A fourth a cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle filled the rest of the way with water is great for a quick clean up for coffee makers. Just spray and rinse. It is cheaper than using window cleaner and since I use my coffee maker for both making coffee and brewing tea daily. I like that it does a good job on removing their respective smells.
Also, spray it in the bottom of glasses with a milk ring and let it sit for a few minutes. You won't have to scrub it.
Source: God gets the credit for this inspiration.
By Ann from Saint Peters, MO
This page contains the following solutions.
When I clean my coffee maker with vinegar, I do it in the bathroom. When the vinegar has run through, I put baking soda in the tub drain and pour the hot vinegar in.
I rejuvenated a garage-sale coffeemaker with denture cleaner tablets. I dropped several tablets in a cup of very hot water and used an old toothbrush and many q-tips to clean the inside of the lid, the filter holder, and as much of the reservoir as I could reach.
Cleaning your drip coffee maker is important to keep bacteria from growing and it will ensure that your coffee tastes good. Vinegar is a safe, natural way to clean and disinfect your coffee maker. Try this method every 2-4 weeks:
If you have a coffee pot that has old or burned coffee residue, take about 5 or 6 pennies and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Swish it around the pot until stains are gone.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Is there any good way to clean a coffee-maker, besides vinegar? I have used this and it no longer works.
By meme7_2000
I found this site that has many home-made remedies for cleaning.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another natural, non-toxic cleaning ingredient that does wonders for cleaning a coffeepot among other things. Baking soda is a natural abrasive so it can be used to scrub off stubborn stains and residue similar to the way you'd use Comet or Ajax scrubbing powder.
Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on and around the inside of your coffeepot, then moisten it with water and scrub lightly with a clean moist cloth. Add more baking soda and water as needed until the stains are gone, then rinse thoroughly with clear water.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a natural source of citric acid, and that is also a non-toxic cleaning and disinfecting substance that's easy to use for cleaning a coffeepot. Add a few tablespoons of pure lemon juice to a coffeepot filled with water, then pour that into the coffeemaker reservoir and run the brewing cycle without any coffee grounds in the basket. Run a second brew cycle with plain water to rinse the system fully before using it to make coffee again.
If vinegar no longer works, lemon juice won't either. They are about the same acidity. Baking soda is not going to get rid of the shale buildup. Wrong chemical reaction for that. I would suggest that you try full strength vinegar in the coffee pot. If the thing isn't working, this isn't going to make it any worse.
Does any one know how to keep or remove the burnt sediment off of your coffee pot burner?
kristy
Try wetting a paper towel with a half & half water/vinegar solution and let it sit on the burner after it's turned off but still warm. If that's not strong enough then try scrubbing with a baking soda & water paste after. Good luck!
If it is seriously burned on you could use an oven cleaner.......you will have to wet and rinse well but it should remove it........or let a paper towel soaked in ammonia sit on it over night.....
Wash your dishes with a Dawn wash and toss scrub thing. They get tossed after each washing. Then I scrub out my coffee decanter with it. It has just enough soap leftover to clean it and the scrubby part doesn't get too abrasive.
I also clean out my coffee maker with vinegar when I start to see a build up.
I worked in a convenience store, what we always did, was take a wet cloth to the burner while it was hot (watch your fingers!) We never needed any kind of cleanser for it, just a bit of 'elbow grease' and it was clean.
Two methods have worked for me.
Vinegar and table salt mixed and scrubbed with.
A little more expensive, the Dawn Power Wash in the dark blue spray bottle will remove ANYTHING!!! I use it on the coffee pot, coffee maker, tea pitcher, pots, pans, anything grungy.
I wouldn't suggest this as the chemicals in oven cleaner are not safe. Eating or drinking from something treated with this could be unsafe.
I wouldnt be eating or drinking from it since it (the oven cleaner) will be used to clean the warming plate that the coffee pot sits on!!!! Totally safe & keeping anything eatable from being contaminated.
How do I clean a warming plate on a coffeepot?
By Elaine C. from Camden, NY
Barkeepers Friend cleans well and doesnt scratch
What is the best way to clean a coffee pot?
Joe from Dyersburg, TN
I clean the pot itself with baking soda and water. I put the other parts thru the dishwasher and we clean the coffee maker with vinegar and water.
Over time, coffee can leave ugly brown stains on your coffee maker, requiring regular thorough cleaning to keep it looking new. This is a page about cleaning a Hamilton Beach coffee maker.
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What is the proper way to clean a stovetop coffee maker?
Fill reservoir with 1 pint (473mL) white vinegar and enough extra water to fill the reservoir. Turn on Coffee Maker. Let it brew 1 cup of water/vinegar solution, then turn off coffee maker.