Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This, but Clean Out Your Keurig Already

This story is part of Home TipsCNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

Put yours keurig Working morning after morning will inevitably lead to a sticky buildup over time. But beware – if left unchecked, mineral buildup can prevent your Keurig from performing optimally. And when enough of that dirt reaches the inner workings of the machine, the Keurig might stop running altogether.

Luckily, banishing gunk and maintaining your Keurig brew for years to come is easy: just give your favorite coffee maker the attention it deserves. The brewing system, drip trays, and water tanks all require frequent attention. Even the exterior of your device collects unsavory smudges, fingerprints, and other smudges that you want to wipe away.

Here’s how to clean your Keurig and keep it in tip-top shape. (You can learn too how to make iced coffee at homeand how to organize your fridge. Also check out our selection for the best coffee machines, The best cold brew coffee machines and Best coffee accessories.)

1. Clean the outside of the Keurig

Start by wiping down the outside of the brewer. In fact, Keurig recommends that you do this daily. First make sure that the coffee machine is switched off and unplugged from the mains. Next, use a damp cloth to wipe dust and other contaminants from the outside of the machine.

Pay close attention to the area on the front just below the coffee spout. This section usually attracts a lot of splashes and drips.

2. Wash the drip tray

Another dirt-prone part of the coffee machine is the drip tray. Liquid from spills often sits unnoticed. Here, too, coffee drops can evaporate and leave stains. A quick hand wash in the kitchen sink will clean up this mess in no time. Warm water and dish soap will do the trick well. Perform this cleaning task daily.

3. Clean the water tank

Here is another daily cleaning task. That is to give the water tank the same hand wash treatment. Be sure to remove the water filter first if your machine has one. Depending on your brewer, your tank may be safe to throw in the dishwasher.

4. Check the pod holder

The dirtiest part of my test brewer, the Keurig K-Classic, was the pod holder. Coffee grounds, dirt and dried coffee had noticeably encrusted here. To fix this I removed the pod holder and separated it into its two main parts. Then I gave them a water rinse and a good scrub with a damp cloth.

You can also use a paper clip to remove any debris from inside the brewer’s outlet needle. The exit needle sits in the pad holder. Be careful though as this needle is sharp. Note that Keurig recommends cleaning the pod holder every week.

5. Flush the entire system

It is important to keep your Keurig machine’s brewing system clean. Dirty hardware can result in unwanted flavors being carried over from the last brew. Trying Pumpkin Spice Latte in your Sumatra Single Origin is not ideal. Soil residue or other deposits can also lead to blockages and even malfunctions.

To eliminate it all, run a daily brew cycle through the machine with just water. Make sure there is enough water in the reservoir and that the pod chamber is empty. You can cycle with any size cup, as long as the cup you’re brewing in is big enough to hold the liquid.

And if you’ve never descaled your brewer, or it’s been three months, you should. According to Keurig, you should do the procedure quarterly. You can use either vinegar or the company’s special descaler. Keep in mind that it’s a lengthy process, requiring at least 45 minutes (4 hours with vinegar).

Still, descaling removes any mineral deposits (often found in tap water) that may be adhering to your brewer’s internal components. This in turn ensures that your coffee machine brews at the optimally designed temperature.

When you have completed all of these steps, wipe down the brewer again to remove excess moisture. It should now be ready to brew in tip-top shape.

For more information, see how to clean a cast iron skillet, How to clean your grill and how to clean a mattress.

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