How To Clean Your Keurig With Vinegar And Water

Jul 16, 2013 · Modified: Jun 3, 2021 by · This post may contain affiliate links ·

how to clean a keurig coffee machine

Making the jump to a Keurig coffee machine was a pretty big investment for me (I can be a bit frugal!) Once we made the switch to a Keurig I wanted to make sure I maintained it so I researched how to clean a Keurig and thought I would share that with y'all today.

It's important to regularly clean and descale a Keurig machine in order to have the best-tasting coffee. Luckily cleaning and descaling a Keurig with vinegar is not hard at all! Here is the step by step tutorial to keep your Keurig sparkling and your coffee tasting great

Time needed:1 hour.

Step by step tutorial for how to clean a Keurig with vinegar.

Remove reservoir

Remove the water reservoir and reservoir lid. These should NOT be put in the dishwasher. Instead, clean them with a wet soapy cloth and then rinse thoroughly. To clean the filter screen at the bottom of the reservoir simply run it under a strong stream of water or fill your reservoir with 2″ of water and agitate it. Don't dry the reservoir or lid with a towel, let them air dry to avoid getting lint in your reservoir (and therefore your coffee!)
Clean the K-cup holder

Remove the K-cup Holder. BE CAREFUL! There are needles in there y'all…let's not bloody up the Keurig, okay? To remove the K-cup holder hold it firmly on either side of the top and push up from the bottom with your other hand. It is clearly impossible for me to get a picture of myself doing this since I need one hand for the camera but I've shown the hand positions below-just do both together! You may need to very gently wiggle but don't force it or you will risk breaking it.

Once you get your holder off you can pop it in the dishwasher on a LOW-TEMPERATURE cycle. (Did you grasp the importance of the low temp there?) If you need to clear the exit needle at the bottom of the K-cup holder you can do so with a paper clip pushed up from the bottom.
Clean the Keurig machine
Use an old toothbrush or other small cleaning brush to clean around the needle at the top of the K-cup holder assembly and around the interior if necessary. Wipe the exterior of the Keurig with a damp soapy non-abrasive cloth.
Clean the Drip Tray
Remove the Drip Tray and clean with a-you guessed it-damp, soapy cloth. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
Reassemble
Reassemble your Keurig after all the parts are clean. Get ready to descale that bad boy if your Descale light is lit or it has been more than 3-6 months since your last descaling.
Descale the Keurig with Vinegar

To descale the Keurig, you will need 48 oz of undiluted white vinegar and a ceramic mug.

First, turn off the Auto Off Function if it is on. Empty your water reservoir and if you have a water filter in the reservoir remove that as well. Pour the vinegar into the reservoir and place your mug as usual. Do not use a K-cup pack, just close the brewer and push the brew button. The Keurig will brew a hot cup of vinegar.

When it is finished dump the vinegar into a sink and continue repeating the process until your Add Water light turns on. Let the Keurig sit (still on) for 4 hours. After the 4 hours dump any remaining vinegar in the reservoir down the sink and rinse it thoroughly.
Rinse!
Congratulations. You have been descaled. But now your coffee/tea/cocoa will taste like vinegar so let's rinse it out and finish the job! Fill your reservoir with water and run your cleansing brew (no K-cup) just like we did with the vinegar. Repeat until the Add Water light turns on.

You're all done!

By making sure you clean and descale your Keurig regularly you can make sure you protect your investment and continue to enjoy good tasting coffee for a long, long time!

When was the last time you cleaned your Keurig?

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