How to Remove Stains From a Coffee Maker

Keep your coffee maker looking new with routine cleaning.

Coffee Makers are in constant contact with the staining agent, coffee. Coffee contains oils, causing it to cling to surfaces. If you have ever tried to wipe clean anything that has had continual contact with coffee, like the filter holder of your coffee maker, you may have noticed an oily sludge that stains the towel. Anything with a grease cutting cleaner, like window cleaner, or even dish detergent and hot water, is a good beginning for stain removal.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon scrubber
• Glass cleaner
• Dish cloths
• Liquid cleanser with bleach

Instructions

1. 

   Before cleaning, unplug your coffee maker.

   Unplug the coffee maker. Remove the coffee pot and filter holder. Put aside to be washed. Using a damp dishcloth, wipe up any coffee and loose grounds.

2. 

   The ammonia in glass cleaner removes some stains.

   Spray coffee maker with glass cleaner. Glass cleaners contain ammonia and a detergent solution that removes some stains. Rinse your damp dish cloth, wring and wipe off the glass cleaner. Use the damp cloth to wipe off the heating element. Access your progress.

3. 

   Household cleaners with bleach remove stubborn stains.

   If there are still stains, use a liquid cleanser with bleach. Powdered cleansers with bleach may be too abrasive, but some of them come in a liquid form and are only mildly abrasive. Apply the liquid cleanser with bleach to a fresh, damp cloth. Gently scrub, accessing your progress and checking to make sure you are not scratching the finish of your coffee maker. Rinse your dish cloth, wring out excess water and wipe off the cleanser. Rinse the dish cloth again and wipe to remove all of the cleanser.

4. 

   Non-abrasive scrubbers won't scratch your coffee pot.

   Using a nylon sponge and dish detergent, scour the coffee pot and filter holder. Squirt about a teaspoon of dish detergent on a wet nylon sponge and scrub. Scrub the inside, outside and handle of the pot. Pay special attention to the bottom, the part that touches the heating element. Scour the filter holder and rinse thoroughly.

5. 

   Dry the coffee maker well before plugging in again.

   Dry the coffee maker, the pot and filter holder. If you have cleaned the filter holder well, the drying towel should not have coffee colored stains. If it does, use a nylon brush and a teaspoon of dish detergent and alternately scrub and rinse until there is no more coffee residue or soap left. Dry again.

Tips & Warnings

• Coffee has oils that contribute to its flavor, but can build up in the pot, leaving a bitter tasting residue and staining the coffee maker. Clean often to keep your coffee tasting fresh and your machine clean.

• Do not mix products containing bleach and ammonia. Change cleaning cloths if switching from one cleaner to the other.

• Stainless steel coffee makers must be cleaned with caution so the surface is not scratched. Follow manufacturers instructions.