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How to Clean a Keurig

Cleaning a Keurig machine can be a lengthy chore that usually happens once in a blue moon… or it can be a super short and easy chore that you do once every week or two.

I’ve cleaned a number of Keurigs in my day and I know exactly what doesn’t work, what does work, and what works best.

In this guide we’ll cover in depth:

  • the process of cleaning out your K-Cup puncture needles so that clogs don’t happen and you get good flavor extraction
  • the process of descaling your water lines inside the machine with either dedicated descaling products or DIY household products
  • the internal cleaning of any and all coffee oils, grounds, or spills that lead to the buildup of bacteria and mold

You would be shocked at how gross the inside of a Keurig can get if you neglect to clean it out.

I’ve prepared this document for you in PDF form so that you can print it out for easier reference while working on your machine.

To get the PDF just drop your email address into the box below and I’ll get you your copy of the guide right away.

You can also expect to receive periodic emails that I know most Keurig owners will find helpful.



Here are a few additional articles on the site that may be of interest to you. These are not formatted for PDF download so feel free to jump straight into the content.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker With Vinegar
There are plenty of coffee maker cleaning and descaling products on the market, we’ve even reviewed the best coffee maker cleaners but there’s no doubt that vinegar is a popular option due to it’s disinfecting abilities, low cost, and food-safe benefits.

Why do I have to clean my Keurig?

There are several reasons as to why one might want to clean their Keurig. While the reasons may vary from person to person, there are naturally some of these are that much more common than some others. The main reasons as to why people usually clean their Keurigs are as follows:

  • It often happens that after being used for a really long time, the machine starts to give off a strange odor. This is generally the strongest indication of the fact that the machine needs to be cleaned, and this is the main reason as to why people usually clean their Keurigs.
  • Of course, not cleaning it for a long time makes it comparatively less hygienic, which by itself should be reason for just about everyone to clean it, and do that timely.
  • Finally, the machine’s overall durability also reduces because not cleaning it ultimately makes it run in a way and condition it’s not supposed to, increasing the overall wear and tear.

However, it must be kept in mind that while all of these are indispensable situations, it is still always the best option to clean your machine in a timely manner before any problems arise. That is something that we should all stick to, and that is what Gamble Bay Coffee recommends, because we believe that the first consideration is the one of health!

The need of being careful while cleaning.

Cleaning, though seemingly a minor thing, is actually a pretty major thing, because you expose your machine and thus yourself to several sorts of contamination. This makes it really important that you actually pay attention to the fact that you pay utmost care and attention when cleaning your machine.

So, for the sake of your health, which comes above everything else, please don’t forget to pay attention when you’re actually cleaning your machine. Take some time off other things that aren’t too important, and try to focus on following the steps properly and using the right things in the right way.


How to clean my Keurig?

Well, there aren’t a whole lot of ways to clean your Keurig, to be really honest. There are only a handful, and even these mostly rely on just different ingredients for the same overall thing! Anyway, we’re going to present to you the most sensible method that you can use in order to clean your Keurig.

At the same time, we are also going to give you the best alternatives so that you can choose among them based on what seems to be the most reasonable to you, alright? So here are the main steps that you would like to follow!

Step 1: Turn off the power

The first thing that you might want to do is turn off the power to the machine. Safety must always be the primary concern, and you must always keep this in mind. So, before you start to do anything with any electronic appliance, don’t forget to turn off the power to it!

So, first of all, please turn off the power to the Keurig.

Step 2: Start with the water reservoir/tank

The water reservoir is one of the most overlooked parts, and so it’s really important that you begin with it. You might want to clean it with a soft cloth after emptying it and you might want to carefully clean as much of it as you can without damaging it. If your hand does not reach far into it, it is alright, don’t pry, because you don’t want to end up damaging it while cleaning!

Step 3: Descale the Brewer: Phase 1

Now, what you need to descale your machine is either the Keurig Descaling Solution or, as some people recommend, distilled vinegar (white).

First, you have to turn your machine on, and then you have to put in about one third (1/3) of the bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution or around 1 tablespoon of vinegar, if that’s what you chose. Now, after placing a comparatively larger mug in the drip tray, since you don’t want anything extra to splatter all over your table or counter-top, hold up the handle for about 5 seconds and then pull it back down, and push and hold the brew button until the machine starts the dripping.

Keep in mind: Do not use a K-Cup, do it while that slot is empty.

Step 4: Descaling it entirely

This part is simple if you did the last part carefully. You just have to repeat it all, except that you don’t make the solution come out this time. Instead, you let it sit inside for about half an hour or so, so as to ensure that the inside is properly descaled. This is a really important part of the whole cleaning thing.

Step 5: Cleaning up

Now, you might be wondering how this method is useful if you use vinegar, because the stench would remain there and would make several subsequent coffee sessions comparatively bad. But there’s no reason to worry, because you don’t have to let it remain that way.

There is a very simple way of removing that smell. All you have to do is run the machine, without any K-Cup, a couple of times, with fresh, filtered water. After doing it for about three times or so, you’ll realize that the smell is almost gone! So there would probably be no problem the next time you make coffee with it!

Step 6: Ensuring it all went well

When it all goes well, you might want to make coffee once to ensure that it all went well. If everything went well, the machine should be good as new and so should the coffee be. If some kind of problem still persists, you might want to think over it, because if you followed all the steps properly, it doesn’t seem to be because of cleaning.

Gamble Bay Coffee is here for you!

And as usual, please keep in mind that Gamble Bay Coffee is always here for you. We are always here for you to guide you on how you might be able to get the best machine and keep it in the perfect condition all the time. For example, in today’s article, we tried to show you how you might be able to clean your Keurig to continue making coffee that’s as good as it used to be when you bought the machine!

Now, we would like to thank you for being with us till this point. We thank you for reading the article entirely and attentively. We understand that despite our best attempts, we might have missed something, or that you might still have some queries for us. As we remarked earlier, we’re always here for you- and we love to hear from you! So, if you have any such things to ask us, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We promise to try our best to help you find the best solution or answer for your query, so please do not think twice before reaching out to us!


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