Every coffee lover agrees that coffee makers are kitchen champs. They brew their morning jolts of caffeine. But the thing is, they’re also warm, damp environments. It means there’s nasty stuff growing in such conditions. And by nasty stuff, we mean your coffee maker might be full of mold.
Moreover, coffee machines accumulate mineral buildup. That’s because most water contains minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. These minerals are usually good for your body. But they can leave a residue that ruins your coffee machine and your morning cup. This article will tell you the efficient ways how to clean a coffee maker. It will also provide you with tips on maintaining the tip-top condition of your coffee maker.
Housekeeping Tips Villa Park IL: Best Ways to Clean Coffee Maker
Easy-to-Follow Tips on How to Clean a Coffee Maker
Keep in mind that a buildup of coffee residue and mineral deposits can affect the flavor of your coffee. It can also clog the components of your coffee maker. Over time, it may impair the efficient drip operation of your machine.
Coffee grounds have natural oils that you can’t remove by rinsing with water. You will notice your coffee becomes more bitter if you don’t clean the brewing basket. Take note that the moist environment of leftover coffee grounds can lead to the growth of molds. Mineral deposits will narrow the water channel. This will result in your coffee maker working in a slow manner if they are not removed.
Here are some of the signs that will tell you that its high time to clean your coffee maker:
- When your regular coffee tastes odd.
- When it takes longer to brew a pot than it used to.
- When your coffee maker makes noises but doesn’t brew.
- When your coffee maker is louder than usual.
- When your coffee maker spews coffee everywhere.
Do you want to keep your coffee maker working like new and producing the best-tasting coffee? You should clean it on schedule. For daily cleaning, you need to wash the removable parts after each use. These include the pot, lid, and filter basket.
To remove the oily coffee residue, you can use hot, soapy water. You can also use a baby bottle brush if you can’t get your hand into the pot to scrub it. You can choose to sprinkle salt or baking soda inside if you need added scrubbing power. Or you can opt to put them on the top rack of your dishwasher.
The following are some of the efficient ways how to clean a coffee maker to make it function well for years:
● Cleaning Your Coffee Maker Using Vinegar
- First, you should dump the old coffee and any grounds in the basket. Make sure to return the basket and pot to place.
- Next, fill the reservoir with 1/2 of hot water and 1/2 of white vinegar. With this combo, it can loosen and remove mineral build-ups inside your coffee maker.
- Then, run the machine like you would if you were making coffee. Once the cycle is complete, you can pour the hot vinegar water back into the reservoir and run another cycle.
- After the second cycle ends, you should empty the pot and wash it in hot, soapy water.
- Make sure to wash the basket using hot, soapy water as well. You may choose to use an old toothbrush if necessary. This way, you can remove any coffee residue from the basket’s crevices.
- You should also fill the reservoir with clean, cold water. After that, run another cycle and dump the pot. Make sure to repeat this twice more to ensure all the vinegar is out of the machine. But on the last run-through, you should add a pinch of baking soda to the empty pot. Take note that baking soda reacts with vinegar by fizzing. So, if there’s no fizz, you know the vinegar is completely gone.
- You should remove water spots from the machine’s exterior by using a lint-free cloth. You can dip the cloth into vinegar and scrub any stubborn spots. Then, wipe with plain water. You can buff it dry using a lint-free cloth.
- After that, rewash the coffee pot and basket by hand. You can use hot, soapy water or you can place it in the top rack of your dishwasher. Make sure to let the parts completely dry before putting them back into your machine.
● Cleaning Your Coffee Maker Using Lemon Juice
To clean your coffee maker, you can add 1/2 cup of fresh or bottled lemon juice to the water reservoir. Then, you can fill the rest with hot water before proceeding with steps 3 to 8 mentioned above.
● Cleaning Your Coffee Maker Using Baking Soda
You can add 1/4 cup of plain baking soda to your coffee maker’s reservoir. After that, you can fill it with hot water. Make sure to follow steps 3 to 8 to finish cleaning your coffee maker.
Useful Tips for Regular Coffee Maker Maintenance
Are you brewing cups of cocoa, tea, or mixtures like soup? You can run an extra cup of plain water into a mug afterward. This way, it can help rinse any residual sugars from the filter area and cleanse them before the next use. How about if you have hard water? What if your machine requires cleanings more often than it should? You should consider using filtered water in the reservoir. Don’t use water straight from the tap.
How about if you’re going on vacation and using your coffee maker for an extended period? You should empty the reservoir and turn off the machine. If you’re cleaning a glass coffee pot, stick to all-natural cleansers. These include vinegar and a few tablespoons of salt. Remember that salt will work like a scrub against burnt-on coffee stains and spots on the interior.
Housekeeping in Villa Park IL
Do you need to hire professional cleaners to clean your house weekly? You can hire a team of professionally-trained cleaners from Helping Hands Cleaning Services in Villa Park IL. We offer house cleaning services, move-in, move-out cleaning, and sanitizing. For inquiries, you can call us at (630) 530-1324 or click here.