Cleaning Your Coffee Maker

by Marjorie Dorfman | More from this Blogger

Coffeemakers require special attention and they must be well taken care of if they are to continue to provide the wonderful eye-opening and delicious liquid that they are conditioned to produce from the time they are baby coffee makers. No matter what kind of coffee maker you own or how many, these tips will help you keep them happy. Consider them, if you dare.

Aluminum Percolators Aluminum percolators are not fond of bleach and shun its presence in their insides. Bleach really doesn't work well with anything made of aluminum and plain old H20 and some spice is much more effective. Fill the percolator with water and add about a quarter cup of cream of tartar. (I know how that sounds; you will just have to trust me.) Run the machine through a cycle so that it can pretend to do what it does best and then rinse well with hot water.

Coffee Makers Your coffee maker may never experience time off from its daily routine, but it will appreciate a treat every so often. Clean it by filling the reservoir with water and adding two tablespoons of water softener to the mix. Run the machine through its cycle once, and then again with clean water.

Overflowing Coffee Makers To avoid overflowing, make sure the filter is sitting properly in the basket. To avoid a mess later, simply wet the filter a little before placing it in the basket. (Be careful. Don't soak it; it doesn't need a swim; just a slight dampening.) This procedure will usually hold the filter in place throughout the cycle and you can deal with teaching it to swim at a later time after you have had a cup of your morning brew.

Follow these tips for a cleaner, happier coffee maker. Do YOU have any to add? Please share.

Related Reading:

Some More "Hot" Oven Cleaning Tips"

"Some Unexpected Household Hints"

Learn more about Marjorie Dorfman

Marjorie Dorfman is a freelance writer and former teacher originally from Brooklyn, New York.

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