How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Vinegar and Water

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By Vanessa Hamlin
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If your coffee is starting to taste gritty and its looking a little grimy, it might be time to give you coffee maker a good cleaning. Coffee grounds and minerals from water often build up forming a thick paste like material on the inside of the machine. While there are many cleaners available on the market, it is not necessary to waste your money on them. You can easily clean your coffee maker using vinegar in just a few easy steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

1 cup vinegar
11 cups water

Step 1

Fill the carafe for your coffee maker with 11 cups of water and then add one cup of vinegar. White vinegar is generally recommended although you can use any vinegar you have on hand such as apple cider or red wine vinegar.
Step 2

Pour the vinegar and water mixture into the water tank on the coffee maker just as you would regular water for making coffee.
Step 3

Turn the coffee maker on and allow the vinegar to clean the pot as it runs through a regular brewing cycle. When the brewing cycle has completed, pour the dirty water down the drain and wipe down the outside and the inside of the coffee maker with a clean, damp cloth.

Tips & Warnings

You can also get the outside of your coffee maker gleaming white by mixing one part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle. Spray it on just as you would regular cleaner and then wipe clean.