Lifehacker

Description

If your Keurig (or any other single serve i.e. Tassimo) coffeemaker is having a case of the Mondays, this video will teach you everything you need to know about cleaning and descaling it properly. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cleanmyspace Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cleanmyspace Detailed how-to below: Many of us use Keurig coffee makers to brew our morning beverage. They get used day after day and need to be cleaned so that they'll last a long time and keep your beverage tasting great. While it may seem daunting at first, it's an easy process once you know how to clean each part. Also, some of these parts are dishwasher safe which makes our job even easier. Ok, no time to waste, let's get started. Here's what you'll need: - Cleaning toothbrush - Pure white vinegar - All-purpose cleaner - Microfiber cloth, dish liquid. Start by taking the parts apart: - Reservoir and lid - Drip tray and drip tray cover - K cup holder & funnel (this takes some work & be careful, there's a sharp needle on the end of this!) Soak these in warm, soapy water or place them in the top rack of the dishwasher if you prefer. If you are soaking them, leave them in the sink for 15 minutes or so and then gently wipe the interiors with a rag or sponge. Rinse well and towel dry. While they are soaking, take your cleaning toothbrush and gently brush out any stuck coffee grinds that will eventually inhibit the machine from working properly. Use a damp cloth to remove any build-up from the inner holder. Wipe the exterior with a cloth and all-purpose cleaner. Pretty straightforward stuff. Then, put it all back together and run a descaling brew. To do this, fill your reservoir half way with white vinegar. Brew several 'beverages' with no K cup in the holder to clean the reservoir and tubing until the vinegar runs out. The vinegar will break down the calcium deposits. When that's done, remove the reservoir and rinse well. Refill it with water and run more brews of water through to rinse out the reservoir and tubing and get rid of any vinegar. When you don't smell vinegar anymore, you know you're in the clear. This will take about 15 minutes and is admittedly quite boring. That's it - the straightforward and simple way to keep your Keurig machine clean and caffeinated. Three quick maintenance things you should know: If you are going away for over a week, don't leave water in the reservoir. It'll evaporate and leave the mineral deposits behind that clog the system. If you brew something sticky like a hot chocolate or iced tea, run a cleansing brew of just water and no K Cup through after you've made your drink. This will rinse out any sugar crystals that would otherwise be cakey or create a blockage. Use distilled water - they suggest this because regular tap water has calcium or other minerals that can leave deposits in the reservoir and machine over time. The deposits clog the heating coils and that means your machine has to work harder, longer and use more energy. If you don't use distilled water you will have to clean it more often to keep it going strong. If you found this helpful please share it on Twitter and Facebook, it really helps us out. If you like the video give it a thumbs up, if you have any questions or comments drop them in the box below, you can also find us on twitter and Facebook and don't forget to subscribe for more cool cleaning videos. Thanks for watching and see you next time!