You use it every day but just how often do you clean your coffee maker. A simple rinse with water may be ok for a bit but you should get into the habit of cleaning it often, and to do so apple cider vinegar is a great, natural cleaner agent.
How to clean a coffee maker with apple cider vinegar: When you use water in a coffee maker, it can leave trace amounts of calcium and other minerals. Over time, this can build up, which is why you should give your coffee maker a good cleaning. To help break down this substance, use apple cider vinegar. It is completely natural and food-safe. Apple cider vinegar also has the benefit of being anti-bacterial. With a warm, moist environment, mold and other bacteria can quickly grow. Apple cider vinegar will kill these germs and make it safe for you to enjoy cup after cup of coffee.
Why is apple cider vinegar affective?
Each year there seems to be a new, amazing food that is able to do wonders. In the last few years, apple cider vinegar has become one such discovery.
Apple cider vinegar has astounding anti-bacterial properties. It can kill germs and even mold and is completely all-natural, which is even better for cleaning.
You can use apple cider vinegar on appliances you cook food in as it is completely safe and non-toxic. This is especially good if you or a family member has food allergies or sensitivities.
Things You Need to Clean Coffee Maker Using Apple Cider
- Dry kitchen towel
- Wet kitchen towel
- Apple cider vinegar
- Plain water
- Hot soapy water
- Sponge
How to Clean Coffee Maker With Apple Cider
Step 1 – Empty your coffee maker
Be sure to get rid of anything that is still inside your coffee maker. This includes emptying water from your carafe and water reservoir.
If there is still a filter, you should remove it, whether it is a reusable one or not. At the end of all these steps you will want to give each part a cleaning with warm soapy water so lay all the parts out, ready for a good scrubbing.
Step 2 – Prepare the solution
Even though you want the most potent cleaning agent, you should still dilute your apple cider vinegar. The best ratio is 1:1. Depending on how large your coffee maker is, one cup of water and one cup of apple cider vinegar will work well.
Pour both ingredients into your carafe. Then, give it a good stir. This solution will then be poured into the water reservoir before you start the next step.
Step 3 – Run your coffee maker
Set your coffee maker to brew a half cycle. You don’t need to worry about more as this half cycle will be more than enough to make your coffee machine shine again.
One of the benefits of running the coffee maker with the apple cider vinegar mixture is that it will heat it up, thus making the solution more effective. Water can leave calcification marks and the warm mixture is better at getting rid of these.
Step 4 – Run a full cycle
Just to make sure that everything is super clean, use the same solution and run your coffee maker on a full cycle. This will get any remnants off and remove any debris that has softened.
Step 5 – Use the solution in your carafe
As the apple cider vinegar solution runs through your coffee maker, it will end up in the carafe. Leave it here for a bit and if you want, use a brush to clean the glass.
Once this is done, you can then dispose of the mixture. Simply drain it down the sink.
Step 6 – Run more cycles
Coffee has a gorgeous taste to it and you do not want it ruined by the taste of apple cider vinegar. Run three to four cycles on your coffee maker but don’t add any coffee.
Instead, simply run the machine with water. Not only will this get rid of any lingering vinegar taste, but it will collect any softened debris that may be leftover.
Step 7 – Clean your machine
We know, the whole point of the apple cider vinegar is to clean your coffee maker for you, but you should still clean all the parts of your machine.
Now is also a good time to clean the filter, the display, and the outside of your coffee maker. To do this, use warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
Allow all the pieces to air dry before you reassemble them.
Which is better for cleaning white vinegar or apple cider vinegar?
Even though both are a type of vinegar, apple cider vinegar is the better option. It has a higher level of anti-bacterial properties and is more potent.
However, most people will have vinegar already in their pantry rather than apple cider vinegar, so this is often a more practical option. White vinegar is also often less expensive than apple cider vinegar.
In a pinch, you can definitely use plain white vinegar to clean your coffee maker. If you have a particularly dirty coffee maker, however, with lots of build-ups, then it is best to go with the apple cider vinegar.
How much apple cider do I put in my coffee maker to clean it?
You should use a ratio of 1 cup of water to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. If you think your coffee maker is very dirty, you can add more vinegar but this is often not necessary.
How often do I need to clean my coffee maker?
While this process may seem a bit tedious, it is important. And apart from the initial steps, it really just involves you running multiple cycles through your coffee maker.
You should try to decalcify your coffee maker with apple cider vinegar every month. If you don’t use your machine that often, then every two to three months will do.
Conclusion
Coffee makers do so much for us, it’s time we give back by properly cleaning them. Apple cider vinegar is a safe but powerful way to clean any mineral build-up in your coffee maker.
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