How to Clean Your Drip Coffee Maker With Vinegar

Soooo, I was reading an article on HGTV and read this really awesome bit of information that will now forever be seared into my mind:

“Your coffee routine should include basic cleaning to ensure your home auto-drip brewer makes its best tasting coffee and doesn’t breed germs. A 2011 study conducted by NSF International found that coffee reservoirs ranked as the fifth-germiest place in the homes sampled.

Lisa Yakas, a microbiologist and senior project manager at NSF International, says coffee makers are so germy for two primary reasons: moisture and warmth. “Also, people may not be aware of the need to clean their coffee makers regularly, which allows more time for growth,” Yakas says.”

So. Yeah. As a daily coffee drinker who rarely cleans out my coffee pot, I’m feeling SHOOK! Haha. 

Aside from not cleaning your coffee maker out in ages, here are some other signs that it may be time to clean your single-serve coffee maker:

• It takes longer than usual to brew a cup of joe
  
• When you expect a full cup of coffee but the brewed batch only fills half of your cup
  
• There are extra grounds or granules in your brewed cup
  
• Any unexpected, moldy or mildewy smells
  
• Mineral build-up on visible parts of the machine

Follow these simple steps for cleaning an auto-drip coffee maker for a germ-free home brewer and a fresh tasting cup of joe. (Always check the cleaning recommendations in your machine’s manufacturer’s manual, as well.) Regular cleanings will keep your coffee maker germ-free and ready to brew.

1. Wash the carafe and other removable parts, such as the lid and filter basket, in the sink with warm, soapy water or in the dishwasher if marked dishwasher safe.
2. Rinse and towel dry, or set aside to air dry.
3. Wipe down the machine with a damp towel.
4. Add undiluted vinegar to the reservoir.
5. Let stand 30 minutes.
6. Run the vinegar through a brewing cycle.
7. Follow with two to three cycles of fresh water until the vinegar smell is gone.

And since mold, bacteria and yeast grow in moisture, empty any unused water and leave the lid to the coffee reservoir open to air dry between uses.

Hope this is helpful! I’m making “regular cleaning of the coffee maker” to my routine of things I need to make a priority moving forward!