How to clean a Keurig, inside and out

The short answer: how to clean a keurig comes down to two jobs: a quick wash of the removable parts and descaling every 3 to 6 months.

• Wash the reservoir, lid, drip tray and pod holder every 1 to 2 weeks
• Clear the needle with a paper clip
• Descale with Keurig's solution or distilled white vinegar
• Rinse well so coffee never tastes sour
• Next step: Plan it with the Cleaning Schedule ($4.49).

Learning how to clean a Keurig takes about 5 minutes of reading and saves you from sour, slow coffee. There are two jobs: a quick weekly wash of the parts you can remove, and descaling every 3 to 6 months to clear the mineral scale you cannot see. This guide walks through both, with Keurig's own descaler or white vinegar, plus the needle, mold and the mistakes that shorten a brewer's life.

How to clean a Keurig: the quick version

1. Unplug the brewer.
2. Wash the removable parts (reservoir, lid, drip tray and pod holder) in warm, soapy water.
3. Clear the needle with a straightened paper clip.
4. Descale with Keurig descaling solution or a vinegar mix, running large brews into a mug until the reservoir is empty.
5. Rinse by running at least 3 brews of plain water.
6. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth.

Why a Keurig needs cleaning

Every brew sends hot water through narrow tubes. If your water has minerals, a little scale is left behind each time. Consumer Reports says mineral buildup and coffee residue slow brewing and affect taste. On top of that, the drip tray collects spilled coffee. In its coffee maker guide, Consumer Reports quotes its head of product safety testing: bacteria can grow in room-temperature coffee, so empty and wash the tray regularly.

What you need

Step 1: Wash the removable parts (every 1 to 2 weeks)

Lift off the reservoir and lid, slide out the drip tray and pop out the pod holder if your model allows it. Wash each piece in warm, soapy water, rinse well and let them air-dry. Consumer Reports says pod brewers usually have a removable reservoir you should wash with soap and water, and some reservoirs are dishwasher safe, but check your manual before trying it.

Wipe the area under the drip tray, where coffee splashes and dries into a sticky ring.

Step 2: Clear the needle

Grounds can clog the needle that pierces the pod, which leads to half-filled mugs. Unplug the brewer, open the pod holder and gently insert a straightened paper clip into the exit needle to loosen any grounds. Move it around carefully. Many models let you remove the pod holder to reach the bottom needle from below. Finish by running a plain-water brew with no pod.

Step 3: Descale

Descaling dissolves the mineral scale inside the heater and tubes. You have two options.

Option A: Keurig descaling solution. Keurig says its own solution is the only approved cleaner for its brewers. Consumer Reports found it sold for about $7 for 14 ounces, and notes that the one-year warranty excludes damage from non-Keurig accessories, which could include other cleaning solutions. If your brewer is under warranty, this is the safe choice. Follow the bottle and your manual for the mix.

Option B: Distilled white vinegar. Once the warranty is over, Consumer Reports says there is no reason not to try vinegar. Owner's manuals typically advise running a vinegar cycle about every month or so, though the process varies by model.

To descale with vinegar:

1. Empty the reservoir and remove any pod.
2. Fill the reservoir about halfway with distilled white vinegar and top it up with water.
3. Place a large mug on the drip tray and run the largest brew size with no pod.
4. Empty the mug and repeat until the reservoir is empty or the "add water" light comes on.
5. Let the machine sit for 30 minutes so the solution can work on the scale.
6. Rinse the reservoir thoroughly.

Descaler or vinegar: which should you use?

Small and single-cup models

Models without a removable reservoir, such as compact single-cup brewers, are descaled one cup at a time. Pour the descaling mix into the water chamber, brew into a mug, and repeat until the mix is used up. Then do the same with plain water at least 3 times. The parts you can remove (drip tray and pod holder) still get the same soapy wash.

Step 4: Rinse well

This is the step people skip. Fill the reservoir with fresh water and run at least 3 large brews with no pod, emptying the mug each time. Consumer Reports says to run at least one water-only cycle after vinegar, and more is better if you can still smell it. Consumer Reports' vinegar guide adds that if your manual says to avoid vinegar, heed the advice, because some machines have metal and rubber parts that could be damaged.

Step 5: Wipe the outside

Unplug the brewer and wipe the outside, the lid and the area around the buttons with a damp cloth. Never put the base in water. Consumer Reports says small electrics should never be immersed.

How often to clean a Keurig

Signs your Keurig needs descaling now

• Brews take longer or come out short.
• Coffee tastes bitter, flat or sour.
• The machine is louder than usual or sputters.
• White flecks appear in the cup or the reservoir.
• The descale light comes on (on models that have one).

Dealing with mold or slime

If you see pink film or dark spots in the reservoir, hand-wash it, the lid and the drip tray in hot, soapy water, scrubbing corners with a soft brush. Dry them completely. Then run a full descale and at least 3 rinse brews. To keep it from coming back, refill with fresh water often and empty the reservoir before you go away for more than a couple of days.

Mistakes that shorten a Keurig's life

Never rinsing after vinegar. Leftover vinegar makes the next few cups taste sour.

Running it with an empty reservoir. It strains the pump. Keep the reservoir above the minimum line.

Using a harsh cleaner. Bleach and abrasive powders are not needed and can damage plastic parts. Mild soap and a descaler are all a Keurig needs.

Ignoring the manual. Models differ. Some have a dedicated descale mode, and some reservoirs cannot go in the dishwasher. Consumer Reports' advice is the same for every brewer: check the manual for specific cleaning instructions.

Letting hard water win. If your area has hard water, Consumer Reports notes that some manuals recommend filtered or bottled water for brewing. That slows the buildup, so you descale less often.

Make it a habit

Most people do not forget to clean the Keurig because they do not care. They forget because there is nothing to remind them. A simple written schedule fixes that.

Our Cleaning Schedule ($4.49) is a 9-page printable with daily, weekly and monthly checklists, a seasonal deep clean list, room-by-room checklists, a family chore chart and a cleaning supplies list. Add "wash drip tray and reservoir" to the weekly page and "descale coffee maker" to the seasonal list. Then add "descaler or vinegar" to the supplies list, so you have it when the date comes.

If you want the rest of the house organized too, the Home Management Bundle ($16.99) includes the Cleaning Schedule along with the Household Binder, Home Maintenance Log, Home Inventory, Moving Planner and Password & Accounts Log. Bought separately, those six come to $32.94.

A Keurig cleaning calendar

Daily: empty the drip tray and wipe the pod holder after the last cup. Weekly: wash the reservoir, lid and drip tray in warm soapy water and let them air-dry. Every 3 to 6 months, or sooner with hard water or when the descale light comes on: descale, then run plain-water rinse brews until the taste is gone. Writing the descale date on your calendar keeps it from slipping.

For the rest of the counter, see our guides on how to clean a microwave and how to clean stainless steel.

Your next step

Look at your Keurig's reservoir right now. If there is film or flecks, wash it tonight and run a descale this weekend. Then write the date on your calendar or cleaning schedule, so the next one happens in 3 months.