How to Clean Your Keurig Coffee Maker with Vinegar

In this cleaning post, you’ll learn why you should be cleaning your Keurig. Then, I’ll show you how to clean a Keurig coffee maker with vinegar whether you want a quick clean or a deep clean.

I use my Keurig coffee maker a lot. It looked clean, but I didn’t want to be drinking any mold or harmful bacteria.

Since there are lots of parts to Keurig, I wanted to make sure I was only having coffee or tea and not unwanted grime in my cup of coffee.

I want my coffee maker to make delicious tasting coffee and hot chocolate. That means we need to do a regular cleaning to get rid of scale buildup.

I wanted to know how to clean a Keurig. So, I did some research and found an easy and quick way to clean this coffee machine. Most of these techniques will also work for a regular coffee maker.

Table of Contents

How to Clean A Keurig Machine

Use Descaling Solution

The mineral deposits and calcium deposits in hard water cause a scale buildup. Periodically you will need to descale your Keurig to keep your coffee tasting great. Descaling is using a cleaning solution to remove those water minerals.

One method of cleaning is to buy Keurig Descaling Solution, discounted on Amazon. This Keurig Descaling Solution is supposed to remove mineral buildup that comes from hard water.

The descaling process removes the mineral buildup and extends the life of the brewer.

If you don’t want to spend the money on descaling solutions, then try these Keurig cleaning methods to save money.

What You’ll Need to descale your keurig

First, grab your big bottle of white vinegar, a sponge, and some cleaning brushes. Vinegar is a great, natural cleaning product. You can use it to clean your toilet, clean your dishwasher, and more.

When you are finished there will not be a vinegar taste nor a vinegar smell.

What? You don’t have these? That’s okay. If you do not have any of those products, then head over to Amazon.

Find deals on large containers of white vinegar, sponges, and cleaning brush sets.

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how to clean your keurig coffee maker with vinegar quick easy from cha ching queen — How to Clean Your Keurig – Easy and Quick

A Quick Way To Clean Your Keurig with Vinegar Solution

Empty the water reservoir from your Keurig coffee machine.
Pour white vinegar into the Keurig reservoir to the max fill line.
Run the brew cycle (with no coffee pod or k cups) on the Kuerig machine until the vinegar in the coffee mug appears to be clean water
Run a few cycles of just water through the brewer to remove the vinegar.
Clean the inside. Using a sponge or cloth (with a little bit of soap) and little cleaning brushes to get in between the little crevices, carefully clean the inside of the Keurig coffee machine.
Clean the outside with a sponge or cloth.
Rinse by running brew cycles with cold, fresh plain water until there is no white vinegar taste (4 or 5 times).

Video Tutorial On Cleaning Keurig With Vinegar

How To Deep Clean Your Keurig Coffee Maker

Start by cleaning all the removable parts such as the K-Cup pod holder, drip plate, and drip tray on the top rack in the dishwasher. When you remove the K-cup holder be careful. There are sharp Keurig needles inside that poke the holes in the K-cups.
Next, clean the needles with either a paperclip, toothpick, cleaning brushes, or toothbrush. Sometimes coffee grounds get stuck on these needles.
Then, use dish soap and warm water to wash the water reservoir and lid with a sponge, water.
Use the same warm soapy water to wash removable parts and drip tray.
Be sure to wipe down the outside of the machine and the pod holder.
Use fresh water to rinse away all of the soapy water.
Finally, use a microfiber cloth, wet sponge, or towel to make sure everything is dry and reassemble.

Do you have another method to descale a Keurig brewer? Please share… How do you clean your Keurig?

Here’s another video with an easy way to clean a coffee maker. But, many of the comments recommend to not put the Keurig water reservoir in the dishwasher.

Can I Use Distilled Water To Clean My Keurig?

Yes, you can use distilled water to clean your Keurig. In fact, it is a good choice for cleaning and brewing as it can help prevent mineral buildup inside the machine.

Here are the benefits and concerns of using distilled water for cleaning and brewing in your Keurig:

Benefits of Distilled Water In a Keurig

Prevents mineral buildup: Distilled water is free from minerals and impurities, reducing the risk of mineral buildup (scale) inside the machine. This can prolong the life of your Keurig and help maintain its performance.
Better-tasting coffee: Since distilled water is free of impurities, it can result in a cleaner and more consistent taste when brewing coffee. This allows the coffee’s natural flavors to shine through without being affected by the water’s mineral content.
Less frequent descaling: Using distilled water can reduce the frequency of descaling your Keurig, as there will be fewer mineral deposits that need to be removed. Descaling is a necessary maintenance step to ensure the longevity and performance of your machine.

Concerns of Distilled Water In a Keurig

Lack of minerals for extraction: Some coffee enthusiasts argue that certain minerals in water, such as calcium and magnesium, can enhance the extraction process and improve the flavor of coffee. Brewing with distilled water may result in a slightly different taste, as these minerals are absent.
Cost and availability: Distilled water can be more expensive than tap water and may not be readily available in some areas. It might also be inconvenient to purchase and store large quantities of distilled water for regular use.
Distilled water lacks minerals and can be corrosive to the machine. Distilled water acts like a vacuum and absorbs its surroundings, which can cause damage to the plastics and other metal parts of the Keurig machine.
Since it lacks minerals, it can produce coffee with a flat taste.

It is perfectly fine to use distilled water for both cleaning and brewing in your Keurig. The main advantage is the prevention of mineral buildup, which can help maintain the performance of your machine and reduce the need for descaling.

Keep in mind that the taste of your coffee may be slightly different due to the absence of minerals in distilled water.

If you prefer the taste of coffee brewed with tap water, you can always use a water filter to remove impurities while retaining some of the beneficial minerals.