After having many readers write me about this, and then reading a silly article online, I decided to write this post on how to clean a Keurig machine the right and easy way! This is also a great way to clean your regular coffee post.
And just like any coffee pot, you need to clean it every few weeks to keep it safe and healthy.
How to Clean a Keurig and a Coffee Pot.. And Why?
Mold in a Keurig or coffee maker usually isn’t a mystery, but it’s a cleaning issue. Keurigs and traditional coffee pots run hot water through dark, enclosed tubing every day, creating the perfect conditions for bacteria, mold growth, mineral scale, and coffee residue to build up when cleaning is skipped.
Without regular maintenance, moisture and organic residue can form biofilm, a thin bacterial layer that causes odors, slow brewing, and potential mold inside your coffee machine. The good news? This is completely preventable with routine cleaning.
From a chemistry standpoint, distilled white vinegar (acetic acid) is one of the most effective ways to clean a Keurig and coffee pot. Acetic acid breaks down hard water deposits, limescale, bacteria residue, and odor, especially in appliances that use hot water. You can also use citric acid which you can learn about in this post on descaling a coffee post with citric acid.
A vinegar and distilled water rinse every 2–3 weeks keeps your Keurig clean, fresh, and brewing properly. If your machine hasn’t been cleaned in a while, a deeper descaling process may be necessary.
While vinegar isn’t safe for natural stone surfaces, it’s a proven, non-toxic way to clean coffee makers without harsh chemicals.
Ingredients:
-
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Distilled Water
Directions For Keurig:
- Make sure you are using a white distilled vinegar. Empty all the water from the Keurig, add about 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of distilled water.
- Choose the 12 oz of water, and run it through.
- Now, run an 8 oz option of hot water.
- At this point, add in another cup of distilled water. Run another 2 cycles of hot water. **
- Dump out any remaining water/vinegar solution in your Keurig and fill with fresh water. Since vinegar can linger in odor or smell, I recommend running 2-4 more water cycles to make sure you get all vinegar out.
Now that everything has been vinegar steam cleaned, it is very important to let everything dry. Lift up the handle, remove the water holder and let it all dry for a few hours.
** If you still see coffee residue after these cycles, feel free to repeat the vinegar steps.
Directions For A Regular Coffee Pot:
- Add 2 cups of vinegar to the water reservoir, top with distilled water all the way to the 10 or 12 cup mark.
- Turn on coffee pot and let is run through.
- Add regular water to the top of the 12 cup mark and run another cycle.
- Important, leave the lid open after the last cycle and allow it to air dry completely.
Chemist Tips for Keurigs
If you missed this post on my favorite coffees for Keurig, definitely check it out. I love testing and trying all the options out there. Those in the post are the best!
Instead of wasting anything, save your coffee grounds for something useful! Definitely check out the post on coffee grounds here!
There are also many Keurig users who are a little concerned about the plastic cups for health and environment. If it bothers you too, there are many biodegradable options like these type of K-cups. I have also used these cups for tea and really like them. These are used with recycled material.
Another option is using these reusable k-cups. All you need is to buy filters! This is healthy, safe, cheaper, and you can use your own coffee!
So, if you have concerns about this, just use these safe options!
Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk
Linking with Met Monday and these link parties!
Chemistry Hacks For Home and Outdoors
Quick hacks to save time, money, and eliminate unnecessary chemicals!
An easy to use eBook full of over 30+ DIY solutions for cleaning inside and out!
You share such great ideas and tips
Thanks Jo-Anne! I enjoy getting to share all these fun tips 🙂
My friend has one and she was talking about the article she read about how dirty they can get. I’m sharing this!!
I hope she enjoys this. They are easy to keep up with, but can get so dirty if you don’t!
Vinegar comes to the rescue for cleaning so many household things, even our AC pipes (which we learned the hard way). I think it’s easy to dismiss cleaning a Keurig because you can’t see all the residue and build up “behind the scenes” but it should be common sense to clean it as you would your coffee maker if you use it on a regular basis. Nice tips! Now I’m going to make sure the Keurig at work is in tip top condition. LOL
So true! You never think about what is going on each day. Oh yes! Definitely check it out at work. The workplace ones are always the worst since they are used so much 🙂
Thank you for this tip! Mine really needs cleaning! ??
I hope you enjoy using it Leslie! It is amazing how dirty it can get 😮
Love the photos and the info… thanks honey, love mom
Thank you! ?