Here's How Often You Should Be Cleaning Your Coffee Maker

If there's one thing that TikTok cleaning hacks teach all of us, it's that there are a ton of places you have inevitably overlooked while cleaning. (Don't stress, because it happens to the best of us!) Since enjoying all the great tips on the app, you've started cleaning your dishwasher filter, window tracks, range hood filter, and even toilet seat hinges. But there's another one of those common, crucial overlooked spots to clean that will surprise you. It's something you probably use more than once a day: your coffee maker. 

You will be seriously surprised by how often you should clean your coffee maker, and the chances are high that you're not wiping it down enough. If you like to banish dust from your house and pride yourself on running a tight ship, then you will want to put "clean the coffee maker" on your regular to-do list. And note that cleaning the brewer regularly isn't just about keeping a clean house or adding yet another chore to your list. It also ensures that your coffee maker will last longer, there is no germ-buildup in the reservoir, and that it produces the cleanest cup of coffee it can brew for you. After all, if you're serious about your morning cup of joe, then you probably want to make sure you're maintaining the machine that creates that delicious start to your morning.

You probably clean your coffee maker daily, since grounds and dirty filters need to be thrown into the trash and the carafe needs to be rinsed. But you also need to clean inside the machine. According to The New York Times, NSF International's 2011 Household Germ Study found that coffee reservoirs ranked fifth in the top 10 germiest places in the home because of the moisture in them. The study states that 50% of the 22 homes observed had yeast and mold present in their reservoirs. In order to keep up with residue and mold, you should deep clean your coffee maker about one time each month.   

"If you use your coffee maker every day, it should get a good cleaning about once per month," Beth McGee, author of "Get Your House Clean Now: The Home Cleaning Method Anyone Can Master" told Eat This, Not That! "Coffee grounds leave residue in the brew basket, and water stains and bacteria can collect in the brewing components," McGee said. Not only will this ensure you're keeping your appliance germ-free, but it will also keep the taste integrity of your brews. So the next time you're cleaning your kitchen, make sure you clean your coffee maker along with your other appliances! Once you get into a routine cleaning your coffee maker, the task will just be a regular chore you are used to doing.