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It has been a question that many people have. So many people use bleach to clean their house, from cutting boards to counters, so why not a coffee maker? Bleach is one of the best cleaners you can find around your house, and it doesn’t cost much at all.
It’s pretty simple to how to clean your coffee maker with bleach. Here are some simple steps to follow in order to clean your pot quickly.
Filling Up Coffee Maker’s Water Container with Bleach
Begin by filling up the water container with 1 cup of bleach. The typical measuring cup will do just fine.
Fill it about an inch away from the top, so there isn’t any spillage when you start mixing it. You don’t want any of that mess all over your counter or floor.
Turning On the Coffee Maker
Next, you want to place the coffee pot on its base and turn it on. You’ll see that all of the brews begin circulating through the spout right into your waiting cup or carafe.
This will circulate the bleach mixture throughout your entire coffee maker system. Depending on how old your coffee maker is, this could take anywhere from three to five minutes.
You don’t want to leave it on any longer than ten minutes for safety purposes and the coffee maker’s sake, as well as yours.
Wiping the Coffee Pot
After you’ve let it sit there long enough, turn your coffee machine off and unplug it from its electrical source. The next step is to simply take a paper towel or old rag and wipe down the outside of your coffee pot.
All of the gunk, grime, stains, and whatever else has been building on the surface for months will simply wipe off with little to no effort at all.
Letting Coffee Maker Dry
Let it air dry for just a few minutes before you go ahead and use the machine again. If there are still some small stains that are visible, you can always give it a little scrub with your rag or paper towel to remove them.
There you have it! A coffee maker that looks pretty new after cleaning a coffee maker with bleach! No more stains, gunk, smells, or anything else in your way of enjoying an absolutely perfect cup of java.
With just a little bit of elbow grease, you’re well on your way to having the best tasting coffee every single time.
Additional Safet Tips for Cleaning a Coffee Maker with Bleach:
1) If you want, you can always run your coffee pots through with just water before using the bleach mixture. This is especially true if you’ve been having problems with old or loose grinds in your filter basket and they keep getting into your fresh brewed coffee.
2) Make sure to clean out your carafe and filter basket as well. Again, it should be pretty easy, and you’ll notice that you don’t have those old coffee stains just hanging out.
3) You can also use this method for other small kitchen appliances, such as your toaster oven, blender, or anything else that you just need to get really clean. Always be careful when using any sort of chemicals around food and drink.
4) If you have a stainless steel coffee pot, try using vinegar instead of bleach to clean it. You’ll still get the same results and won’t have any sort of chemical reactions with the metal used in the outer construction.
5) Never let your coffee machine soak for more than ten minutes. This can also be dangerous because you don’t want to hurt yourself or damage any of your appliances.
6) Don’t forget about the inside! The bleach mixture will kill anything and everything that is living in there, but just to be safe, you can always run a cycle with just water and vinegar afterward.
7) If you feel like getting into more detail and having it look like new again, you can always clean the outside with some baking soda and water. Just mix up a little bit of each to create a paste that will work great for getting rid of tough stains.
8) Rinse your carafe out before reusing it, just to be safe. We don’t want any bleach residue in our coffee or anywhere else.
Are There Alternatives to Bleach for Cleaning Coffee Makers?
Of course, there are some alternatives to bleach for cleaning coffee makers, such as:
Vinegar
Vinegar is known to be an excellent cleaning agent, and it should work well in breaking down the coffee oils left behind.
First, fill up your machine with a mixture of vinegar and water (about one cup of white vinegar for every two cups of warm water). Shake or stir this solution thoroughly, then place the filter basket back into place.
Turn the machine on and allow it to go through the brew cycle. Then turn off your coffee maker once this is complete and allow a few minutes for the internal parts to cool a bit.
Turn on your faucet or use a cup to catch some of that residual water inside the unit, then remove the filter basket again. Empty out any loose coffee grinds, then wipe down the inside of the basket itself.
Run a few more cycles with only water to ensure that there is no vinegar mixture left behind, which could affect the taste of your finished coffee.
Baking Soda
Baking soda should also be able to break down any stored coffee oils or residue. Mix up a paste using one part baking soda with one part warm water.
You can also add lemon juice to this paste. This should have a paste-like consistency, so only use enough to cover the top of your filter basket. Enjoy your new coffee maker!
Verdict
Bleach is an excellent cleaning agent for coffee machines because it can be used to kill bacteria and dissolve any leftover oils.
But you should use it every few months because too much exposure could wear down the internal parts or simply affect the taste of your finished product.
It’s important to take your time when performing these steps so that you don’t accidentally use too much bleach or mix it with anything else.
If you do not have any bleach available, vinegar and baking soda should also work well for cleaning your machine.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to go get rid of all of that scummy buildup on your coffee maker and enjoy it like never before!