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How to clean a coffee maker

We bet you're doing it not nearly enough!
/ Source: TODAY

It’s hard to imagine a day when we don’t enjoy our morning cup of coffee.

While there's nothing quite like that first sit up caffeine, how often do you actually clean your coffee maker?

If your morning cup isn't tasting as good as usual, the culprit could be a dirty coffee pot. Debra Johnson, home cleaning expert for Merry Maids, shared her professional knowledge of how to clean a coffee pot.

Any coffee lover knows the struggle of a stained coffee carafe. No matter how many times you wash your coffee pot, it's never quite as bright and shiny as when you first bought it. However, just a little bit of vinegar and water could be all you need for a sparkling pot.

Check out our interactive guide to learn how to clean your home from top to bottom.

How to clean your coffee maker with vinegar:

Supplies:

Instructions:

  1. Fill the reservoir with half distilled white vinegar and half water.
  2. Turn the coffee maker on and let it brew.
  3. Let the pot fill to a few cups and then turn it off. Let it sit for 45 minutes.
  4. Turn it on again to let it finish brewing. Then pour the vinegar mixture out.
  5. Run water through the maker until the vinegar odor has disappeared.

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How often should you clean your coffee pot carafe?

Glass or stainless steel carafes should be cleaned after every use to prevent the oily build-up that makes coffee taste bitter. Wash in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher on the top rack.

Using interviews with specialists, online reviews and personal experience, TODAY editors, writers and experts take care to recommend items we really like and hope you’ll enjoy! TODAY does have affiliate relationships with various online retailers. So, while every product is independently selected, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the revenue.

This article was first published on March 4, 2015.