How to clean a Keurig: daily rinse, needles and descaling

Step by step: how to clean a keurig

Safety first. Unplug the brewer before you clean the needles; there is a sharp needle in the pod holder and another under the lid, so keep your fingers out and use a paper clip. Never mix descaler or vinegar with bleach.

1. 1

   Unplug the brewer and take it apart

   Unplug the Keurig and let it cool. Lift off the water reservoir and lid, slide out the drip tray, and pop out the pod holder by pushing it up from underneath while you hold the top. Throw away any used pod.

2. 2

   Wash the reservoir, lid and drip tray by hand

   Wash them in warm, soapy water with a soft sponge or bottle brush, then rinse well. Keurig says these parts are not dishwasher safe on many models. Let the reservoir air dry rather than wiping the inside with a towel, which leaves lint behind.

3. 3

   Clean the pod holder and funnel

   Pull the funnel off the pod holder and wash both in warm soapy water. Look for coffee grounds packed around the bottom; they are what makes a Keurig brew slowly or pour short cups. Rinse and snap the funnel back on.

4. 4

   Clear the exit needle

   Find the needle in the bottom of the pod holder. Push a straightened paper clip up into its hole and move it around to loosen packed grounds, then rinse the holder under hot water. You should see water run straight through.

5. 5

   Clear the entrance needle under the lid

   With the brewer still unplugged, lift the handle and find the needle on the underside of the lid. Gently work the paper clip into each of its holes to loosen grounds. Keep your fingers clear of the point.

6. 6

   Wipe the outside and reassemble

   Wipe the housing, the area under the lid and the drip tray platform with a damp microfiber cloth. Put the pod holder, drip tray and reservoir back, and fill the reservoir with fresh water. Keurig says not to use distilled water in its brewers.

7. 7

   Run two or three cleansing brews

   With no pod in place, set a large mug on the drip tray, close the handle and brew the largest size. Pour the water away and repeat two or three times. This flushes loose grounds and any soap out of the brew path.

8. 8

   Descale when it is due

   Every 3 to 6 months, or when the descale light comes on, run the descaling procedure for your model, described below. Expect foam in the first cups; that is the solution reacting with scale. Finish with fresh-water rinses until the cups taste like plain water.

How do you descale a Keurig?

Pour a full bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution into the empty reservoir, add one bottle of water, run it through, then rinse with fresh water. The exact buttons differ by model, so match your brewer to the rows below and check your manual or Keurig’s descaling page for your model.

If a heavily scaled brewer stops filling and you hear air blowing out, Keurig says to unplug it, pour out the solution, rinse the reservoir, refill with water and continue the fresh-water rinse. If that does not fix it, leave it unplugged for at least 30 minutes before you carry on.

Can you clean a Keurig with vinegar?

Many people do, but Keurig writes its descaling instructions around its own solution, so check your manual before you use vinegar. White vinegar does dissolve the calcium scale that builds up in the heater, but it leaves a smell and taste that takes extra rinses to clear.

If you use it, fill the reservoir with undiluted or half-strength white vinegar, run it through as you would the solution, let it sit, then run plain water through until you can no longer smell vinegar in the cup. Plan on at least a full reservoir of rinse brews. Never add bleach to the reservoir, and never combine bleach and vinegar.

How often should you clean a Keurig?

Rinse daily, wash the parts weekly, and descale every few months. Keurig’s own cleaning schedule breaks it down like this:

• Daily: take out the used pod once it cools, run a cleansing brew, and rinse the drip tray and reservoir.
• Weekly: detach the pod holder assembly and rinse it clean.
• Every three months: descale the internal parts, or sooner if the descale light comes on.
• Every two months: replace the water filter cartridge if your reservoir has one.
• After hot cocoa or milk-based pods: run a cleansing brew right away so the needles do not clog.

If the brewer has sat unused for more than a month, Keurig suggests a full descale before and after storage. Add the brewer to your weekly routine with the rest of our kitchen cleaning checklist.

Mistakes to avoid

• Leaving used pods in the holder for days, which lets mold grow in the funnel.
• Putting the reservoir and drip tray in the dishwasher when your manual says hand wash only.
• Skipping the rinse brews after descaling, so the next few cups taste sour.
• Poking the needles with your finger or a knife instead of a straightened paper clip.
• Using distilled water, which Keurig advises against.
• Ignoring the descale light until the brewer pours half cups or stops entirely.