Coffee Maker Cleaning Tips from NoVA’s Total Maid Cleaning Service

Nothing gets you going like coffee. In the morning, when the automatic drip of that coffee maker starts percolating and your favorite aroma fills the whole kitchen, it’s like you can almost taste it before you get out of bed, right? (Is it obvious your friends here at You’ve Got Maids® of Nor0thern Virginia love coffee too?) And most agree, a clean coffee pot leads to better-tasting coffee.

Whether you drink coffee for the taste or for the kick, you never ever want to be without it. That’s why you always want to be sure those coffee makers - from cover to carafe - are clean, germ-free, and ready for their next brew session!

So What Is the Best Way to Clean a Coffee Maker?

What matters more than anything to You’ve Got Maids® of Northern Virginia is how clean everything in your home is - even if it’s one of the few things our home maid services don’t clean!

Cleaning a coffee maker isn't part of You’ve Got Maids® industry-leading Signature 52-Point Spring Clean™, our most popular spring cleaning services package in which we scrub and disinfect just about every surface in your home. So sometimes clients ask our maids, “I’m looking for recommendations on how to clean my coffee maker and how to clean appliances in general. What do you suggest?” We do have a few ways to make it easy to clean coffee maker parts.

Check out our five favorite suggestions for keeping your caffeine machine clean!

Tip No. 1: Cleaning Coffee Maker with Vinegar

Guess what’s easily the top tip for cleaning coffee maker? Vinegar.

Does vinegar clean your coffee maker? It sure does! Vinegar is an awesome solution for cleaning out coffee maker inner-workings and parts. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar - either way, it’s perfect if you’re looking for how to clean coffee maker from hard water, eliminate tough stains and remove those nasty, chalky limescale deposits. Concentrated cleaning vinegar will remove more gunk than distilled cooking vinegar.

Here’s how to clean coffee maker with vinegar step-by-step:

• Dilute the vinegar with water. How much vinegar do you use to clean a coffee maker? For normal cleanings, a 1-to-1 ratio is fine. If mineral deposits are heavy or brewing is slow, a stronger solution of 75% vinegar could be used.
• Open the reservoir lid, put in a filter, pour in the vinegar, and begin a brew cycle.
• Halfway through, stop the cycle and let the solution soak for about 30 minutes.
• Re-start the cycle and let it finish.
• Pour out the vinegar.
• Pour in some fresh water and “brew” it.
• Repeat brewing water until the scent of vinegar is gone from the coffee pot.
• Empty, dry, reassemble, and brew a fresh clean pot of java.

Is cleaning vinegar safe for coffee makers? It absolutely is - although some people say they can taste the vinegar in their coffee even after rinsing it with water. And add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the diluted vinegar before starting the brewing cycle. You’ll be rewarded with a clean coffee maker and a pleasant scent around the kitchen!

So then you might want to know: What can I clean my coffee with besides vinegar? Well, try cleaning a coffee maker with baking soda.

Tip No. 2: Cleaning Coffee Maker with Baking Soda

The advantage of cleaning coffee machines with baking soda is the same reason there’s a box of it in the fridge: baking soda kills odors.

So here’s how to clean coffee maker with baking soda:

• Fully dissolve 1/4 cup of baking soda into 1 cup of warm water.
• Open the reservoir lid, take out the filter, and pour in the mixture and start brewing.
• Pour out the mixture, pour in some fresh water and “brew” it again.
• Repeat brewing water until it drips completely clear into the coffee pot.
• Empty the pot, dry, reassemble, and enjoy.

Tip No. 3. Cleaning Coffee Maker with Descaling Solutions

Descaling is a fancy word for removing mineral deposits from surfaces. Descaling solutions are special chemicals formulated to remove calcium and other minerals that build up inside coffee makers.

To clean your coffee maker using the descaling technique:

• Pour the descaling liquid and an equal amount of water into the coffee pot reservoir and begin brewing.
• After the brewing cycle is complete, let the coffee maker sit for about 30 minutes.
• Pour out the solution, pour in some fresh water and brew it again.
• Repeat brewing with fresh water for several cycles to ensure complete rinsing.

What about performing a descale of your coffee maker? Is descaling solution better than vinegar or baking soda?

That depends on the recommendation of the coffee machine manufacturer. Some, like Keurig, recommend descaling; others, like Mr. Coffee, suggest using only the vinegar method.

Tip No. 4: Cleaning Coffee Maker with Citric Acid

Cleaning your coffee maker with citric acid is one way to descale a coffee machine’s internal parts without purchasing a special descaling solution. Citric acid can be purchased by itself - or, there’s plenty of it in lemon juice!

Here’s how to use citric acid for cleaning coffee maker:

• Mix 1 tablespoon of citric acid into one gallon of water.
• Add a filter, pour the mixture into the reservoir and begin the brewing cycle.
• Halfway through, stop the cycle and let the acidic solution soak for about 30 minutes.
• Re-start the cycle and let it finish.
• Repeat brewing cycles so the machine is completely descaled, and pour out the descaling solution.
• Re-run brewing cycles with fresh water until it no longer smells of the descaling solution.

Tip No. 5: Cleaning Coffee Maker with Denture Tablets

It’s a little unconventional, but try cleaning your coffee pot wiith the same thing you’d use to clean your dentures (if you have them). Most tablets are designed to be non-abrasive, so you don’t have to worry about damage to this (for some of us) most necessary of your small kitchen appliances. Most are anti-bacterial, so all those little bubbles will scrub through the pot, washing away bacteria.

• To clean your coffee maker with denture tablets, follow these steps:
• Fill the reservoir with warm water up to the maximum fill line.
• Drop two denture tablets into the water and let them fully dissolve.
• Run a brewing cycle and pour out the denture tablet solution.
• Run another cycle with fresh water to rinse.

Even More Methods for Cleaning a Coffee Maker

If none of these solutions does the trick, try “brewing” aqueous solutions of any of these cleaning agents in your coffee maker:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Hand soap
• Dishwasher detergent

You should always be cautious about what you put into your coffee maker and how well you rinse it out - and if you’re in doubt, always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations!

How Often Should You Clean Your Coffee Maker, Anyway?

To keep your coffee-making machine humming along, daily drinkers should clean it out at least once a month. Descaling should be performed at least every three months.

Keep that pot clean too! It’s a good idea to rinse out the carafe once a week or so, to prevent scum and deposits from building up.

Pour just a bit of warm, soapy water into the carafe and drop a few kernels of rice in. Swish it around so the rice scrapes the sides of the carafe clean!

Professional Local House Cleaning Services Who Care

We’re sharing our best tips because You’ve Got Maids® of Northern Virginia believes you should never miss the chance to enjoy a great cup o’ joe.

Now that it’s April, we know a lot of families in Loudoun and Fairfax who are planning a little spring cleaning. As you spruce up your home for springtime, don’t forget to clean that all-important coffee maker and your other household appliances! And if you need a little help with the rest of the house, don’t forget our Signature 52-Point Spring Clean™.

Call us at 571-732-2199, message us on our website, or email us at NoVA@YouveGotMaids.com to get your free estimate and set your next appointment. We serve residential and business clients in Chantilly, Fairfax, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Centreville, South Riding, Stone Ridge, Brambleton, Ashburn, Lansdowne and Leesburg VA.

For more useful cleaning tips, connect with You’ve Got Maids® of Northern Virginia on Facebook and Twitter.

Let us take care of the clean, so you can take care of your life.