Inside: How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Bleach. Collaborative post.
Coffee maker is one of the essential appliances in your kitchen. They brighten your mornings and help you relax after a long day by enabling prepare a hearty cup of coffee. The best pour over coffee makers are efficient, user-friendly, and durable and you can find out how to choose the perfect coffee equipment on Coffeeness.
Like other appliances, the coffee maker accumulates dust and grime over time. Cleaning it regularly will increase its efficiency as well as ensure that every cup of coffee you prepare is perfect. Here is a detailed guide on how to clean a coffee maker with bleach.
Things Required
- One tablespoon of bleach
- One gallon of water for purposes of mixing with the bleach
- At least five gallons of water. This water should not be mixed with bleach
- Drip coffee maker
Step 1: Prepare a Solution by Mixing Water with Bleach
First, you should not add bleach into the coffee maker directly. Instead, you should first mix the tablespoon of bleach with one gallon of water. Make sure that you adhere to this ratio to avoid ending up with a solution that is highly concentrated with bleach.
Prepare this solution in a well-ventilated space as inhaling the fumes can result in skin, lungs, and eyes complications. Consider opening the windows if you intend to clean the coffee maker indoors to allow free flow of air.
Step 2: Add the Solution into the Water Reservoir
Gently pour the solution into the coffee maker’s water reservoir and turn it on to run fully through the appliance. Give it time to cover the whole coffee pot to get rid of the grime and all particles lodged on the surface.
Step 3: Pour the Liquid Out of the Coffee Pot
Once you are satisfied that the water has filled the coffee pot fully, turn off the appliance then pour out the fluid. The main reason why you should first turn off the coffee maker before pouring out the solution is to reduce the amount of bleach that comes into contact with the heating plate.
Step 4: Getting Rid of the Bleach
Pour a full gallon of clean water through the coffee maker to get rid of bleach. Run the coffee maker several times to completely get rid of all the bleach. Depending on the model, you may have to run the coffee maker several times.
Please don’t leave the appliance unattended as anyone who is not aware that you are cleaning it may use it before all the bleach drains out. Note that consumption of coffee that contains bleach can result in health complications.
Before we proceed, its important to appreciate that there are different types of coffee makers in the market. Here is an article that carefully reviews the best pour over coffee makers to help you find one that suits your needs and budget.
Step 5: Rinse the Coffee Maker Using Hot Water
Heat one gallon of hot water and pour it in the water reservoir then turn it on. The hot water will help to not only get rid of the bleach but also reduce the smell of bleach. You may prepare the hot water before you embark on cleaning the coffee maker to save time.
Its recommendable to run five gallons of hot water through the system before you start using it again. This move will ensure that there are no bleach remnants before you start using the coffee maker again.
Step 6: Check the Smell of the Water
One way of knowing if the coffee maker is free of bleach is by smelling the final gallon of hot water used to rinse the coffee maker. Even the slightest smell of bleach means that you should repeat the process. Go an extra mile to check the PH level of the water to be sure there is no bleach. Anything below or above 7 means that you need to repeat the rinsing process.
Step 7: Air Dry the Coffee Maker
Air drying the coffee maker before you resume using it is one of the surest ways of ensuring that there are no bleach remnants. You should air dry it for 24 hours in the sun and in a well-ventilated space. If you clean it during winter, give it time to dry completely on your countertop. Any bleach remnants will solidify into white specs. If you see the specs, rinse it again using fresh water.
Final Thoughts
Bleach is not the only reagent you can use to clean your coffee maker. There are safer alternatives that are equally effective in getting rid of grime. For example, you can use lemon juice and white vinegar with salt. These materials have antibacterial properties and because lemon and vinegar juice is acidic, they will get rid of all calcium deposits better than bleach.