By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Clean That Up.
Hard water leaves mineral deposits inside your coffee maker over time - calcium and limescale that clog the internal components, slow the brew, and make your coffee taste stale or bitter. Regular descaling fixes that. In this tutorial, Clean That Up walks through a full deep clean: descaling the interior, flushing it with plain water, soaking and scrubbing every removable part, and wiping down the exterior. The whole process takes less than an hour and you only need it every one to three months.
Pour out any leftover coffee from the carafe and discard the used coffee grounds from the filter basket. You want to start with a completely empty machine so nothing interferes with the descaling solution. Give the carafe a quick rinse too.
Two options work well: white distilled vinegar or a commercial coffee maker descaler like Bar Keepers Friend. Vinegar is cheap and effective - mix it 50/50 with cold water to fill the reservoir. The downside is the smell lingers through the house while it runs. The commercial descaler mixes 8-to-1 (8 parts water to 1 part descaler), has no harsh odor, and does an equally good job. Either one will work; pick whichever you have on hand.
Pour your descaling solution into the water reservoir. If your machine has a dedicated Clean button, press it and let it do its thing. Without that feature, set the machine to brew the largest carafe size, start it, and let it run until the reservoir is about halfway empty. Then turn the machine off and let the solution sit in the internal components for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn it back on to finish running the rest of the solution through. You will likely see discolored water come out - that is the mineral buildup doing exactly what it should.
Empty the carafe, then fill the reservoir all the way with fresh cold water. Run a full brew cycle to rinse the machine out completely. This clears any remaining descaling solution from the internal tubing. If the water comes out cloudy or yellowish, run a second rinse cycle. Two rinses is usually enough to get the water running clear.
Disassemble everything that comes off your machine - the filter basket, carafe lid, water reservoir if removable, any brew trays or drip plates. Take them all to the sink and let them soak in warm water with a small squeeze of dish soap. The soak does most of the work while you clean the machine itself, so you can do both at the same time.
Unplug the machine before you spray anything on it. Mix up a DIY cleaner: 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, and about a teaspoon of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray it on the exterior and wipe it down, paying extra attention to the grounds basket area (coffee gets crusty there fast) and the heating plate at the bottom (spilled coffee bakes on and gets sticky over time). A scrub brush or scrub sponge helps on tough spots. For any surfaces that come in contact with your coffee, follow up with a damp microfiber cloth to remove vinegar residue so it does not affect the taste later.
Pull the soaking parts out of the sink and scrub each one with a sponge or scrub brush. Coffee oils and mineral residue should come off easily after the soak. Rinse everything thoroughly under running water, then lay the parts out on a clean towel to air dry completely before reassembling. Putting wet parts back on the machine traps moisture and can cause mildew smell down the line.
Once all the parts are fully dry, put everything back on the machine in reverse order. Snap in the filter basket, slide the water reservoir back into place, set the carafe on the warming plate. Your coffee maker is now descaled, deep cleaned, and ready to brew. Plan on doing this every one to three months depending on how hard your water is and how often you brew.
Bar Keepers Friend makes a dedicated coffee maker descaler that works without the vinegar smell. The creator also uses green rubber cleaning gloves to protect hands during scrubbing, and a scrub sponge for the exterior surfaces.
This tutorial is based on a video by Clean That Up, a cleaning-focused YouTube channel with practical, no-nonsense guides for keeping your home in order. Find more at their YouTube channel.
Pour out any leftover coffee from the carafe and toss the used grounds from the filter basket. Give the carafe a quick rinse. Starting with a completely empty machine keeps the descaling solution from being diluted or mixed with old coffee residue.
Tip
Check the grounds basket and carafe lid for dried-on residue from previous brews. A quick rinse now makes the soaking step later much easier.
You have two solid options. White distilled vinegar mixed 50/50 with cold water costs almost nothing and works great, but expect a strong smell throughout your kitchen while it runs. A commercial descaler like Bar Keepers Friend Coffee Maker Descaler mixes 8-to-1 (8 parts water, 1 part descaler) and has no harsh odor. Both effectively break down calcium and limescale from the machine's internal components.
Tip
If you share your home with others and the vinegar smell is a concern, the commercial descaler is worth the few extra dollars. The results are comparable.
Fill the water reservoir with your chosen descaling solution. Machines with a dedicated Clean button make this easy - press it and walk away. Without that feature, set the machine to brew the largest pot it can make, start it, then turn it off when the reservoir is about halfway empty. Let the solution sit in the internal parts for 15 to 20 minutes, then turn the machine back on to finish the cycle. The liquid coming out into the carafe may look brown or cloudy - that is mineral buildup being flushed out.
Empty the carafe, then fill the reservoir completely with fresh cold water - no solution this time. Run a full brew cycle. This rinse pushes any remaining descaler out of the internal tubing so it does not end up in your next pot of coffee. If the water still looks slightly cloudy or yellow, run a second rinse cycle. Clear water coming out means you are good to go.
Take off everything that detaches - the filter basket, carafe lid, water reservoir (if removable on your model), drip tray, and any other removable components. Bring them to the sink and submerge them in warm soapy water with a small squeeze of dish soap. Let them soak while you clean the exterior of the machine. The soak does most of the work so you are not scrubbing as hard later.
Unplug the machine before you spray anything on it. Fill a spray bottle with a mix of 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, and a teaspoon of dish soap. Spray it on the outside surfaces and wipe down with a microfiber cloth. The grounds basket opening tends to collect dried, crusty coffee - use a scrub sponge there. The heating plate at the bottom is another trouble spot where spilled coffee bakes on over time. For any interior surfaces that touch your coffee (the brew head area, inside the basket), follow up with a plain damp cloth to remove vinegar so you do not taste it later.
Tip
Always unplug the machine before spraying any liquids near it. It takes two seconds and eliminates any electrical risk.
Pull the soaked parts out of the sink and scrub each one with a sponge. After soaking, coffee oils and mineral film should come off without much effort. Rinse everything well under running water until the water runs clear. Lay all the pieces on a clean dry towel and let them air dry completely - do not rush this part. Reassembling with damp parts traps moisture inside and can lead to mildew smell in future brews.
Once every part is fully dry, put the machine back together. Slide the reservoir into place, snap in the filter basket, and set the carafe on the warming plate. That is the whole process. Your machine should now brew cleaner, faster, and taste noticeably better. Repeat the descaling portion every one to three months - more often if you have hard water or brew multiple pots daily.
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