasher.

The result is very surprising: after several cleaning cycles, the surface of the parts becomes dull and covered with a black coating. This occurs due to oxidation of the metal used to make mechanical and electric meat grinders.

However, the problem is not only that the surface takes on an unsightly appearance. Experts say that continued use of the unit in this condition will lead to rapid food spoilage and food poisoning. Metal particles entering the human body provoke diseases of the upper respiratory tract, damage to the nervous system, and tend to accumulate in the bones. Why does this effect occur and what should the housewife do?

Is it possible to wash an electric meat grinder in a PMM?

Washing an electric meat grinder is no different from washing the classic version. After work, it is disassembled and washed in the same way as a mechanical machine for preparing minced meat. The housing in which the electrical part is located, of course, is not washed in the PMM. And the removable parts are washed according to the instructions described above. You should not experiment by trying to wash several parts of an electric meat grinder in the dishwasher - you are risking your equipment.

How to remove black deposits from a meat grinder?

To give the product its original appearance, you will have to do a lot of work. Experts advise not to restore the device if its surface is completely covered with a dark coating and the metal is very damaged. Well, if the washing took place at a low temperature and there are a small number of dark spots on the surface, then you can start rescuing. “Helpers” can be the following:

1. Soda.

   
   The parts are wiped with soda and a scraper. The procedure is repeated several times. Unfortunately, it leaves scratches on the surface.

2. Vinegar.

   
   Prepare a solution of water and vinegar in a 4:1 ratio. We put the parts in it and leave it overnight.

3. Chalk.

Grind the chalk into powder. Apply the resulting product to the parts and wipe with great diligence.

1. Laundry soap.

   
   Soak the meat grinder parts in warm water and leave for 15 minutes. After this, we wash them with a soapy sponge.

2. Toothpaste.

   
   Gently removes darkening without damaging the surface.

Special products that can be purchased at the store may also be useful. These include the following:

• paste GOI;
• shine of Steel – Sanitol;
• shining shine of metals – Centralin;
• Dialux polishing paste.

Is there a way out of the situation?

As the famous proverb says, “Even if you are eaten, you have two options.” So in the case when you decide to wash the meat grinder in the dishwasher, and it turns dark: you can buy a new one, or try to save the old one.

Meat grinder parts

Everyone chooses what to do in such a situation for themselves, but for those who decide to save their beloved assistant, the advice of “friends in misfortune” will be useful:

• Wipe the meat grinder parts with soda. They should be damp and rubbed with a metal scraper. Several procedures will get rid of the dark deposits that stain the products, but will not return the parts to their former shine;
• Also, greasy deposits can be removed with vinegar. Damaged parts must be boiled in water with vinegar added, or left in this solution overnight;
• Regular chalk will also help to clean the meat grinder. To do this, sprinkle a damp sponge with crushed chalk, and rub it with great pressure on the plaque-covered areas;
• Whatever the meat grinder is - manual or electric, you can wash its parts with a special cleaning agent for cleaning aluminum products;
• Sponges rubbed with ordinary laundry or tar soap will help remove the matte coating from the grates. The main thing is not to forget to pass a piece of bread through the grates before twisting the minced meat.

Preparation of minced meat

What should you do after you have tried all the above methods and none of them helped? Connect heavy artillery in the form of rust converters for cars. Will they help? Yes, but their use is an extreme measure; you should think carefully before cleaning the meat grinder in this way. Improper use of potent chemicals can cause irreparable damage to the body.

How to clean plaque from a meat grinder

In order to say whether it is possible to wash off dark deposits from a meat grinder, many nuances should be taken into account. There are persistent stereotypes that film is a complex chemical reagent that cannot be removed with improvised means. It will not dissolve, but it can be washed and restore the aesthetic appeal of the meat grinder. In addition, aluminum can be combined with different reagents and the conditions for oxidation can vary significantly. Usually, the instructions for the device contain all contraindications and recommendations for use.

However, people prefer not to study the chemical composition of the material from which the meat grinder is made, but simply try various remedies if the meat grinder suddenly turns black after being dishwashed. At the moment, many ways to solve the problem are known. The most proven methods are:

• Wipe off with soda. Baking soda is a reliable means for removing all kinds of plaque and stubborn dirt. It is recommended to sprinkle baking soda onto a damp surface. After one minute, wipe thoroughly with a brush with metal teeth or a regular hard brush.
• Tar soap. It is enough to rub the surface of the meat grinder that has undergone oxidation for a long time using a brush and soap.
• You can also use Dialux paste.
• The HORS rust converter is designed for cars. It is recommended to use it only when all other means have failed.

Important! Acetic and citric acid will not help due to their weak power. It is not recommended to use them. To clean the meat grinder, simple lye is suitable for cleaning the stove.

Cleaning the meat grinder using laundry soap

For a meat grinder and its accessories, as for any other type of utensil, sometimes soaking in a soapy solution may be enough. Heat regular tap water and sprinkle in a few drops of liquid soap or any cleaning product.

Liquid laundry soap has a universal scope of application. It can be used for hand washing and soaking clothes, and for washing floors. In addition, liquid soap does not corrode the skin and you can work with it without rubber gloves. In addition, the soap does not contain aggressive reagents and interacts well with all fragile surfaces without damaging the meat grinder or leaving scratches on its surface. Its formula does not react chemically with the aluminum body of the meat grinder and does not destroy the protective film.

Tips from housewives

Many experienced housewives, faced with the problem of a meat grinder darkening after a dishwasher, often share their knowledge on the Internet. One of the most popular means for cleaning a meat grinder from plaque is the “Shining Shine of Metals” product from CENTRALIN. After applying it to the surface, scrub with abrasive brushes. If the plaque is difficult to clean, the whole procedure will take you about twenty minutes, provided that all parts are wiped off from the plaque.

You can also use a metal brush, but it will leave scratches on the surface.

Important! When cleaning the meat grinder, wear rubber gloves to avoid contact of harmful substances with your skin.

• Among the most popular is also the product “Sanitol Shine of Steel”. After rubbing the meat grinder with it, it is recommended to polish it. Any of the leading cleaning powders will do.
• Housewives also advise soaking the meat grinder in hot, but not boiling water, first diluting it with tar soap.

It is not recommended to use iron sponges unnecessarily, as they can damage the surface, leaving scratches and thereby accelerating corrosion. Try to use hard sponges that do not scratch the surface, i.e. felt sponges.

Important! When a scratch appears on the surface, there is a high probability of corrosion spots appearing. Try to take this circumstance into account when cleaning meat grinders.

Some housewives even recommend such an unusual cleaning method as toothpaste. Due to its purpose for sensitive and fragile tooth enamel, this substance acts delicately on the surface without damaging the protective film. True, this method does not always work. You may end up wasting your time and toothpaste, so we advise you to practice this option only as a working option.

What else can't be washed in the dishwasher?

In the instructions for the dishwasher, the manufacturer indicates which dishes can be washed in it and which cannot. When loading plates, pans, pots and other kitchen utensils, it is advisable to clarify what material they are made of. In some cases, the back of the cutlery will indicate whether it is dishwasher safe. If there are any doubts about the composition of the material, it is better to prefer the manual method of washing. To ensure that your dishes always remain clean and sparkling, it is advisable to follow all recommendations and not load the following items into the machine compartment:

1. Wooden rolling pins, boards . The tree cannot withstand the destructive and prolonged effects of high humidity and temperature.
2. Plastic parts . Plastic may deform at elevated temperatures or change color.
3. Crystal and porcelain . Sensitive and delicate material will crack when in contact with powerful jets of hot water.
4. Kitchen utensils containing silver, aluminum or cupronickel . These are garlic presses, spoons or forks. They usually require special care.
5. Cast iron cookware . It is not advisable to put old frying pans in the dishwasher, since they are also covered with a protective layer that is destroyed under the influence of high temperature and alkali. Subsequently, the dishes are exposed to corrosion.
6. Products made of tin and copper . Appliances made from these non-ferrous metals may become darkened or stained.
7. Cracked dishes . When loading such dishes into the compartment, we risk getting a lot of fragments, which are very problematic and dangerous to collect.

Design of a manual meat grinder

Almost every kitchen has an old, reliable mechanical meat grinder. Based on its analogue, products with an electric drive were created, that is, similar parts are present in both one and the other model. To properly assemble a meat grinder, you need to know its design. So it consists of:

1. One-piece body . Old copies were made of cast iron; later they began to produce cases made of aluminum alloys. There is a neck in the upper part of the body into which products for grinding are placed.
2. Auger . A spiral element that moves products towards the exit.
3. Knife . Performs rotational movements and is put on the end of the auger. It can be with wings or in the form of a disk.
4. Lattices . Provides grinding of products. When making cookies and other baked goods from dough, special shaped elements are inserted instead of a lattice.
5. Clamping device . The round element securely fixes all parts of the device. For ease of fastening, special protrusions are made on its surface.
6. Handles and screws . On the reverse side of the structure there is a handle through which the mechanism rotates. It is secured with a screw.

The meat grinder is installed on a table or other horizontal surface and secured with a threaded element. If necessary, some material is placed under the base to ensure reliable fixation of the machine and prevent its movement during operation.

In order for the device to work perfectly, when assembling the structure, it is important to ensure that all actions are correct.

Rules for caring for a manual meat grinder

A mechanical meat grinder is a necessary tool in any kitchen, but you don’t need to use a dishwasher to clean it. After cooking, you will have to take a little time to clean it and prepare it for further use. To do this we proceed as follows:

1. When finished using the device, it should be immediately disassembled and washed. Otherwise, the surface will be susceptible to oxidation.
2. We remove food residues from knives and other parts using a stiff brush. The grate can be cleaned with a toothpick.
3. We wash all parts in warm water.
4. Apply a little non-aggressive dish soap to a sponge and process all the parts. If necessary, you can wipe the surface with baking soda and a brush.
5. Rinse everything thoroughly and treat with boiling water.
6. We wipe clean parts with a cotton towel or napkin and send them to a dry, warm place for final drying. If the meat grinder is not dried, then rust will form on it.
7. We assemble the device, place it in a fabric bag or wrap it in paper and store it in a dry place.

A meat grinder is usually used to grind raw foods. Some of them may contain harmful microorganisms that, when entering the human body, cause irreparable harm. That is why high demands are placed on the sanitary treatment of the meat grinder and all surfaces in contact with meat.

If you are not sure of the high quality of the meat, then additionally treat the meat grinder with saline solution. It is prepared from water and salt: half a spoon of salt is dissolved in one liter of boiled water. The machine is immersed in a container with the solution in a disassembled, clean form; the processing time is about 15 minutes.

These simple recommendations will help restore a well-groomed appearance to your kitchen unit. At the same time, do not forget that repeated cleaning in the dishwasher may be the last. Therefore, for products that require special care, we prefer manual washing instead of automatic washing.

Instructions

Never wash meat grinders in the dishwasher: neither mechanical nor electric. If you like home-made minced meat, then after cooking you will have to spend a few minutes washing the device to grind it. Stock up:

• sponge;
• soap and soda;
• an old toothbrush;
• a plastic bowl;
• cotton towel;
• canvas bag.

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Now start washing:

1. Immediately after completing the work, disassemble the device, otherwise the oxidation process will start.
2. Remove any remaining meat or other grinding product from knives and other parts. To do this, use a stiff kitchen brush.
3. Rinse all elements with warm water. After lathering the sponge with regular soap that does not contain dyes or fragrances, rub the parts. You can sprinkle baking soda on the sponge or use an old toothbrush.
4. Rinse the washed parts with warm water and then pour boiling water over them.
5. Place in a plastic container - water should drain from the washed parts.
6. When the water has drained, wipe all components with a cotton napkin and lay them out to dry. The drying surface must be clean and dry. Such actions prevent the appearance of rust.
7. After assembling the meat grinder, place it in a canvas bag and place it in a dry place.

Quickly cleans the meat grinder from rust, fat, meat, oxides - TOP simple tips

What causes a meat grinder to become clogged and dirty?

Before disassembling and cleaning the meat grinder, you should understand the possible causes of contamination.

Obviously, the main cause is particles of meat, fat and tendons that remain on parts after pork, beef or poultry are processed. At first glance, cleaning your device from residue may not seem like an easy task. It is especially difficult to tidy up the grill of a meat grinder due to the many clogged holes.

In addition, the device may become covered with oxide and rust. Since the parts are made of metal alloy, they are susceptible to acids and alkalis. This impact occurs both when chopping vegetables and fruits and when cleaning them improperly. An aluminum meat grinder should not be washed with aggressive cleaning agents. And hard sponges and metal mesh for washing dishes will most likely deprive the product of its anti-corrosion coating. It is also not recommended to use a dishwasher.

Stainless steel meat grinders, such as the Moulinex combine, are easier to clean. But such models also cost much more than their aluminum counterparts.

How can you effectively clean a meat grinder at home?

Let's move on directly to how to clean the meat grinder until it shines. The first step is to clean the device from large mechanical contaminants. For owners of a meat grinder with a reverse function, the task is simplified. For everyone else, we have prepared a couple of life hacks on how to clean a meat grinder from fat and other meat processing residues:

• You can use raw potatoes. To do this, cut several potatoes into pieces and pass them through a meat grinder. The vegetable absorbs fat well and also helps push out the veins.
• For mechanical cleaning, stale loaves or onions are also used. The principle of operation is the same as with potatoes.

After this, the meat grinder is washed under hot running water and dried on a dry towel. To prevent rust, knives and other metal parts can be coated with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

Causes of blackening of meat

There are several explanations for the changes taking place. Let's look at them.

• When using the meat grinder for the first time, technical oil begins to come off the metal surface of the product. It is applied in a thin layer and is used to protect parts.
• If the color changes with each subsequent application, this indicates metal oxide fragments are being formed. They appear after exposure to liquid, fat, or meat juice.
• The production used low-quality material from recycled materials containing zinc, lead and arsenic. Food technologies allow this, but ultimately oxidation occurs.

Similar effects may appear after washing the product in the dishwasher. It uses an alkaline composition - soda ash, which comes into contact with the metal and causes a black coating. It can destroy the varnish coating of parts, after which they turn black.