How to Clean a Mr. Coffee Maker in 7 Easy Steps

1. Rinse After Use

The first part of cleaning a Mr. Coffee machine happens well before you are in need of deep cleaning. We are talking about the everyday cleaning of using your machine. Rinsing out your carafe every time you use is not only necessary to prevent gross old coffee from getting stuck in your carafe, but can help keep your machine free of buildup and cakes on grim that will be extremely difficult to remove after 3 months of use. 

You can also try buying a dishwasher safe Mr. Coffee machine. This takes the pressure off of you. While it does clean your machine well, it is still beneficial to undergo a deep clean ever so often. If you fall in this category, you aren’t off the hook just yet. 

2. Grab White Vinegar

Cleaning Mr. Coffee with Vinegar is easy and effective. All you need to do is add four cups of white vinegar into your coffee maker as you would water for brewing. Make sure your machine’s water reservoir is fully emptied any leftover grounds have already been removed before adding the white vinegar into the mix. You can also use a cleaning solution if you prefer this over white vinegar. 

3. Add a filter

Add an empty filter into the basket. Now we are not making white vinegar coffee. Just bear with us and trust the process. 

4. Brew

Start your machine like you are brewing up a morning cup of joe. This will allow the white vinegar or cleaning solution to set into every crevice and caked up area of the machine. After it is finished brewing, let the solution sit in the carafe for at least 30 minutes. 

The great part about this method of cleaning your Mr. Coffee machine is that the machine does most of the work for you. Just add the solution and click the button. No excuses are allowed when it is that easy. 

6. Rinse

After the machine has set for 30 minutes, it is time to rinse out the carafe. You can use water only and grab a dishcloth to wipe away any gross buildup that the cleaning solution dissolved. Be sure to rinse out the solution well, we don’t want a mouthful of white vinegar next time we whip up a pot. 

7. Run a Water Cycle

Now that we have hopefully removed the bulk of the nastiness, run a water cycle two or three times to push any leftover gunk out. Fill up the reservoir and run the machine as usual. Repeat step number five after each cycle to ensure that you are not reinserting any dissolved buildup back into the machine. 

8. Enjoy!

This should hardly be counted as a step, but you are all finished! Make sure to put up your cleaners to have on hand for the next time your machine needs a deep clean. You can now run your machine with actual coffee this time. The extra water cycle should have removed any leftover hint of vinegar or cleaning solution, so don’t worry about taking a big gulp of not so great coffee anytime in the near future. 

Tips and Tricks

A few more details to help keep your machine at its tip-top shape at all times, make sure to clean your Mr. Coffee maker every 90 days. This ensures there isn’t much time for irreversible build-up. If you’re anything like us, 90 days is more than enough runs of the coffee machine to call for a deep clean. 

Don’t use harsh soap when you are following the 7 steps. This is something that you use for drinkable coffee, so remember that when adding loads of chemicals. The vinegar or cleaning solution will be more than enough, and even though you use soap on plates and bowls, it is not the standard practice when deep cleaning your carafe. 

 Another helpful tip is to prevent your coffee from sitting in the carafe for long periods of time if at all possible. Mistakes happen. You forget about that coffee your husband brewed earlier or the office morning got hectic. No matter what the reason, try to maintain this practice as much as you can. It will help prevent build-up and the need for additional deep cleans. 

Now, go grab your Mr. Coffee machine and get to cleaning. If you are just now reading this article, you most likely are in grave need of it!