How to clean a coffee maker with Bleach?- with extra 3 Method

It is said that if you have a coffee machine then your kitchen is the dirtiest place of your house. As the filter and the reservoir area are an ideal place for growing mold, bacteria, and fungi.

So, you should take care of your coffee maker.

Coffee is an integral part of our daily routine and the coffee maker that makes our day every morning needs an adequate amount of care. Cleaning the carafe and reservoir every day or on alternative days is necessary.

Is it safe to use bleach to clean a coffee maker?

If your coffee maker has covered with grimy, mold, and bacteria and you are thinking about how to clean and disinfect  it then you are in right place. Well, cleaning your coffee maker with Bleach is not a great idea as it is not the safest way.

Though people use Bleach, only because it has the amazing ability to kill all types of germs, it can remove the stains and it’s affordable.

Here we are going to tell you that How to clean a coffee maker with Bleach most safely that it will not turn into a dangerous element, and the effective alternative ways as well.

Why you have chosen Bleach to clean your coffee maker?

Maybe you are eager to know how to clean a coffee maker with Bleach but first, you have to understand Bleach is a dangerous and caustic element. It can kill the germs of your coffee machine but it’s poisonous to the human body as well.

Traces of Bleach under your coffee maker could be dangerous. So, there are some things where you should be concerned about before using this method.

Like the material of your coffee maker is suitable for Bleach or not, because if it is not favorable then it could be damaged after a certain point.

So, the most effective place to use Bleach is the outer surface of the coffee maker. It will remove all the stains after just one time of use.

How to clean a coffee maker with Bleach?

Bleach contains hazardous effects as mentioned above you have to follow strictly all the instructions while using it. We are going to tell you how to use Bleach in safest way that it will not harm you.

Here the few steps to follow

Step1: Mixing the Bleach with water

Take a small pinch of Bleach with a help of a spoon and mix it in 1 gallon of water. Never apply Bleach directly to your coffee maker because Bleach never dissociates with water fully. A direct application would cause your coffee to taste bitter and toxic.

While taking the bleach out of the container, make sure you are using a spoon and maintaining a certain distance.

If it comes in direct connection with your skin, it will irritate as the pH level is 11.

Wait! Wait! If you are going to forget to make a certain distance, you should not. See, Bleach has caustic effects, fumes it is very harmful to your lungs and respiratory system.

Step2: Run the cycle

After preparing the mixture-water, pour the water into the reservoir and turn on the switch. Run the water through the coffee maker and wait until the coffee pot fills with the flowed water.

Immediately after filling up, turn off the power button and don’t let the mixture be hotter. Put down the water from the carafe carefully.

Step3: Repeat the cycle

After running the Bleach water you have to repeat the cycle at least 5 times with plain water, you can use hot water. Yes, you read it right. It’s mandatory to repeat the cycle up to 5 or more than five for cleaning the bleach extracts.

Bleach is a miniature granular substance so, there is a high chance, it could be stuck in your brewer and toxify your morning love later.

By repeating the cycle you will get good results as all the substances will be ruined.

You can use hot water for saving the extra time that the coffee maker will take to heat the water.

Step4: Final Check

At the last attempt of the running water cycle, smell the last batch of water from the coffee pot. Bleach has a very strong chronic smell. If you have a bad scent from the water then you need to run the water again.

Until there is no smell of bleach you would like to continue the process because if it stays it will make your coffee bitter.

Step5: Air Dry

In the last step, detach every part of the coffee maker as much as possible and keep them in the open air to dry. After completely drying if there is any white patch of Bleach that means it needs to be cleaned again. Repeat the water cycle and air-dry.

You can also check this detailed article for removing rust from the coffee maker hot plate.

The alternative ways to clean a coffee maker

I know you are very uncomfortable using Bleach after reading the chemical effects of it. Yes, cleaning your coffee maker with Bleach is not a great option, and you might feel, is it possible to clean your coffee machine more easily?

So, the answer is yes! There are more effective and safer ways to clean your favorite instrument in the kitchen.

There are highly available ingredients like lemon juice, Vinegar, and Baking Soda that you can use easily.

1. How to clean a coffee maker with lemon juice- Best Guide

After regular use of your coffee maker, it needs deep cleaning because over time coffee granules and remaining residues get stuck in the brewer line and reservoir area as well.

Even if you wash your coffee maker after every use with plain water there could grow germs.

Lemon is an acidic property and antimicrobial, can kill bacteria easily and it doesn’t contain caustic property like Bleach. So, you can easily replace the Bleach with Lemon juice.

The steps you need to follow-

• In the first step cut a lemon and squeeze out its extracts and mix with water. In 1 gallon water mix the lemon juice. You can take one-two spoons of lemon juice depends on to coffee maker’s condition. If it needs a deep clean then you can take 2 or more.

• In the water mixture add 1 tablespoon of salt then pour the mixture into the reservoir and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Lemon juice itself has antimicrobial properties and adding salt will enhance the result.

f you are leaving it for a good amount of time in the reservoir, all the build-ups and residues will dilute with the water.

• Now run the cycle through the filter, the heated water will give you a great result. After filling up the coffee pot you can see how many coffee traces were there. Then look at the filter and reservoir whether it needs more set of Lemon juice.

• Now run plain water through the coffee maker 3-4 times and rinse your system.

• Keep your system for air dry or in the sunlight at your countertop.

Will lemon juice affect your coffee taste?

Yea, it is right. After the application of lemon juice to clean the inner part of your coffee maker, it will give you a sour taste in the first few cups of coffee. You can lessen the number by running plain water through the brewer cycle.

I would suggest even though it is giving you a few cups of sour coffee, it’s better to have over a toxic cup of coffee (you could have after application of Bleach).

2. How to clean a coffee maker with Vinegar?- Best Guide

Vinegar is another fruitful product for cleaning grimy coffee makers. It is also acidic, so it dilutes the mineral deposits and kills microbial germs just like lemon juice does.

So using vinegar if you have it in your kitchen would be another safer and effective way to clean your machine.

There are few steps, after completing those you will be amazed by the results-

• First, take your dry coffee maker. Make sure you are not doing this just after making a cup of coffee, take it when it is in complete dry condition.

• Pour tap water till half of the reservoir and fill the rest of the half with your vinegar. Let it rest in the system for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Thus vinegar will react with the build-ups, mineral deposits, and germs.

• After a good amount of time, run your coffee machine. Untidy, dirty water will come out. Apart from the lower portion of water which contains more mineral deposits, pour the rest of the water from the coffee pot to the reservoir. Run the cycle again.

• This time throw the vinegar water in your basin. Now run the cycle with plain water again and again. Until the water stop to smell like vinegar.

• In the last step, don’t forget to unassemble your system and air dry. 

Additional tips:

• After years of using, your coffee pot may be stained. I know it looks bad. But if you dip down your coffee pot into vinegar water for a few hours then wipe it out with a tissue. Almost all stains will have vanished.

• In the filter the coffee granules get stuck so it slows down the filter process. Dip it as well as a coffee pot for a few hours, take an old brush, and wet it with vinegar water.
• Move the brush over the filter in a circular motion all the miniature substances will come out.

3. How to clean a coffee maker with Baking Soda?- Best Guide

Sodium hydrogen carbonate is commonly known as Baking Soda is a chemical component. It’s a natural scrubber that has been used in every kitchen for cleaning purposes.

It is usually used to clean the kitchen countertops. But it is very effective for your coffee machine as well.

In this method, you just have to follow some very easy steps- 

• Take 1 or 2 spoons of baking powder to dilute in water. Put the water mixture in the reservoir.

• Wait for few minutes to dissociate coffee traces and germs. Then run the cycle of the coffee maker. With baking powder solution run the cycle 2 times back to back.

• Now rinse the machine with plain water as much time is needed.

• Now follow the similar step of detaching and air-dry.

• As baking soda is a natural scrubber while cleaning the inside of your coffee maker you can also clean the outside.

Dip a soft utensil scrubber in the baking-soda water. Rub the outside of the coffee maker gently and remove all the unwanted stains. 

Tips for regular maintenance of coffee maker

• Many people in the morning, when they are in a hurry don’t focus too much on remaining things like they usually leave their carafe with remaining coffee. So, it’s not healthy and it will cause stains over the pot.

Every time don’t forget to empty your pot and wash that at least with tap water.

• If your coffee maker is detachable, then it’s well and good. After every use run a plain water cycle and detach all of them for air dry. If you maintain this there will be no chance of growing bacteria in your coffee maker reservoir.

• If you are going on vacation and you will not use your machine for a couple of weeks. Turn off it, and detach all parts if it’s possible.

• Always use organic substances for cleaning your coffee maker like vinegar and salt etc.

Frequently asked questions-

How a coffee maker could make anybody sick?

Bacteria, fungi usually grow in damp places. It’s a suitable place for them to be abundant. Now give your concern towards the inside of the coffee maker. Yea, it is damp and sugary a divine place for bacteria.

If you just leave your machine after every use without cleaning them properly, you can’t imagine how many germs can breed there.

When you will sip your coffee in the morning that also contains germs that could make you sick and harm your digestive system.

How often should I clean my coffee maker?

We can understand your problem, how hard is it to clean all the things on a busy day, right? We would suggest cleaning your coffee maker with plain water after every or alternative use.

You don’t need to go through a long organic cleaning process every day.

Apply the organic process like vinegar or lemon juice twice a month. Then it will not take much time in the future for cleaning the stains. If you still have any doubt then comment below.