To have great tasting coffee every day, it is best to know the procedure to clean your coffeemaker properly. For this purpose, you could use vinegar. There are lots of commercial cleaners out there but using vinegar is fairly cheap. It is also a natural cleaning agent that is gentle to use on your coffee maker.
As you use your coffeemaker daily, mineral deposits and oils can build up and this can affect the taste of your coffee. Cleaning your coffeemaker once every 6-8 weeks will ensure that your coffee always tastes fresh and delicious. Regular cleaning will also lengthen the life span of your coffeemaker.
Materials Required
- white vinegar
- rag
- dish soap
- water
Steps to Clean Your Coffeemaker
The following simple steps are involved in the process of cleaning your coffeemaker.
1. Make a solution in the ratio of three parts water to one part vinegar (3:1). If you have a 12-cup coffeemaker, then you should have a solution of nine cups water to three cups of vinegar (9:3). Use the carafe in mixing the solution for cleaning your coffeemaker.
2. Pour in the solution to the water reservoir to start cleaning your coffeemaker. Put the carafe back in its place on the warming plate of the coffeemaker. Turn on the coffeemaker and run a complete brewing cycle just like brewing real coffee.
3. Let the solution cool down for a few minutes.
4. Once again, pour in the solution in the coffeemaker and do the complete brewing cycle once more.
5. Dispose the solution and run a complete brewing cycle of clean, cold water through your coffeemaker. Dispose the water and run a complete brewing cycle once again using a new carafe full of clean, cold water.
6. This is also the best time to clean the permanent filter of your coffeemaker as well as the carafe. Wash the filter completely with water and soap then, immerse in a newly made solution of water and vinegar just like the one you used earlier. Leave it like that for a few minutes and then wash it using hot soapy water together with the carafe and rinse it completely. Leave it in a clean, safe place to air dry.
7. Wash your coffeemaker completely using hot soapy water. Pay special attention to areas such as the cracks, designs, corners and so on, where there can be a buildup of dirt.
Tips and Warnings
Now that you are done cleaning your coffeemaker, you might notice that it looks like new! Keeping it looking like this between cleaning is quite simple. Just drop a clean marble inside the water reservoir and leave it there for a month. This marble will act like a magnet for minerals and other deposits, thus, avoiding dirt buildups. Replace the marble with a clean one on a weekly basis.
While cleaning the coffeemaker with the vinegar solution, wipe the electric cord to keep it dry. Always unplug the coffeemaker before cleaning.
Use the above mentioned simple steps to keep your coffeemaker clean and spotless.