Every coffee connoisseur would know how well coffee can stain pots, filters, and coffee carafe bottles. Coffee stains are notoriously difficult to remove, especially when the stain is allowed to sit and settle on coffee tools. While these coffee stains are not directly harmful to your health, they can make your fresh brew taste stale.
In this article, we'll go over ways to clean different types of coffee makers using apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a gentle acid - having around 5%-6% acetic acid concentration that is lower than white vinegar (5%-10% for white vinegar). This makes apple cider vinegar the safer option to use in cleaning sensitive coffee machine parts.
Why Apple Cider Vinegar?
Both distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are effective in cleaning coffee makers on their own, or along with other ingredients like baking soda or dish soap. The acidic properties of apple cider vinegar clean coffee tools as it dissolves mineral deposits, soap scum from dish soap, coffee residues, and more.
Unlike white vinegar or regular vinegar, apple cider vinegar contains fruit enzymes that help break down organic material like coffee oils, stains, and used coffee grounds for a more thorough cleaning solution.
When combined with baking soda, apple cider vinegar creates a stain-lifting solution with scrubbing action that will clean your coffee pot effortlessly! The combination is ideal to use for cleaning a mesh filter and french press coffee maker as it lifts stains even from tight, hard to reach spaces. Here's how to clean different coffee maker types using apple cider vinegar:
How to Clean Coffee Maker with Apple Cider Vinegar Solution
How to Clean Drip Coffee Maker
Step 1: Place a Filter in the Brew Basket
Place a new paper filter in the brew basket. This filter will catch any large pieces of debris and mineral deposits to prevent the sprayer head from clogging up during the cleaning process. You do not have to rinse the paper filter beforehand.
Step 2: Add Apple Cider Vinegar into the Water Reservoir
Add equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water into the coffee maker's water reservoir. If you haven't cleaned your coffee maker in a long time, add more vinegar than water for a stronger cleaning solution. Fill the water tank up to the maximum allotted load according to the line on your coffee maker.
Step 3: Run a Brew Cycle
Run a brew cycle, and allow the coffee maker to empty the water tank. As the vinegar solution runs through the coffee maker, it will clean the water pipes of mold, mineral buildup, and grime that accumulated in the machine. Drain the coffee pot once full.
Step 4: Run a Rinse Cycle
Run a rinse cycle or two to remove any remaining vinegar smell and residue inside your coffee maker. You may need to run two or three rinse cycles to completely remove the smell.
Step 5: Clean the Coffee Pot
Wash the coffee pot as well as any other removable parts in some hot soapy water until the stains are gone. Dry the parts with a clean kitchen towel, then place them back into the machine, and your coffee maker should be ready for your next brewing cycle!
How to Clean French Press Coffee Maker
Step 1: Add Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda to the Glass Carafe
Add a mixture of apple cider vinegar and baking soda to the glass carafe of your french press coffee maker. Push the plunger down until it is completely submerged in the solution, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, move the plunger up and down to shake off the loosened grime, and to remove the stains from the walls of the carafe.
Step 2: Wash and Rinse as Normal
Remove the cleaning liquid, then wash your french press as you normally would. The apple cider vinegar solution should have removed the majority of the coffee stains in your french press, particularly in the mesh filter. For a deeper clean, dismantle your coffee maker to clean each individual part separately.
How to Clean Coffee Pod Machine
Step 1: Empty the Brewing Pod
First, make sure the brewing pod compartment is completely empty. Remove any coffee pod still inside your machine. You can run your coffee maker without brewing pods to clean it with apple cider vinegar.
Step 2: Add Apple Cider Vinegar to Water Reservoir
Add pure or diluted apple cider vinegar into the water reservoir up to the maximum allotted line. You may add a few teaspoons of baking soda to act as an abrasive scrubber, but apple cider vinegar alone will work just fine.
Step 3: Place Large Mug or Pot
Place a large mug, pot, or catch basin beneath the sprayer head. This will catch all the liquid that flows out of the machine. If your mug is too small to catch all the liquid, run the brew cycle by batch, draining the mug as it fills up.
Step 4: Run a Half Brew Cycle
Run a brewing cycle by batch to avoid overflowing your catch basin. Allow the coffee maker to run vinegar through its pipes, and clean the machine from the inside. Be careful when draining the catch basin, however, as the contents will be boiling hot.
Step 5: Run a Rinse Cycle
Run a rinse cycle, draining the water out as it fills your catch basin. Keep rinsing your coffee maker with plain water until you no longer smell vinegar from the water. Wash the removable components as you normally would.
How to Clean Reusable Coffee Filter
Step 1: Fill a Container with Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
To clean a reusable cloth or steel mesh coffee filter, fill up a container with apple cider vinegar and baking soda - just enough to fully submerge the filter. Allow the mixture to bubble, and mix baking soda until it is fully dissolved.
Step 2: Submerge the Reusable Coffee Filter
Submerge the reusable filter into the cleaning mix. Make sure the filter is completely under the cleaning solution. Let the filter sit for 10-15 minutes or longer for heavy stains. You should notice the cleaning mix getting murky and more coffee-like in color.
Step 3: Wash and Rinse as Normal
Take your filter out of the solution, and wash as you normally would with hot water and dish soap. Let the reusable filter dry completely before storing it, and you should get a nice, crisp coffee drip the next time you use your filter!
Cleaning Up with Luce
Luce provides the most convenient and effective cleaning solutions to keep your coffee maker clean! Enjoy a clear, crisp brew as our cleaning professionals tackle the chores around the house for you. We'll leave you with a spotless home that you can keep clean with ease!
Contact us today to schedule your next cleaning session!
