how to clean a k cup machine

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A Keurig Mini is a wonderfully small and efficient coffee maker. To keep it in great shape, it's important to clean it on a regular basis. This cleaning needs to happen on the outside and the inside of the machine. Proper cleaning of the exterior, drip tray, cup holder, and the inside of the machine will help ensure that your Keurig Mini continues brewing delicious cups of coffee.

1

Unplug the machine. When cleaning your Keurig it's important to minimize the risk of electrical shock by unplugging it. This will allow you to take it apart, move it around, and not worry about getting water or cleaner in areas that could present a shock hazard.^[1]
2
Remove the drip tray. The drip tray is located below the spout on the front of the machine. It is the tray that you set your cup on when brewing a cup of coffee. To remove it, simply slide it towards you while keeping it level and holding the rest of the machine in place.^[2]
- The drip tray may have liquid in it because it holds overflows and spills. Keep this in mind while handling it.
3
Wipe down the drip tray over a sink with a damp rag or sponge. Pour out any liquids that are in the tray. Then wipe all of the surfaces, including the inside that holds excess liquid. In most cases, if you wipe this part down often, it won't be hard to clean with a damp rag or sponge.^[3]
- If your drip tray is especially dirty, you can use dish soap to clean it. Just apply soap to your rag or sponge, wipe down the drip tray, and then rinse it off with warm water.
4

Reinsert the drip tray and wipe down the machine. Once the drip tray is clean, you just reinsert it by pushing it back into the machine. If you keep it level and push it firmly, it should just pop right into place. Once the drip tray is back in place, it's also a good time to use your damp rag or sponge and wipe down the whole exterior.^[4]
5

Clean the outside and the drip tray often. Try to do this cleaning at least weekly if you use your Keurig Mini on a daily basis. This will ensure that the drip tray doesn't overflow and that the machine stays nice and clean.

1
Open the cup area and remove the cup holder. The cup area is where you insert your K-cups for brewing. It is opened by lifting the handle that is at the top of the front of the machine. When you lift the handle, the top area opens up, exposing the cup holder. Once open, just pull the plastic cup holder straight out of the machine.^[5]
- The cup holder should just pop out of the machine if you have a solid hold on it.
2

Pull apart the cup holder. The cup holder is actually 2 parts that can be pulled apart once they are removed from the machine. The funnel is at the bottom and the cup piece is at the top. These 2 pieces should just pull apart with gentle pressure.^[6]
3
Clean out the drip area with a paperclip. There is a small hole that the coffee drips through on the bottom of the cup holder that is called the needle. This needs to be cleaned out so that it doesn't clog and cause the machine to malfunction. Simply open up a paper clip and poke the end of it through the hole. This will remove any buildup.^[7]
- There are tools for sale that you can buy to clean out this small hole but typically a paperclip works just as well.^[8]
4
Rinse and reassemble the cup holder. Once you clean out the needle, give the 2 parts of the cup holder a rinse in warm, clean water. Once cleaned, put the 2 parts of the cup holder back together. Then reinsert the cup holder into the machine. It should pop into place relatively easily.^[9]
- You can close and open the cup holder area to ensure that the cup holder was inserted correctly.
5
Clean the water reservoir, if your Keurig has a removable one. Some Keurig Minis, such as the Mini Plus, have a removable water reservoir. To clean it, pull it straight up and off the the machine. Then wash it inside and out over a sink with a bit of soap and your rag or sponge. Be sure to rinse it out thoroughly to get rid of any soap residue once it has been wiped down.^[10]
- If you have a Keurig that doesn't have a removable water reservoir, the descaling cleaning you do to the inside of the machine will clean the reservoir area as well.
6
Clean the cup holder and the water reservoir every week or two. These parts don't have to be cleaned as often as the drip tray but they should be cleaned on a regular basis. If you use your Keurig Mini every day, clean the cup holder and water reservoir every 2 to 3 weeks. If you use it less often, you can clean these parts just once a month.^[11]
- If you have a hard time remembering to clean out the cup area and the reservoir, just do it when you clean out the drip tray and you wipe down the exterior. Cleaning it more often will only improve the taste of your coffee.

1
Plug the machine back in and place a cup on the drip tray. To descale the machine you will need to run vinegar through it, so you need the power on. You also need a cup to catch the vinegar as it comes out of the machine, so pick a large cup that will hold more than a cup of liquid.^[12]
- Once the machine is plugged in, you can hit the power button to turn the machine on.
2
Fill the water reservoir with vinegar. You should use plain white, distilled vinegar. Pour it into the reservoir until it reaches the fill line. Then close the top of the reservoir area.^[13]
- The amount of vinegar you should use does vary depending on your specific Keurig Mini machine. In most cases, it will take about a cup of liquid to fill the machine to the fill line.
- You can also use a commercial product called the Keurig Descaling Solution. However, using plain, white vinegar is more cost effective and it generally works just as well.
3

Open and close the cup area. Opening and closing the cup area will trick the machine into thinking that you have inserted a K-cup into the cup holder. Wait about 5 seconds between opening and closing the cup area. This gives the machine time to register that you are inserting a K-cup, even though you're not.^[14]
4
Start the brew cycle on the machine. Press the button the says "Brew." Once you hit "Brew," the machine will begin heating and pushing the vinegar through the machine.^[15]
- The vinegar will go through the machine, cleaning as it goes, and then will deposit into the cup you put on the drip tray.
5
Pour the vinegar back into the reservoir. Reopen the reservoir area when the brew cycle is over and put the same vinegar back into it. The vinegar will be hot, so be careful when pouring it. Then place the cup back on the drip tray.
- If you don't want to deal with the hot vinegar, simply pour down your sink and put new, cool vinegar into the water reservoir.^[16]
6
Start the machine again but stop the brew right after it starts. You want this cycle to sit in the machine for awhile, so open the cup holder area and then push "Brew." Wait until the vinegar starts draining into the cup and then turn the power button off.^[17]
- This will ensure that there is vinegar sitting in all of the internal areas of the machine.
7
Start the machine again after 30 minutes to empty out the vinegar. Simply turn on the machine, open and close the cup holder, and then hit "Brew." The machine should push the rest of the vinegar out into the cup.^[18]
- Once the machine is done, pour the vinegar down your sink.
- During the time that the vinegar is sitting, it will eat away at any buildup that has accumulated in the machine, including water scale.
8
Run clean, fresh water through the machine. In order to get rid of any residual vinegar, fill the water reservoir with clean water and run the Keurig Mini through a normal brew cycle. As before, this will require you to put an empty cup on the drip tray, open and close the cup holder, and then push "Brew."^[19]
- To get the vinegar taste out of your machine, you may need to run several rounds of fresh water through it.
9
Descale your machine every 3 to 6 months. How often you descale your machine will depend on how often you use it. If you use your Keurig Mini on a daily basis, it's a good idea to descale the inside of it every 3 months. If you use it less often, you can clean it less often.^[20]
- Remember that if the coffee you make in your machine starts to taste bad, try descaling the machine. It may take less than 3 months to have buildup inside the machine affect the taste of your coffee.

Add New Question

Question

How do you clean a Keurig Mini with white vinegar?

James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James is an expert in all things clean and provides transformative experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a current Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Clean your Keurig Mini with vinegar every 6 months. Simply fill the reservoir with white vinegar, then place a mug beneath the drip spout and run a 10oz brew cycle. Discard the contents of the mug and continue running the vinegar through the machine until the 'Add Water' light comes on. Then, let the brewer sit for 30 minutes with the power on. Rinse the reservoir thoroughly, then fill it with water and run at least 12 cups through the machine.
Question

How often should a Keurig be cleaned?

James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James is an expert in all things clean and provides transformative experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a current Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

The harder your water, the more often you'll need to descale your Keurig. However, you can cut down on the cleaning time by using distilled or bottled water with low mineral content in the Keurig reservoir. That will lead to less scale build-up than tap water, and less cleaning maintenance. Also, avoid using toxic or synthetic chemicals to clean your Keurig so you don't accidentally consume them. Instead, use a microfiber cloth and an all-natural, plant-based cleanser such as Better Life.
Question

Are you not supposed use distilled water in a Keurig?

It's fine to use distilled water in a Keurig. If you have hard tap water, this will cut down on the need to descale the reservoir.
Question

Can I use soft water in my Kerrigan?

Soft water can negatively affect the flavor of tea and coffee, no matter how you brew it (especially if you use regular salt to soften your water, rather than an alternative like potassium chloride).
Question

Are these instructions available in Spanish?

There should be somewhere to choose a language to read in. Scroll down and choose "Español".

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VideoRead Video Transcript

Wipe down the exterior and clean the cup holder and drip tray of your Keurig Mini weekly.
Try to descale your Keurig Mini every 3-6 months.^[21]

Things You'll Need

Rag or Sponge
Paperclip
Vinegar
Water

About This Article

Article Summary X

To clean your Keurig Mini, first unplug the machine. Remove the drip tray and wash it with soapy water. Reinsert the drip tray and wipe down the outside of the machine with a damp cloth. Next, open the cup area and remove the cup holder inside. Pull apart the two pieces that make up the cup holder, then use a paperclip to clean out the hole in the bottom of the holder to prevent clogs. Rinse the pieces and reassemble them. If your Keurig Mini has a removable water tank, remove it and clean it with soapy water. To descale your machine, which will remove calcium build-up that can affect your Keurig's performance, first plug it back in and fill the water reservoir with white vinegar until you reach the fill line. Place a mug on the drip tray and open and close the cup area. Then, start the brew cycle. Dump the brewed cup of vinegar out and repeat until you've brewed all of the vinegar in the water tank. Brew a tank of fresh water when you're finished to get rid of any leftover vinegar.

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