How to Clean a Coffeepot With Vinegar

Coffee pots need to be cleaned regularly, particularly if you have hard water. Mineral deposits can cause scaling to build up in the reservoir, on the wire mesh filter and inside the tubing that routes the water through the heating element. This can eventually cause your coffee pot to quit working well before its time. While commercial cleaning agents are available, cleaning a coffee pot with vinegar is much more economical and gets the job done just as well, if not better than, other cleaning agents. Does this Spark an idea?

Things You'll Need

• Nylon brush

Instructions

1. Fill the reservoir with vinegar, and allow it to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Run the coffee maker with the vinegar in the reservoir. Make sure the filter holder, pot and the mesh filter (if you use one) are in place.

3. Remove the mesh filter if applicable, and rinse any debris from it with running water. Dump out the vinegar from the coffee pot into the sink.

4. Run a second batch of vinegar 1 to 2 more times to ensure all the remaining mineral scale is cleaned off.

5. Scrub the filter holder and the wire mesh filter with a scrub brush that is dipped in vinegar. Rinse under running water.

6. Run clean water through the coffee pot 2 to 3 times to remove all traces of vinegar.

Tips & Warnings

• Vinegar will remove coffee stains from the outside of the pot, too. Clean the coffee pot once a week to always have fresh-tasting coffee.