How To Clean Your Coffee Maker in 7 Steps

Good Morning, Blog World! 

I am having a free day (#SundayFunday!!!) and am taking the time to do a little spring cleaning in more ways than one. Since I have been sick since Wednesday and our apartment flooded Friday, I thought- "Why not clean everything from top to bottom?" and that is what's happening currently. Right now I figured I would take a break and share the love with my lovely readers. 

Below I am going to share how to clean that amazing coffee maker that sets your day straight each morning. I am not sure about you, but I could not live without coffee in my life. From the smell to its delicious taste, there is just something grand about each morning's cup of warmth and love! 

Here are some good things to know: 

Drip filter coffee makers need to be cleaned monthly to remove hard water deposits, stains, leftover coffee grains, and other impurities that can collect over time. Washing the pot and filter out each morning after use just isn't going to cut it because the the internal components are still housing the nasty build up of germs. I will be honest, I have had our coffee maker since we got married in June and it has been cleaned less than five times. The first time I cleaned the maker I used a tutorial on Pinterest. Since then, I have used many different methods and changed a few steps depending upon the ingredients. 

Since we have been married, I have not cleaned the coffee maker as often as I should but it definitely helps here and there. You can even tell a difference in the first cup after its cleaning! The steps below are some that I just used this morning. Please let me know if you have any questions about something. Remember to ALWAYS be careful when mixing ingredients. Also, never use soap or bleach for this little project. :) 

1) Make a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water-- enough to fill the pot. For a stronger solution make a mixture that is half vinegar and half water instead.

2) Put a filter in your coffee maker. (I normally double the filter.) 

3) Where you would normally pour the water, pour the cleaning mixture. 

4) Turn the coffee maker on and let the mixture run completely through one cycle. (I allow it to sit for 15 minutes after the fact.) 

5) Discard the filter and mixture properly. 

6) Let the coffee maker sit and cool, then wash out the pot with warm water.

7) Repeat all of the above a second time, but this time with plain cold water. This will make sure all of the vinegar and water solution is completely gone. 

While this process can be quick and easy, I am sure there are other tips and tricks out there that will help too. Since we own a Mr. Coffee Maker, I am not sure how this process would work with other types/brands of pots or machines. You may want to do a little additional research before combining ingredients for cleaning your product. 

I hope you all have a beautiful day, friends. I hope you will visit again tonight to linkup with me for the GFC Collective hosted by Bre @ Peacoats and Plaid! I am super excited to be a co-host this week! Also, tomorrow is the first day of Coffee and Conversation with Lauren and me. You can linkup tomorrow here on my blog or over at Simply Free. :) 

Until next time- Happy Blogging!