Ever overfilled your mixer, turned it on, and accidentally covered your entire kitchen in powdered sugar and splodges of butter? Spare yourself from having to clean your backsplash, floors, and cabinets the next time you want to make a double batch of frosting by trying this simple hack: cover your stand mixer in a sheet of plastic wrap to contain your ingredients and eliminate the risk of airborne messes.
This tip is brilliant if you don’t have a splash guard attachment for your mixer that’s specially designed to keep splatters at bay. A homemade guard made of plastic wrap allows you to prepare bigger batches of cookie dough, a greater volume of cake batter, or a mega portion of meringue without worrying about the ingredients spilling out over the edge or escaping the confines of the bowl as the beater spins on high. The truth is that it’s often easier to get the job done quickly in one bowl, rather than repeat the process over again with more measuring and mixing.
Covering your appliance in plastic wrap also keeps the base and head of the mixer clean. This is especially useful when working with stand mixers that can’t be shoved in a cabinet and thus occupy premium space on your kitchen counter. Expensive stand mixers in particular, that are a real investment, are on display at all times and therefore need to look immaculate.
How to use plastic wrap to make a disposable splash guard
Take your large sheet of plastic wrap and place the bottom edge across your mixing bowl, so it sits slightly above the handle. Pull the top edge up so it covers the rim of the bowl and stick it onto the head of your mixer, taking care to avoid any buttons or levers. Finally, take the sides of the plastic wrap and bring them around the bowl to create a seal. The plastic should cover all of the open area between the bowl and the head of the mixer, creating a transparent barrier.
The benefit of using plastic wrap to make a disposable splash guard is that it naturally clings to the mixer because of its electrostatic charge. This means you won’t need to use any other tools to create a tight seal (this clingy seal will be tighter if your bowl is made of glass and not metal). Also, because it’s a clear material, you can easily keep an eye on the ingredients inside the bowl as they’re whipped up and quickly turn the beater off once your batter has reached the perfect consistency. Finally, once you’re done mixing, you can discard the wrap so you’re left with a mess-free kitchen and a gleaming mixer that isn’t covered in flour and sticky, buttery residues.
