Most of us probably didn’t think about how loud a mixer grinder or blender would be when we bought one, but now that we know, we can use certain methods to lessen the amount of noise coming from the small appliance. We can perform the majority of these activities independently, without expert assistance.
Here’s a list of some of the practical steps you can take to control your mixer grinder’s noise level and keep it at a minimum.
Place a Rubber Sound-Reducing Pad Underneath
Placing a mixer grinder on a sound-dampening pad is one of the most reliable ways to reduce noise. Vibrations are one of the main reasons an appliance will make noise, but if you lay your grinder on a sound-dampening pad or another anti-vibration pad, its vibrations won’t be transmitted to the solid surface that the grinder’s sitting on. The pad itself won’t shake, either, so you may be able to dramatically reduce the device’s noise level.
Use Rubber Feet
Rubber feet are similar to a sound-dampening pad, although they’ll be affixed to your mixer grinder instead of resting beneath its bottom. Rubber feet are also less costly than a sound-dampening pad.
To reduce the noise generated by your grinder’s vibrations, you can either use non-slip rubber feet or grommets. To attach rubber grommets to the appliance, it’s a good idea to use green glue. As an acoustical noise-dampening caulk, green glue will aid with noise reduction itself, even considered apart from the rubber feet or grommets.
Keep in mind that rubber feet are a standard addition to most modern, high-quality grinders. If you’re shopping for a new mixer grinder, you should look for one with rubber legs that’ll quickly reduce the amount of noise it makes.
Move the Grinder Away From the Wall(s)
The soundwaves produced by the vibrating grinder will reflect off of the solid surface the grinder’s positioned on. In the same way, the noise made by the mixer will bounce off any solid surface that’s close to the grinder. To avoid this type of noise generation, move the grinder away from any solid, plain and flat surfaces, such as vertical walls, while you’re using it. The worst place you can place your grinder is in the corner of a room, where it’ll be sitting next to not one, but two solid walls.
Place a Towel Under the Appliance
Usually, blenders sit on rough surfaces such as those made of wood or granite. As a result of the vibrations each blender generates when it comes in contact with these surfaces, its noise level will become louder. Therefore, placing something soft between your blender and your kitchen tabletop (or whatever hard surface it’s sitting on top of) is something you should experiment with when you have some free time.
Fortunately, this solution won’t take a whole lot of time, money or resources to implement. The best part is that you likely have a spare towel stashed away in your kitchen that you can use. A soft towel should be able to muffle at least some of the noise coming from your small appliance.
Soundproof the Kitchen Door and Windows
The cost of soundproofing your whole kitchen might be too high, but you can experiment with acoustic management by using acoustic foam on your doors. Acoustic foam is an excellent sound absorber, and it also helps decrease reverberation, especially when it’s hanging from a door. It won’t prevent sound transmission, but it’ll significantly lessen the amount of background noise you hear. Furthermore, acoustic foam isn’t an extremely costly material.
Soundproof the Kitchen Walls
This will be especially helpful if you have a tiny kitchen with little countertop space, and you’re forced to place your blender close to a wall or in the corner of the room, which will cause more sound from the appliance to reflect off of the walls.
If you hang soft garments on each wall near your appliance, you can make each wall’s surface softer, which may lessen the amount of noise that it reflects. The thicker the cloth material is, the more effectively it’ll absorb noise.
Another option is to attach soundproofing foam to the wall that’s closest to your blender’s location. You can expect the foam to significantly lessen the amount of echo that’s created by your blender’s motor. Using double-sided tape is the best method of connecting this foam to the wall.
Construct or Buy a Sound-Deadening Enclosure
You can reduce the amount of noise produced by your mixer grinder or blender by enclosing it in a sound-deadening box that you create on your own or purchase from a vendor. If you have the necessary skills, you should be able to build an enclosure box in a cost-effective and straightforward manner. You’ll need some wood, plastic or cardboard, and you’ll want to line the box with some sturdy material. Using a container somewhat larger than your appliance might also be helpful.
Ensure that you leave one side of the box open, so you can still operate the appliance. You can construct the rest of the box out of cardboard and line it with a thick piece of material, which is generally a cheaper option than purchasing a sound enclosure box from a store. On the other hand, if you don’t have the time or the skills to produce a soundproof enclosure box yourself, purchasing one may be the better option. If you go this route, you’ll need to pay close attention to the features of the enclosed box—particularly, its size and shape—and the brand of blender that you want to fit inside it.
A box that’s smaller than your blender isn’t something you want to buy. Sometimes, blenders are packaged in boxes to begin with, so if you still have your packaging, it may help you pick out a soundproofing box of the correct size. When you cover up the majority of your blender in this way, you’ll prevent sound from escaping, or at the very least, decrease the amount of sound that escapes to an acceptable level.
Shop for a Silent Grinder
If your mixer grinder is broken and you need a replacement, obtaining a silent one is the best course of action. You’ll be able to use a low-noise mixer whenever it’s convenient for you, without disturbing anyone else in your household. Some grinders are equipped with built-in insulation, which will help reduce the amount of noise generated by the engine. Additionally, it’s a good idea to look for a grinder that has a motor with no brushes, and thick, high-quality material surrounding its main motor to help decrease noise.
When shopping for a silent grinder, be sure to pay attention to the blades’ acuity, too. Speed and noise reduction are enhanced if the grinder makes use of a sharper blade.
In regard to blenders, quiet blenders are hard to come by and are much more challenging to locate. The cost of purchasing a blender of this caliber is also reasonably high, and individuals should be aware that a “quiet” blender doesn’t always equal a “noiseless” blender. A quiet blender will produce some noise, but the volume will be bearable and won’t wake up your sleeping infant or an exhausted spouse.
Is Your Mixer Grinder Quiet Enough?
At full capacity, the vast majority of mixer grinders available these days produce a lot of noise. On the other hand, some devices are whisper-quiet. To find out whether yours is one of them, closely examine its features by looking at your instruction manual and the appliance itself. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce the noise level of a mixer grinder—and we’ve outlined just a few of them above—if you can’t find a quiet one or you don’t want to replace yours at this time.
image 1: Pixabay; image 2: Marco Verch Professional Photographer (Creative Commons BY)