Melissa Maker @ Clean My Space shares a quick and easy method of cleaning your expensive Keurig coffee makers with a toothbrush, vinegar, dish soap, and a microfiber cloth. Most of the machine can be cleaned in your dishwasher, with minimal manual labor involved.
Head on over to Clean My Space for the full instructions, along with a how-to-video.
First, take out the plastic holder that holds the K-cups. You should be able to turn it a little and it just lifts out.
Once out, take that piece apart. It easily snaps together and apart.
Once it’s in two pieces, you see the bottom of the small metal tube that pokes the hole into the bottom of the K-cup. Take the paper clip and insert it into the tube and see if you can dislodge any tiny bits of coffee, tea, or whatever you’ve been drinking. You can run water over the tube while you do this.
Second, lift up the handle in front all the way up. If you look under the top, you see the second set of tubes that inject the water into the K-cup. There should be three of tubes. Use the paper clip and clean them out as well.
Put it all back together and get a glass measuring cup. Run three batches of water through the machine without using a K-cup. Each time, note the amount of debris in the water, and note how much water is being put into the cup. You want the water to be almost clear and the amount to be consistent.
Wonder if that makes a good buildup on the inside.
Somehow was lucky enough to find this page. Thank you Marianne, as after working on everything else, I read your suggestion to put paperclip through the TOP spout that puts the hole into the cup. I finally have water coming out into my coffee cup instead of putting water back into the water container via that little plastic spout on the top… I was about ready to throw my Keurig out and I really didn’t want to. Good thing I kept hunting… Those Keurig pages I first tried didn’t help me one bit. Like I said, am very glad I somehow found this one… Thank You!!
Thanks for the link. I just saw Melissa’s video and was really helpful.
Mickey,
My Keurig often does not brew also after I push the brew button. I have cleaned my Keurig with the vinegar method used here several times. We also have a house water filter for our water, which we change at least once a month or more. When brewing a cup of coffee, I usually hold the blue brew button a few more seconds until the coffee starts brewing and that usually helps. But it still does sometimes now brew and I have had to lift the handle, power off the machine, let it sit for a few seconds, turn it back on and wait for the water to re-heat, put the handle back down and push the button again. Sometimes that still does not work and I have “punched” lightly on the right side to get it to go. I have had my machine about 2 years. If anyone has any additional help, it would be appreciated (other than buying a new machine!). LOL
Does your Keurig ever not brew after you push the brew button?
Not full cups on large size.
I would love to know the name of a self-cleaning coffee maker! I believe the Keurig, along with the others I know of, require periodic maintenance.
I was under the impression that the better coffee machines were more or less self-cleaning. Am I wrong?