If you’re looking for how to clean a coffee maker with bleach, then we should warn you that it’s not the safest idea to clean a coffee maker with bleach. Bleach contains high action chemicals that are hazardous and highly corrosive. But there are few ways to do the cleaning with bleach. Let’s discuss those.
For some people coffee is not just a drink, it’s happiness for them. They wake up in the morning and before they get themselves to their job, they love to take a sip.
Consuming coffee has a lot of advantages and it makes people feel good easily. The stimulating effect of coffee is great as it contains caffeine. For some people, coffee is the key to get started. Without having it, they can’t start their regular activities.
The Problem with Coffee Maker and Why You Need to Clean it
The problem with coffee comes when you own a coffee maker and you don’t get time to clean it on a regular basis. When you don’t have a clean coffee maker, you may feel that the performance of your coffee maker is a bit down. You may also feel that the taste of your coffee is a bit weird.
If you don’t keep your coffee maker clean and clear, there are chances that yeast, mold, and other fungal things are growing up inside your coffee brewer. You may find other microorganisms too!
The shocking fact is, the coffee brewer is germier than your washroom door handle, toilet seat, or your kitchen faucet. There is a slight chance of bacterial attack too!
Some people think that the warmness of the coffee maker kills yeast and mold. But it’s wrong. A warm moist environment makes it easier for fungi to grow faster.
Building mold spores is easy when you leave water in the chamber and think of using it later. This happens too when you keep your pot half or full thinking cleaning it later. So, it’s essential to clean your coffee maker from time to time.
In this article, we’re going to cover a few things. First of all, we’ll show you how to clean a coffee maker with bleach and what you need to keep in mind, how to clean a coffee maker with baking soda, and how to clean a coffee maker with white vinegar. We’ll try to take a look at 3 commercial cleaners too! In the end, we’ll try to share a few tips to keep you safe and sound.
So, let’s get started!
Health Issues with Coffee Maker
The question is, can a dirty coffee maker make you sick? Well, the answer is yes. When you’re using an unwashed coffee maker full of mold spores you may get sick. This is allergic to some people. So, while you’re having coffee from that, you may feel
- Headache
- Cough
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- A fungal infection like mycosis
- Runny nose
Mould can also produce mycotoxin which is pretty toxic. This is why cleaning your coffee maker is important. Make this an essential part of your life. There is no chance to skip this regular activity.
Is it safe to clean your coffee maker with CLR?
CLR is a powerful material. It works pretty well on coffee maker pot. You just need to put it inside the pot for a few moments and you’ll notice that your coffee pot is crystal clear. It makes your coffee maker super clean.
The fact is! CLR is also a powerful material just like bleach. Consuming CLR is highly prohibited. Ingestion of it can cause vomiting, oral burns, gastrointestinal disturbance.
So, it’s recommended that you don’t use CLR to clean your coffee maker. You can clean with CLR. But it’s not safe. Some of the coffee makers keep water permanently inside. Using CLR in this type of coffee brewer is prohibited.
Is it safe to clean your coffee maker with bleach?
Cleaning your coffee maker with bleach is not safe. Bleach is pretty hazardous and it’s highly restricted to consume. Bleach is a highly corrosive material by nature. If you apply this through your whole brewing mechanism, it can damage your machine or it can slow down the performance of it.
Consuming bleach can burn and oxidize the tissues inside your mouth and stomach. It can also cause lower blood pressure, nausea, chest pain, delirium. There are cases that show consuming bleach killed people.
So, we do not recommend using bleach to clean your coffee maker.
How to clean coffee maker using bleach
If you choose to clean your coffee maker with bleach, you need to take a few precautions first. You have to make sure that you’re not using it inside your coffee maker and you’re not going to consume bleach somehow. Bleach is highly corrosive so you can only clean the carafe (glass pot) and the outside of your coffee maker with bleach.
- To clean the carafe, first, you need to make a solution of bleach and water. After making that solution, you need to pour it into the carafe and keep it for like 30 minutes safe from any kind of touches.
- After 30 minutes, rinse that pot with water. (You have to make sure that the bleach and its taste are completely gone. Or else, you’ll endanger yourself).
- To clean the outside of your machine, you just need a cotton cloth. Soak it with the solution and simply wipe the body with it.
Other Ways to Clean Coffee Maker
Commercial Cleaners
If you’re willing to pay a few bucks then you can find a lot of products that can help you clean your coffee maker easily. They are made as per recommendations from the manufacturer of your coffee maker. So you don’t have to think about health issues and the performance of cleaning. Here are 3 commercial products that can get your job done properly in a moment.
Essential Values Universal Descaling Solution
It comes from the brand Essential Values at a cheap price. This is the best solution to keep your coffee maker clean and clear. With its short price, you’re getting 2 packs of cleaner.
Brew Rite Coffee Maker Cleaner
The coffee maker cleaner from the sophisticated brand called brew rite can be a real helping hand to you. Don’t hesitate to buy this if you want to get superior cleaning spending a little.
Descaling Solution Coffee Maker Cleaner
It comes from the brand Halefresh. The price of this cleaner is a bit high as it’s a bit bigger in size. If you’re willing to buy a cleaner to use it for a long time, this can be your choice.
How to clean a coffee maker with vinegar
White vinegar is the safest and cheapest item to clean and descale your coffee maker. It works great and it’s not hazardous at all. If you somehow leave it inside your coffee maker, you won’t feel sick or you won’t die (like you would with bleach). You need to follow a few simple steps to clean your coffee maker with vinegar. Those are:
- Mix vinegar and water equally and make a solution.
- Completely fill the reservoir with that solution.
- Use the longest brew option to have the solution inside.
- After that, run one or two cycles of brewing with just water. This is how to get vinegar taste out of your coffee maker.
- If the taste is not gone yet, run a few more cycles of cleaning.
This will make your coffee maker clean and clear. If you leave a little vinegar inside, your coffee may taste a bit sour. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can use cider vinegar instead. It also can remove mold and germs.
Check out our latest article about how do you clean the inside of an electric kettle
How to clean a coffee maker with baking soda
Baking soda is almost like an alternative to the vinegar. Almost everyone has this in their house. You can use this to clean your coffee maker properly and make it safe to use. The steps of cleaning coffee maker with baking soda are:
- First, take a one-quarter cup of baking soda and one cup of water.
- Mix them and make a solution out of that.
- Add the solution to your reservoir.
- Run a full brewing cycle. It will give mineral build-up and clean everything.
- After that, repeat a few brewing cycles with plain water.
You have to make sure that baking soda is not detectable. Keep running the brewing cycle with plain water until it’s totally gone.
You can check these our latest articles about coffee making
Tips on Cleaning your Coffee maker
Maintaining some basic tips can keep you safe and healthy. These things are not hard to maintain.
- Always keep your coffee maker clean to get the pure taste and keep your pot germ free.
- Don’t leave water or coffee inside the coffee pot.
- Always try to keep the coffee maker dry.
- Always try to keep the water chamber blank.
- Try cleaning the inside of your coffee maker at least twice a week.
- Try cleaning the outside of your coffee maker at least once a week.
- Always try to follow the recommendation of your machine’s manufacturer and don’t forget to unplug it after using it.
Final Thoughts
So, this is how to clean a coffee maker with bleach, vinegar, and baking soda. Cleaning with bleach is not recommended. You may go for commercial cleaners instead. If you clean with bleach, make sure you’re taking all precautions and you’re not consuming it. Try maintaining the basic tips we shared with you. Don’t run lazy, keep your coffee maker neat and clean. If you think that this article is helpful for you then please share the article with your friends and family. Stay safe and healthy.
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