We won’t cover that. you Keurig the coffee filter probably has mold in it. Just because it takes care of all your days caffeine needsthat doesn’t mean you can just let it languish and assume it’ll clean itself up. In fact, if you don’t deep clean your Keurig once a week, it’s guaranteed to get gross pretty quickly. Fortunately, there is a very easy way to clean it that won’t take too much of your time. This way, you can make sure that the next cup of coffee you drink is delicious and mold-free.

If you leave your Keurig dirty long enough, the build-up of leftover coffee and coffee grounds can affect the performance of the coffee maker and the taste of your morning coffee. Worse, when left dirty, it’s a perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Fortunately, it’s easy to give every inch of your Keurig the attention it deserves.

We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about cleaning all parts of your Keurig coffee maker, from cleaning the drip trays to the brewing mechanisms and even the outside of your machine. For more, here they are our picks for the best coffee makers of 2024 and what to know about Keurig’s new compostable coffee pods.

Don’t let the coffee capsules sit for days on end

One of the best things you can do for your Keurig is to be gentle with it when you use it, especially if you use it every day. For example, throw away used coffee pods once they’ve cooled and try to take care of any spills or drips right away. Coffee can grow mold once it’s brewed, and you don’t want that sitting in the Keurig pod holder.

Wipe down the outside of your Keurig

You can begin the Keurig cleaning process by gently wiping the exterior of the coffee maker with a warm, damp cloth or paper towel. Not only that recommend Keurig wiping your coffee grounds daily, this is a very simple step to integrate into your daily cleaning routine. Make sure the coffee pot is completely turned off and unplugged before you start cleaning.

Wash the drip tray

Keurig also recommends a daily drip tray wash, which catches drips from the coffee maker and drains. The drip tray is also prone to unwanted coffee stains. You can hand wash the drip tray with a little warm water and dish soap.

Approach the water tank and the matching cap

Again, Keurig recommends daily cleaning of this element of the coffee maker. Like the drip tray, you can fix this by hand washing the water tank and the corresponding cover with warm water and dish soap. Depending on the coffee machine, you can wash both the tank and the lid in the dishwasher. Just be sure to remove any water filters if you have one in your water tank.

Plus, fresh, cold water from your Keurig tastes much better everyday than day-old water.

Wash the coffee carafe and basket

If you have a K-Duo coffee, it means you have an extra step when it comes to daily care. You will need to wash the carafe and the coffee basket if you have brewed a traditional cup of coffee. Like the water tank, you can wash the carafe and basket by hand or, depending on the coffee machine, put them in the dishwasher.

Clean the pod holder

The pod holder can be one of the most dreaded parts of your Keurig machine. It is the tool that holds the coffee capsules and can collect the used coffee grounds. If it’s not cleaned somewhat regularly, it can get very thick, very quickly, and it can also grow mold. Keurig recommends cleaning this tool weekly, but we suggest wiping it down daily if it looks gross.

The pod holder assembly will need to be removed from the Keurig before it can be cleaned. You can do this by grabbing the edge of the assembly and gently pulling it out. You will also need to detach the pod holder from the attached funnel by pulling the two pieces out. Be careful of sharp exit needles when cleaning these parts.

Keurig recommends rinsing with water, but it couldn’t hurt to remove any gross stains or stuck-on coffee grounds, especially if it’s your first time cleaning it.

Rinse your Keurig thoroughly

To keep your Keurig running smoothly for as long as possible, you’ll want to do a regular cleaning infusion or a process called descaling. Descaling is essentially the process of removing deposits. If you don’t clean your Keurig’s brew mechanisms regularly (Keurig officially recommends doing this quarterly), build-up in the brew mechanism can start to affect the taste of your coffee.

The first step you will need to do is run hot water through the coffee maker. You can do this by running the Keurig as you would if you were making a cup of coffee, but without a coffee pod.

Next, you have two options. You can either descale your coffee maker with a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water, or you can use Keurig’s own descaling solution. Pour your chosen descaling solution into the reservoir and run the Keurig as you normally would. After the car is ready, you’ll want to let it rest for about 45 minutes.

We recommend running plain water through the Keurig several times after descaling the machine to combat the vinegar taste. The last thing you want after spending so much time cleaning your Keurig is ruined coffee.

For more cleaning tips, here’s how to make one natural, universal detergent with three ingredients and how to quickly clean your kitchen in less than 15 minutes.