How to Clean a Coffee Maker Without Vinegar

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If you’re a coffee lover, you know there’s nothing better than having a cup of coffee to start your day. It’s essential to clean your coffee maker if you want your coffee to taste fresh and delicious.

An ingredient some people use to clean their coffee makers is vinegar. Since this option isn’t ideal for several reasons, you may wonder how to clean a coffee maker without vinegar.

Keeping your coffee maker clean is essential because it can harbor harmful bacteria and mold, which pose a serious health threat if consumed. These hardened deposits can also affect your machine’s ability to heat your pot, leaving you with stale and bland coffee.

In this article, you’ll find many practical alternatives on how to clean a coffee maker without vinegar.

1. Dish Soap and Water

The easiest way to keep your coffee maker clean is to rinse your pot with water when you’re done using it, then scrub it with dish soap and water. Leaving the coffee in your pot for too long will cause residue to start forming on the glass.

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with dish soap and water:

• When using a dishwasher, rinse your pot first, then put it in the dishwasher
• Only include dishwasher-safe parts
• When handwashing, only wash the removable parts of your coffee maker
• Use a small or diluted amount of dish soap so there won’t be too much residue
• Rinse out any leftover soap by running your machine for two more cycles (only with water)

2. Crushed Ice and Salt

Sometimes we can’t rinse and wash our coffee makers right away, this can lead our pots to develop hard stains which can’t be easily removed. Descaling your coffee pot with crushed ice and salt is the best way to remove these tough stains.

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with crushed ice and salt:

• In your coffee maker’s carafe, mix three cups of crushed ice and one cup of salt
• Use a dish sponge to scrub the carafe
• The mixture’s abrasive consistency will help break apart stains
• Once you’re done, wash the carafe with dish soap and water

3. Lemons

Lemon juice is primarily citric acid which has powerful cleaning abilities. It works pretty similarly to vinegar but with a fresh scent and taste. Lemon’s acidity helps break up any stains on your coffee maker and has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Here’s how you can clean a coffee maker with lemon juice:

• In your coffee maker’s reservoir, mix one cup of water with one cup of lemon juice
• Run your coffee maker for one cycle (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the lemon juice and water
• Only using water, run your coffee maker two more times to remove any lemon juice

4. Alcohol

Vodka is a type of alcohol that’s effective for cleaning because it’s odorless, colorless, and has a high alcohol content. It can help disinfect, degrease, and deodorize your coffee maker. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t use isopropyl alcohol or any other ethanol-based alcohol to clean your coffee maker because these are poisonous if ingested.

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with alcohol:

• Fill your water reservoir with one cup of vodka (any brand will do)
• Fill the rest of your reservoir with water
• Run your brew for one cycle (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the alcohol and water
• Only using water, run your coffee machine two more times to remove any alcohol

5. Hydrogen Peroxide

3% hydrogen peroxide is a colorless, non-toxic liquid, a well-known oxidizer, an antiseptic, and a household cleaning agent. Hydrogen peroxide prohibits the growth of microorganisms, which is precisely what you need to do to keep your coffee maker clean.

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with hydrogen peroxide:

• Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to your coffee maker’s reservoir
• Fill the rest of your reservoir with water
• Run your brew for one cycle (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the hydrogen peroxide and water
• Only using water, run your machine two more times to remove any residue

6. Baking Soda

Baking soda is a non-toxic household product most often used in cleaning. Its alkaline and abrasive properties make it an excellent cleaner for your coffee maker.

Follow these steps if you’re using baking soda to clean a coffee maker:

• Mix half a cup of baking soda and 2 cups of hot water in a bowl
• Make sure the baking soda is completely dissolved, then transfer this mixture to your coffee machine’s reservoir
• Run your machine once (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the baking soda and water
• Only using water, run your coffee maker two more times to remove all the baking soda

7. Alka-Seltzer Capsules

Alka-Seltzer is a cleaning hack to remove unwanted stains or residue from your coffee pot. Alka-Seltzer effervescent capsules contain citric acid and baking soda, some of the household cleaning ingredients I mentioned earlier. Their easy tablet form makes cleaning your coffee maker a breeze!

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with Alka-Seltzer:

• Fill your coffee maker’s reservoir with water
• Drop three capsules of Alka-Seltzer into the reservoir
• Make sure to dissolve all the Alka-Seltzer capsules
• Run your coffee maker for one cycle (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the used water
• Only using water, run your machine two more times to clean any leftover Alka-Seltzer.

Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is a powder that’s most often used in baking, it’s one of the main ingredients in baking powder. It’s made up of tartaric acid and, when mixed with water, can help dissolve dirt or grime found on your coffee maker.

Here’s how to clean a coffee maker with cream of tartar:

• In a bowl, mix two cups of hot water and ½ cup of cream of tartar
• Make sure to dissolve all the cream of tartar, then add it to your coffee maker’s reservoir
• Run your machine for one cycle (no coffee grounds and filter)
• Drain the cream of tartar and water
• Only using water, run your coffee maker two more times to rinse off any leftover powder

Final Words

A clean coffee maker is key to making flavorful and robust coffee. You should give it a rinse and wash it after every use, but it’s recommended to give it a deeper clean every three months.

With a few of these everyday household items and simple steps, you can rest easy knowing that your coffee will continue to taste fresh and delicious every day!