Most of America starts the day with coffee. No surprise there. That's why your coffeemaker wins the gold for providing your morning motivation every day.
But do you let your coffeemaker know how much you appreciate it transforming you from beast to beauty? The best way to do that is to keep it clean. Not only will it deliver a far better eye opening cup of joe, but it will be a more sanitary piece of equipment.
Surprising News About Your Coffeemaker's Cleanliness
Just because the coffee's hot doesn't mean you've got a clean machine. Wet, moist environments are ideal places for mold and bacteria to grow.
In fact, NSF International, the public health and safety organization, found that 50% of households had yeast and mold in their coffeemakers. (Cue the eeeeewwww factor!)
And CBS News swabbed 11 random coffeemakers and found 11 different types of bacteria growing in those much beloved machines, including enterobacter bacteria found in the human colon and pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that grows in standing water.
How to Avoid the Coffeemaker Gross Out Factor
It's actually pretty easy to clean your coffee machine and it doesn't take much time or effort. (Both pluses in my book!)
A Few Other Tips
Follow the above simple cleaning method once a month. And, consult your owner's guide for additional tips on keeping your coffee pot clean.
Here at our Staunton gourmet coffee shop, we recommend leaving the lids off of your water reservoir and your coffeemaker when you're not using it. This will keep the interior dry, reducing the growth of mold and bacteria.
Avoid using bleach and other harsh cleaners! No matter how many times you rinse the coffee pot, you'll still have a residue. Just use food safe cleaners for the interior and distilled water. It's great for cleaning because it won't leave behind any water stains or impurities.
And, if you get in a jam and you're running late, stop by our Staunton coffee shop and we'll take care of your coffee habit post haste! Learn more about us here.