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Time Required
20 minutesTools Checklist
Why Should I Clean My Coffee Machine Carbon Filter?
Coffee makers can create a beautiful start to any morning by providing a caffeinated beverage to enjoy. However, over time, mineral deposits and coffee residue in the water you use can make your coffee start to taste worse than it would with a machine that was new or completely cleaned. While many people know that cleaning the carafe, lid, and brew-basket should be done every time you use a coffee maker, there are other components of your coffee machine that need cleaning done. One of those is the carbon filter if you have a machine that utilizes it. While some people choose to purchase new filters every time they get a bit dirty, cleaning them on your own can be less expensive and not very hard to do.
What Happens If I Don’t Clean My Coffee Machine Carbon Filter?
If you do not clean out your carbon filter on a regular basis and you don’t choose to replace the filter with a new one, there are issues that can arise. Carbon filters are added to coffee machines to pull out any debris from the water and absorb pollutants, but once they are full, they are no longer able to do the job they are tasked with. That means that any dirt or other particles in the water are going to stay there and may end up in your coffee. This can result in coffee that starts to taste bitter or not as delicious as it normally would. To keep your water clean and fresh, a clean filter is a must.
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Step-By-Step
- 1. Open up the carbon filter
The first thing you need to do to get your carbon filter cleaned is open it up so you can reach the inner layers. Use a knife to cut around the perimeter twice in the areas at the top and bottom of the cartridge. Try to cut as close to the edge as possible. After that is done, you can remove the netting in the filter.
Next Step
- 2. Cut through the paper layer
Using the same knife but a different technique, make another cut. This time you are going to cut through the layer of paper underneath. However, you want to be sure you leave a strip of around a half-inch that attaches to the inner part of the carbon block. This is done to keep the paper on the filter so you can easily roll it back up later in the process.
Next Step
- 3. Peel back the paper
Be careful while you peel back the outside paper layer in the carbon filter. You don’t want to entirely tear it off or otherwise puncture the paper more than it already has been. You just want it to be out of the way so you can move on to the actual cleaning process.
Next Step
- 4. Rinse the filter out
The next step you want to take is using your garden hose to rinse off the paper to remove any dirt or debris that is present. Once the paper is looking great, you can move on to cleaning out the charcoal core. This is done in the same way as the paper with nothing more than a simple garden hose.
Next Step
- 5. Scrub off the paper
Take some warm water and mix it together with one to two spoonfuls of bleach for the next step. You can make the mixture in a bucket or another small container. Take your cleaning brush and dip it in the water and bleach mixture before using it to scrub the paper layer of the filter on both the front and back to remove any other debris that is present.
Next Step
- 6. Soak the filter
After the scrubbing is done, place the entire filter into the water and bleach mixture. Let it soak in order to sanitize everything as well as possible. We recommend soaking the carbon filter for at least 30 minutes. While this is happening, it’s the perfect time to clean the rest of your coffee machine like the housing, water reservoir, lid, and brew-basket.
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- 7. Rinse the filter off
Once the filter has had time to soak and is well sanitized, you can take it out of the bucket or another container and rinse it all off with clear water. Don’t be afraid to go overboard as you want to be sure any bleach is removed from the filter before you use it again.
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- 8. Roll the paper
Next, roll the paper layer very tightly over the charcoal and secure it with a nylon tie. Trim the excess of the tie off then add four or five other ties in the same manner.
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- 9. Replace everything
After you have completed steps one through eight, there’s only one final thing to do: put everything back together in the same way you took it apart. Once your filter is back in place with all the other coffee maker components, you can brew up a tasty cup of coffee.