Coffee Pot Cleaner Alternative

I’ve had my Mr. Coffee 4-cup coffeemaker for probably over two years. I’m ashamed to say but I’ve never done the suggested manufacturer maintenance to keep the coffee tasting delicious. I’ve blamed the coffee for the nasty burnt flavor. What a shame to have wasted delicious coffee since I brewed it with my dirty coffeemaker! Seeing how vinegar is the all-purpose solution to all cleaning problems, I tested this eco-friendly coffee pot cleaner alternative.

Why Vinegar as a Coffee Pot Cleaner Alternative?

- Cheap

- Leaves zero toxic residues inside your coffeemaker

- Environmentally friendly

When Are You Due for Coffeemaker Maintenance?

Manufacturers recommend decalcifying, every 80 cycles when using soft water and every 40 cycles when using hard water (most of us, use filtered tap water, which has tons of stuff that result in mineral deposits). This means that depending on how often you brew, you would do maintenance every three months when using soft water (who uses soft water treatment? I heard it’s good for your hair) and every month and a half when using hard water (AKA tap water).

Some signs that your coffeemaker is due for maintenance:

- Increase in time it takes to brew

- Excessive steaming

- Build up of white deposits on the surface

- Nasty tasting coffee, regardless of what type of coffee you buy

What You’ll Need

For this “DIY” project (let’s consider this a DIY…) all you need is:

- White vinegar

- Water

- Time

Steps to Remove Mineral Deposit Build-up in the Water Reservoir

Pour a mix of ½ white vinegar and ½ water to the top of the water reservoir.
Let the unit sit for 2 hours. The vinegar will break down the lime and mineral deposits.
Place a coffee filter like usual.
After 2 hours, brew the vinegar and water mix.
For those of us that have neglected our coffeemakers for years, repeat steps 1 – 3 above two more times, and just let it sit for 20 minutes instead of 2 hours. **Make sure you let the decanter cool before pouring cold water to avoid cracking of the glass.
Trash the used coffee filters and make sure to use a new one each time you brew.
After the vinegar mix brews, pour fresh water and fill the water reservoir to the top.
Brew fresh water 2-3 times to rinse out the vinegar from the coffeemaker (or as many as you think you need).
Clean the decanter following the steps below while you let the unit sit for 2 hours.

Steps to Remove Mineral Deposit Build-up in the Decanter

Pour equal parts of white vinegar and hot water inside your decanter to the top.
Find a bowl that will let the decanter’s bottom fit nicely in a vinegar solution. Just pour enough vinegar to cover the bottom part of the decanter (where the hard minerals are built-up).
Let the decanter sit for 2 hours. The vinegar will break down the lime and mineral deposits.
After 2 hours, empty the decanter and rinse with clean water.
Clean the removable filter basket at the same time you clean the decanter (see below).

Steps to Remove Build-up in the Removable Filter Basket

Place the filter basket in a bowl where you can immerse it in vinegar mix to the top.
Pour equal parts of white vinegar and hot water inside the bowl to the cover the filter basket.
Let the decanter sit for 2 hours. The vinegar will break down the lime and mineral deposits.
After 2 hours, rinse with clean water.
You can wash inside the basket with a new toothbrush or q-tips to keep the coffee oil and coffee grime from building up between the crevices.
Follow the steps below to clean the exterior of your coffeemaker.

Steps to Clean the Exterior of Your Coffeemaker and Under the Top Lid

Wipe down all the areas with 100% vinegar using a cloth or paper towel. You can use q-tips for tight spots.
Wipe down the area under the top lid. Mine has accumulated lots of coffee stains but I read that placing a second filter on top of the coffee ground will keep the spattering to a minimum.
For the warming plate, you might have to place a cotton cloth / paper towel soaked in vinegar and let it sit for 2 hours (depending on the hardness of the build-up). Then, once softened, it will a little easier to wipe.