How to Clean a Keurig

See post: Cha Ching Queen|Keep Your Keurig Clean – Easy and Quick Way, How to Clean Your Keurig

How to Clean a Keurig

For the most part, the Keurig is an easy machine to use. It is durable and reliable. In fact, we have had the same Keurig for years. But, the somewhat annoying part of being a Keurig owner is having to clean it. In this post, I will show you different ways to clean your Keurig and when and why you would use each method.

Descaling a Keurig

When you start to make your cup of coffee and you see the “Prime” message on your Keurig, it is time to descale your Keurig. In addition, if you have any other issues with your Keurig, the first thing you will want to try is descaling.

What is Descaling?

Descaling is the process of removing mineral buildup. Since all water has some minerals, eventually, these minerals can build up in your coffee machine. Hard water will have more minerals than less hard water and the buildup is something you will not necessarily see. Mineral buildup can affect the taste of a beverage, cause the water not to heat properly, and make a Keurig not function properly.

With normal use and regular water, users should descale a Keurig every three to six months. For Keurig owners with hard water or heavy usage, they should descale a Keurig more often.

How to Descale a Keurig

In order to descale a Keurig, you can use a descaling solution or white vinegar. 

How to Descale a Keurig with Descaling Solution

To descale a Keurig with a descaling solution, first purchase Keurig’s descaling solution or one that is compatible with Keurigs. You can buy this online from Amazon or in-store at places like Target and Walmart. You will also need a mug, fresh water, and access to a sink.

According to the Keurig website, there are three parts to descale a Keurig which consist of first descaling solution rinse, second descaling solution rinse, and fresh water rinse. First, turn off the Keurig. Next, remove the water reservoir and empty any water. Then, fill the reservoir with a whole bottle of descaling solution and additional water to fill the reservoir. Now, put a mug under the brewer and run a brew cycle at the largest mug size without using a K-cup. Discard the cleaning solution from the mug. For the second descaling solution rinse, you will repeat the cleaning brew cycle with the mug until the reservoir is empty. Then, discard any remaining descaling solution from the reservoir and thoroughly rinse the reservoir with clean water.

Now, fill the reservoir with fresh water and run twelve brew cycles on the largest mug size. You will need to refill the reservoir with water a few times during this process. Once you have run the twelve brew cycles with water, your Keurig is ready for use.

How to Clean a Keurig with Vinegar

To descale a Keurig with vinegar you will use the same process as descaling with descaling solution. Instead of using a descaling solution, you will fill have of the reservoir with vinegar and the other half with water. Then, run vinegar brew cycles with the largest mug setting until the reservoir is empty. Next, run twelve fresh water brew cycles. After that, your Keurig will be ready for use.

Learn how to clean a Nespresso machine.

How to Clean the Rest of the Keurig

To clean the rest of the Keurig you will need a clean, non-abrasive cloth, dish soap, and access to a sink. Turn off and unplug the Keurig. After descaling the Keurig, use a wet, soapy cloth to wipe down the outside of the machine. Remember to clean behind it and underneath the Keurig. Then, remove the small pieces such as the mug stand, drip tray, and drip tray plate and clean those with a damp, soapy cloth as well. If needed, you can clean the reservoir inside and outside with a damp, soapy cloth and then rinse with warm water. After that, to clean the inside of the machine, use a sponge or cloth with a little bit of soap and small cleaning brushes (or old toothbrushes) to get in between the crevices. Be very careful of sharp pieces. Then, wipe everything down with a clean, damp cloth. Once everything is dry you can reassemble the Keurig. 

You can use this cleaning method for any Keurig machine, but if you would like to learn how to specifically clean a Keurig Mini, then this Hometalker has some advice for you. The difference from the instructions above is that she recommends turning off the Keurig as it starts dispensing the vinegar. Then, allow the brewer to sit for thirty minutes.

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With regular cleaning and descaling, you can minimize mineral buildup and ensure that the taste and temperature are not affected. Taking care of your Keurig will allow it to last longer and function properly.

Now that you know how to clean a Keurig and how to descale a Keurig with vinegar and descaling solution, you can find a method that works best for you. Vinegar is cheaper and easier to find in stores, but not everyone likes the smell of vinegar. According to reviews, a descaling solution is slightly more effective than vinegar for descaling, but it is also more expensive.

Remember to descale your Keurig every three to six months, or more often if it gets a lot of use. Cleaning the outside and inside of the Keurig should be done more often. Clean the outside of the Keurig about once a week or more if needed.

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To help her remember to clean the Keurig, this Hometalker cleans her Keurig with every season change. She uses a similar cleaning method like the one above, but instead of fresh tap water, she uses bottled water that she then boils and cools. This is done in order to remove chlorine used in tap water treatment. By doing this, she believes it helps her filters last longer and gives the coffee a good taste.

See post: Cha Ching Queen|Keep Your Keurig Clean – Easy and Quick Way, How to Clean Your Keurig

To help you, keep in mind the four basic steps to clean a Keurig from this Hometalker. Step one is to descale the Keurig with vinegar or with a descaling solution. Then, step two is to run several brew cycles with clean, fresh water. Next, step three is to clean the small internal parts. Finally, step four is to wipe the outside of the machine.

Do you have any other tips or tricks on how to clean your Keurig? Please share them in the comments.

Written for the Hometalk community by: Rachel| Cha Ching Queen