Care & Cleaning
How to Clean a Milk Frother (and Stop It Smelling)
3 min readUpdated September 2026
Clean a handheld milk frother by running the whisk head in a mug of hot soapy water for five seconds while it spins, then rinsing in clean water and standing it up to dry. Do it straight after every drink. Once a week, spin it in a 1:3 white vinegar and water solution to dissolve the milk-protein film that causes the sour smell. Never put the motor body in water or the dishwasher.
The 10-second daily routine
- Fill a mug with hot water and a drop of dish soap.
- Submerge only the whisk head and the lower part of the shaft, then run it for five seconds.
- Move to a mug of clean hot water and run it another five seconds to rinse.
- Wipe the shaft with a cloth and stand the frother upright, whisk down, so water does not run into the motor.
Weekly deep clean
- Mix one part white vinegar to three parts warm water in a tall mug.
- Run the frother in it for 20-30 seconds, then rinse twice in clean water.
- For stubborn build-up, soak the whisk head — never the body — in the vinegar solution for 10 minutes first.
- Dry completely before storing; trapped moisture is what corrodes the spring over time.
What never to do
- Do not submerge the motor housing, the switch or the battery compartment.
- Do not put a handheld frother in the dishwasher, even if the whisk is stainless steel.
- Do not use bleach or abrasive scourers — they pit the whisk and leave taste behind.
- Do not store it in a drawer while damp.
Fixing a sour smell
- A sour smell is dried milk protein on the whisk spring, not a broken motor.
- Soak the whisk head in the vinegar solution for 10 minutes, run it for 30 seconds, and rinse twice.
- If it persists, most frothers have a removable whisk head — unscrew it and soak it alone overnight.
Frequently asked
Can you put a milk frother in the dishwasher?
No. The motor and battery compartment are not sealed against water. Clean the whisk head in a mug of hot soapy water instead.
How often should you clean a milk frother?
A 10-second rinse after every drink, and a vinegar deep-clean once a week.
Why does my milk frother smell sour?
Dried milk protein on the whisk. Spin it in a 1:3 vinegar-to-water solution for 30 seconds, then rinse twice.
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