How to Clean & Descale a Keurig With Vinegar?

Keurig and other coffee machines may relax your mind of thinking about wrangling filters and ground coffee beans every morning. They have made our life easy. So cool!

But how would you feel if your Keurig machine was giving you a cup full of bacteria for a variety of diseases instead of a healthy cup of jawa? And may be you get caught in an illness that makes you rush to the hospital instead of going to the office or you are forced to take bed rest at home. Scared? We got scared too!

Or imagine you are going to the office in the morning and your coffee machine stops making coffee. And now it is showing a message on the screen, ‘Descale me first, then I’ll make you coffee.’ And you have to go to the office without your favorite cup of joe. Worried? We too

Imagine your guest have come to you and you have served them a cup full of coffee but when your guest grabs the cup he refuses to drink coffee, because there are a lot of sediment in it

What a shame? Right.

So let’s get rid of your fear of getting sick, the worry of going to the office without drinking coffee and of being embarrassed in front of your guest. How is that? By descaling your coffee machine regularly.  

What descaling means?

Descaling means to remove a coating, layer, or incrustation by the chemicals in your water that grab onto your machine’s heating elements. 

Basically your water has different types of minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, iron and zinc etc. These minerals are often present in water everywhere in the world. These minerals build a limescale in many kitchen appliances, including kettles, irons, and of course, coffee machines.  You may taste your brew unpleasant due to these minerals even before your coffee maker fails. 

So de-scaling is crucial part of a Keurig maintenance if you want to continue enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee on demand.

What is the best time to descale your keurig? 

It is recommended to carry out this operation descale your Keurig at least twice or three times a year. Either every six months or every four months and more often if your machine is in very heavy use. Also if you live in an area with hard water, because your water will contain more limescale.

And when you notice your machine is running too poorly it means it requires an operation on urgent basis . But you should wash the removable parts of your coffee machine once a week and replace the filter after every two months.

Many coffee machines have an automatic reminder function that will tell you when to get descaling. But If your unit doesn’t have this type of function, make a reminder in your mobile or a note on your calendar so that you don’t forget.

What you’ll need to descale your keurig 

1. Excess to electric power plug
2. 1 bottle descaling solution or vinegar
3. A large ceramic mug
4. Filtered or fresh water
5. Warm water 
6. Soap
7. Sponge
8. Access to a sink

How to descale your keurig step by step

This is so simple. Everyone could do this following the steps below:

1. Step : Unplug the machine. 
2. Step : Empty the reservoir
3. Step : Remove water filter
4. Step : Disassemble the water reservoir, lid, mug tray, and K-cup holder.
5. Step : Clean the water reservoir, lid, mug tray, and K-cup holder in warm soapy water.
6. Step : Wipe down the exterior surface with a wet sponge.
7. Step : Replace all the removable parts back to the machine except the reservoir 
8. Step : Use the correct distilling solution or distilled  vinegar
9.  Step : Pour descaling solution or vinegar into reservoir
10. Step : If using vinegar we want to fill the reservoir to the halfway point 
11. Step : Fill the empty reservoir with water and add to the machine 
12. Step : Always use filtered water
13. Step : It’s best to use filtered water
14. Step : Place a ceramic mug on the tray
15. Step: Avoid to use paper cup 
16. Step : Make sure that there is no k-pot on the machine. If there is, remove that
17. Step : Power on the machine 
18. Step : Wait for the buttons to light up and choose the biggest cup that your brewer can make. It may be 10oz. brew size
19. Step : Once the cup is full, discard that into the sink. 
20. Step : Repeat the process until the add-water light turns on.
21. Step : Let the machine stand for 30 minutes with power on and let the solution do its magic. It may possible when you turned off the auto off feature
22. Step : After 30 minutes are done take the reservoir to the sink and rinse it out thoroughly preferably with soap and water 
23. Step : Place the reservoir back on the machine
24.  Step : Fill the reservoir with fresh filtered water and perform at least 12 cleansing brews to rinse out the machine from all the solutions
25. Step :You may have to fill the reservoir  a couple of times to get to the 12 times. 
26. Step : Your machine is descaled. Place your favourite cake up and drink your well deserved cup of coffee. 

It is possible to clean a Keurig with vinegar – only use distilled vinegar or white vinegar for this. Fill half the water tank of the Keurig with vinegar and the remaining with water. Let it run a cycle where it uses all the water-vinegar mixture in the tank.

After this is done, you’ll have to run a couple more cycles with plain water to get rid of the vinegar smell.

Keurig recommends using its own cleaner and descalers, which are a pretty good option. However, vinegar is as good a bet as any when we want to descale (any) coffee maker.

Yester Banuchyan CEO and Founder of Cook On Monday

How to clean a Keurig coffee maker every week?

If you want to clean your coffee machine every week, this is a great way to maintain it. But in it you just have to wash its removable parts.

1. Unplug the machine
2. Wash the water reservoir, mug tray and cup holder with warm soapy water
3. Remove the water filter from inside the water reservoir and lid, then wipe the cloth soaked in soapy water on the top surface.
4. Wash the reservoir and lid with water and let them air dry. And do not clean it with a cloth as it may stain. 
5. Spread a wet sponge on the outside surface
6. Connect all the removable parts back to the machine and plug the machine back on

How to replace the filter of your reservoir 

Ideally, you’ll want to replace the water filter cartridge of the reservoir of your Keurig coffee machine after every two months.

The reason being is that you just want your coffee to taste so much better with the fresh water filter.

And a neat trick is to set your water filter out for two months in advance. So that you always remember to change your water filter. 

1. Your Keurig water filter need a fully submerged soaking for about five minutes so dunk them in. Make sure they go in all the way. 
2. You want to open the lid to the reservoir to gain access to water filter. 
3. Pull out the container with the old water filter.
4. You just push down on the sides with the arrows to get out the old water filter. 
5. Once your coffee filter fully submurged for five minutes you want to place it back on. And lock it down.
6. Put it back into your reservoir and lock it into place.

How to clean Keurig needles

If coffee ground is coming into your cup or your coffee machine is bothering you to make coffee, it means that coffee grounds are stuck on the inner and outer routes of your machine’s needles.

Following things are required to clean your Keurigs needles 

• A large ceramic mug 
• A clean metal paper clip 
• Access to sink 

You can follow these steps to clean the needles 

1. The needles are sharp so be careful when performing the following steps 
2. Your brewer should be turned off and unplugged 
3. Start by removing the pod holder from the brewer 
4. Lift the handle, grasp the top of pod holder with hand while pushing up the bottom of the pod holder from underneath with your other hand untill it releases.
5. Remove the funnel from the pot holder by pulling on the sides until it detaches 
6. Next locate the tube on the underside of the pot holder 
7. Straighten one side of your metal paper clip and  insirt it into the tube moving it around to losen any clogging and remove any particles
8. Since we have the part already taken apart, it is a good time to give it a cleaning. 
9. Both the pot holder and funnel should be rinsed under the running water washing thoroughly to losen and remove any particles.
10. You are also cleaning the exit needle which is sharp so be mindful of your fingers.
11. Once complete you can set the pot holder and funnel aside 
12. Now clean the entrance needle 
13. Lift the brewer handle and locate the entrance needle under the brewer head 
14. Look closely and you see two holes in the needle which we will need to clean 
15. The entrance needle has a very sharp point so please be careful 
16. Carefully insert your metal paper clip into the two side holes of the entrance needle and gently move the paper clip around to losen and remove any particles 
17. Then safely remove the paper clip and your hands from the area 
18. Now you can put the pot holder back into your brewer 
19. Use two hands to click the funnel back into the pot holder by aligning the side slots 
20. Then align the pot holder tabs with the opening of your brewer placing the two front tabs on the bottom and the single tab on the top
21. Snap it into place by pushing down on the top rim while holding your brewer handle with the other hand 
22. Place a mug on the drip tray 
23. Lift and lower the handle completely and run to water only brews using the largest cup size 
24. Do not insert a k-cup pot for this step 
25. That is it. Your brewers needles are now clean and you are ready to brew

Keurig’s and other companies formulated de-scaling solutions Vs white vinegar 

There are three types of descaling agents which are mostly used to remove mineral deposit build-up from Keurigs and other coffee machines: Keurig’s branded descaling solution, branded solutions of other companies and white vinegar. 

The procedure for cleaning by all the above options is almost exactly the same. But we analyze for you, which of the above options performs the best?

White vinegar is very cheap to buy and is easily available in any supermarket, but it isn’t as impressive for the long-term effectiveness. So you can use white vinegar as a de-scaler on automatic machines, manual machines, pod and K-cup machines, commercial machines, kettles, water heaters and so on. 

But when you want to descale a Keurig coffee machine or any other branded coffee machine, you should use a Keurig’s de-scaler or a descaler which is manufactured by the manufacturer of the coffee machine that you want to descale. Though it is more expensive than vinegar but is formulated by and for Keurig or other branded companies. 

My advice to you is that if you have a Keurig branded coffee machine, you should use a Keurig’s g branded de-scaling solution. If you have another company’s branded coffee machine, you can use the same company’s branded descaling solution to clean it. And you can use Keurig’s or another company’s branded solution to descale other household items such as automatic machines, manual machines, pod and K-cup machines, commercial machines, kettles, and water heaters, etc. But it may cast you more expensive than white vinegar. 

Why I have recommended you Keurig’s branded solutions for descaling a Keurig coffee machine and for other coffee machines their own manufactured descaling solutions?

 Firstly, although Keurig’s and other companies de-scaling solutions do work out more expensive than white vinegar. But Keurig and many other companies claim that using their branded descaling solution regularly can also help to extend the life of your unit.,…

Secondly, if you find yourself having to call on Keurig’s or any other company’s warranty to fix a problem with your coffee machine, they might not be too happy to find that you’ve been descaling the unit through with white vinegar, rather than using their specially formulated de-scaling product. Possibly they will never accept your claim.

And thirdly If you use a branded descaler by the manufacturer of your coffee machine at the recommended intervals of two to three months, the descaler will keep your machine running reliably.

And your machine won’t fail due to a “Prime” error.

Your machine’s warranty will remain valid in the unlikely event of a problem. And you’ll enjoy a better coffee flavor for life time.

Why a Keurig fails to brewing? 

Mostly keurig coffee machines fail to brewing due to a lack of basic maintenance, i.e., de-scaling.

You should prevent such problems from occurring in the first place. And it is possible to avoid hurling insults at the machine, by regularly de-scaling your Keurig home brewing machine?

How much solution or vinegar requires to descale a Keurig or other coffee machines 

If you are using white vinegar, fill your coffee machine’s water reservoir at halfway point with white vinegar and the rest of the reservoir with distilled water. And if you are using Keurig’s branded descaling solution, put the whole bottle of solution in the water reservoir. Then you fill the empty bottle with filtered water, shake it well and pour it in the water reservoir. If the water reservoir is still empty, fill it with filtered water. And it is best to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully if you are using a descaling solution from Keurig or another branded company.

How to fix Keurig descaling light, when it stays on? 

When water passes through the Keurig machine, it carries with its calcium, sodium, and many other minerals. Some minerals stick with the heating elements of the coffee machine during the brewing process. Sometimes they get stuck in parts of the coffee machine that make it difficult for the Keurig coffee machine to make coffee. This is how the lights come on.

Turning on the lights of the Keurig machine means that something is stuck in the machine’s needles or other heating elements. Unplug the coffee machine first as soon as the coffee machine lights are on. Then separate the removable parts and clean them thoroughly. After cleaning, reconnect these removable parts plug in the machine, and power it on.

If the machine lights are still on, process the coffee machine’s descaling. Now power on the machine. The lights of the machine will no longer be on because the machine is descaled. But if the machine lights are still on then call the customer center suggested by the manufacturer of your coffee machine.

Read more Keurig coffee maker reviews from coffee aim

Read more reviews of Keurig coffee maker cleaners from coffee aim