Nothing can ruin a coffee lover's day quite like a bad cup of coffee. The oily residue from daily brewing, along with hard water deposits and other impurities, can build up in your coffee maker over time, ultimately ruining your morning pick-me-up.

Many online cleaning tips insist that the best way to clean a coffee maker is with vinegar, but you only need the acidity of vinegar when it comes time to descale the inside of the machine.

Whether you're cleaning a drip coffee maker, pour-over, capsule coffee maker, French press, or another type of coffee-making gadget, you should be washing the removable parts after every use. You can hand wash pieces like the carafe and filter basket at the sink with warm soapy water or in the dishwasher if the parts are dishwasher safe.

Otherwise, deep clean removable parts, wipe down the outside of the machine, and descale the interior about once a month following the directions below. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is both a cleaner and a degreaser, making it perfect for wiping away oily coffee residue. Plus, the scented formula deodorizes without leaving behind a residue that your next cup of joe could absorb.

Directions for Cleaning a Coffee Maker

Make sure your coffee pot is cool before you begin cleaning.

Removable Parts

1. Rinse. Remove the filter basket and carafe from the machine and rinse them with clean water.
2. Mix your Simple Green solution. Fill a large bowl with ¼ of a cup of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner per 2 cups of water.
3. Soak filter basket. Place the filter basket in the solution and allow it to soak for about 10 minutes.
4. Soak carafe. Simultaneously, fill the carafe with the same Simple Green solution and allow that to soak for 10 minutes. Lightly scrub if necessary.
5. Rinse or wash. Dump the bowl and the carafe. Rinse both parts with clean water one more time or wash them as usual in the dishwasher.
6. Dry. Allow them to dry completely.

Machine Exterior

1. Mix your Simple Green solution. Mix ¼ cup of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and 2 cups of water in an empty spray bottle or a bowl.
2. Wipe down. Spray the solution onto a clean, damp microfiber cloth or dip the cloth in the solution in the bowl, and wipe to clean the machine – don't forget the warming plate.
3. Rinse. Wipe one more time with the clean side of your damp microfiber to rinse the machine.
4. Dry. Finish by wiping with a dry microfiber or allow it to air dry.

Descaling the Interior

Since both Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and hard water mineral scale are alkaline, we recommend using acidic white vinegar to remove mineral scale buildup inside your coffee maker.

1. Fill the water reservoir. Fill the coffee machine's reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water, and place a paper filter into the empty filter basket.
2. Brew halfway and let it sit. Position the pot in place and brew the vinegar solution halfway. Turn the machine off and let it sit for half an hour.
3. Finish brewing. After 30 minutes, turn the coffee maker back on and finish the brewing cycle. Dump the pot of vinegar and water.
4. Rinse with fresh water. Rinse the machine by putting in a new filter and brewing a full pot of plain water. Repeat.
5. Air dry. After two brews with water only, leave the reservoir's lid open to allow it to dry completely.