How to Clean a Coffee Maker

You can clean a coffee maker with commercial cleaning solution or create a DIY cleaner with white vinegar and water. You'll also need mild dish soap and, depending upon the condition of your coffee maker, baking soda.

Look for a dish sponge or non-abrasive scrubber to wash removable parts of the machine. Do not use steel wool or anything else that could scratch the carafe or surfaces of the coffee maker.

Use paper towels, kitchen towels or microfiber cleaning cloths for drying the cleaned coffee pot.

If you have a French press coffee maker to clean, a bottle brush and a rubber spatula will make the task easier.

Learning how to clean a coffee maker daily doesn't have to take a lot of time.

• Unplug and disassemble the removable parts of the coffee maker, including the carafe, brew basket and water tank (if applicable).
• Discard the used grounds or save them for composting.
• Submerge the parts into a basin of warm water and mild dish soap, then clean briskly with a dish sponge.

Tip: Use rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Most manufacturers recommend deep cleaning a coffee maker every one or two months, depending on usage. Begin by cleaning the removable parts of the coffee maker as above, then reassemble and plug the machine in.

If using a commercial coffee maker cleaner, follow the package directions exactly.

These steps show you how to clean a coffee maker with a DIY cleaning solution:

• Fill the water tank of the coffee maker with a mixture of one-half water and one-half white vinegar. Vinegar is an effective natural solution for cleaning a coffee maker.This solution removes calcium deposits and coffee bean oil residue from the interior of the device as well as add acidity to the hot water to disinfect.
• Turn the coffee maker to the brew cycle and allow the cycle to brew halfway.
• Turn off the coffee maker and let the cleaning mixture steep for 30 to 45 minutes, then turn the machine on and allow the brew cycle to complete.
• Discard the white vinegar cleaning solution and refill the water tank with clean water.
• Turn on the brew cycle and allow the all the water to run through the system. Discard the water, refill the tank and repeat the brew cycle.
• When the last cycle is completed, pour out one cup of the water and discard the rest.
• Sprinkle one teaspoon of baking soda into the cup. If the soda fizzes, there are still traces of white vinegar in the water. Repeat the rinsing brew cycle again and retest the water when it is completed.

Some people prefer the simplicity of a manual French press, but its design creates challenges when it comes to how to clean a coffee maker.

• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the spent coffee grounds out of the carafe of the French press. Alternately, you can fill the carafe with water and swirl to loosen the grounds, then pour the water into a fine sieve. This prevents the grounds from falling down the drain.
• Discard the used grounds or save them for composting.
• Fill the carafe three-quarters of the way with warm water. Add a teaspoon of mild dish soap.
• Insert the plunger lid and use the press top to move the plunger up and down rapidly in the carafe three or four times.
• Empty the carafe and rinse it and the plunger well.
• Dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
• Reassemble the coffee maker.

For deep cleaning, unscrew and disassemble the components of the plunger including the filter screens and disks.

• Wash all the pieces in warm water with mild dish soap; you may need to lightly scrub the screens to remove old grounds.
• Rinse all the pieces well and allow to air dry.
• Reassemble the French press.

Tip: Don't discard spent grounds down the kitchen drain as this can contribute heavily to clogging the drain. 

These additional tips will help prevent buildup in your coffee maker:

• Hard water leaves scale behind in your coffee maker. Consider using filtered water if your coffee pot goes through heavy usage.
• Leave the lid open after brewing and after cleaning; more air circulation to the parts of the coffee maker keeps it dried out and less inviting to bacteria.
• Even if you cannot clean the coffee maker right away, empty and rinse the brew basket after each brew cycle.