What happens if you don't descale your Keurig?

Author: Miss Georgette Rau  |  Last update: Friday, July 11, 2025

If you forgo cleaning your Keurig, it can begin to grow mold, which can make you sick, not to mention it can make your coffee taste bad. Cleaning your Keurig machine provides multiple benefits.

How long can a Keurig go without descaling?

The frequency of descaling depends on the level of mineral content of your water. This is why we recommend using filtered or bottled water. Calcium deposits or scale may build up in your brewer and hinder your brewer performance. Regularly descaling your brewer every 3 to 6 months helps prevent this from occurring.

Can I use my Keurig without descaling?

As long as you're placing pure filtered water into the tank, you will never need to descale. Tap water and unfiltered well water will scale your Keurig. Anything else your Keurig will last five years.

What happens if I never descale my Keurig?

If you have hard water and don't descale your machine, it will stop working. That crud builds up in the tubes and nozzle system until water can no longer get through.

Do you really need to descale your Keurig?

every month. Descaling is super important. because if you neglect to descale your cured coffee maker, it can lead to several issues diminished coffee quality, bogged waterline, and a shorter lifespan of the machine. But just remember, brewing at home is a great way to save time and money.

What happens if you don't descale your Keurig?

How do I skip descale on my Keurig?

However, if you wish to override the feature this should do it. To get your Keurig out of descaling mode, press and hold down the 8oz & 10oz buttons together for 3 seconds.

What can I use instead of descaling solution?

As we mentioned earlier, vinegar is one of the best natural descalers in your kitchen. Vinegar is very acidic that combats the limescale of your coffee appliance after regular brewing. Mix vinegar with warm water in a 1:1 ratio and run the brew cycle several times for cleaning.

What happens if I don't descale my coffee machine?

What happens if you don't descale your coffee maker? Mineral scale buildup can have a negative impact on your machine's boiler, which affects your coffee in a few ways: If the water can't reach its optimal brewing temperature, it is impossible to extract the full flavor from your coffee beans.

How many times should I run water through my Keurig after descaling?

Rinse More Than Once

The same goes for rinsing your Keurig. Many people do one rinse cycle, where you should be repeating this step until you see the descaling light turning off. This may involve refilling the water reservoir multiple times, but that shouldn't be the cause for concern.

What is the average lifespan of a Keurig?

Keurigs last longer than most other automatic coffee makers but also cost more. Broadly speaking, you can expect to get between 3-5 years from your Keurig, assuming you maintain and clean it regularly.

How many cycles does it take to descale a Keurig?

Empty the reservoir and wash it thoroughly. Fill it to the MAX line with fresh water and perform 12 rinsing brews using the largest cup size to remove any traces of vinegar or descaling solution. Re-insert or replace the water filter.

Do you need to descale if using bottled water?

No, even if calcium and magnesium are present in a very low percentage, limestone will buildup in any case. If you wish to use bottled mineral water, read into the label values, especially to the fixed residue and calcium. Descale your machine regularly, in order to mantain your coffee maker for longer.

What happens if you don't clean your Keurig?

Relying on this little machine requires maintenance. If you forgo cleaning your Keurig, it can begin to grow mold, which can make you sick, not to mention it can make your coffee taste bad.

What happens if you don't have Keurig descaling solution?

If the Keurig descaling solution isn't on hand, white vinegar is the cleaning solution you can have on hand. You'll want to do equal parts water and vinegar. Fill the reservoir about halfway with white vinegar, and then add water until you reach the top.

How many times do you rinse after descaling?

Once the descaling solution has gone through the machine, discard it, rinse your carafe with clean water, fill the reservoir, and run two more cycles like this. This rinsing process not only removes the solution so it doesn't taint your next brew, but it also acts as a way to flush any remaining scale.

How do you know if your Keurig needs descaling?

Descaling should be done every three to six months to keep the inside parts of your brewer clean and clear of any harsh bacteria. The Keurig brewer descale button is there to tell you when your machine needs to go through the descale process.

Can I use vinegar instead of descaling solution?

Vinegar is a very effective in removing lime scale HOWEVER there are a lot of problems which comes with descaling with vinegar: Vinegar (acetic acid) attacts rubber seals and some metals. Boilers will absorp the odor / taste of vinegar. No surfactants to release coffee residues.

Why does my coffee taste weird after descaling?

If your coffee machine was not properly rinsed after descaling, coffee might taste acid. To rinse the machine, allow 2 full tanks to percolate through the hot water spout and the boiler outlet.

Is descaling necessary?

Descaling removes mineral buildup

And if pieces of buildup dislodge from the sides of pipes and tubes, they can block those water channels completely. For this reason, descaling your coffee maker and other water-reliant appliances is necessary.

Will vinegar descale a Keurig?

Grab the vinegar: White distilled vinegar will help descale (remove lime and scale buildup) your coffee maker, which is key to helping it run. (You can also use a descaling solution.) Fill the water reservoir halfway with vinegar. Add water: Fill the reservoir the rest of the way with water.

How do you tell if your Keurig is clogged?

If your Keurig suddenly stops brewing full cups of coffee, you may have a clog. This is a common problem that is fixable after washing all the removable parts with dish soap and hot water. Most clogs caused by coffee grounds are easy to break up with nothing more than a paperclip and a plastic straw.

What is a homemade descaling solution for Keurig?

To create a DIY descaling solution, mix one part white vinegar and one part water. If your Keurig has a water filter, remove it when descaling. Fill the water tank with the descaling solution. Brew the entire contents of the water tank, dumping each cup as it runs through the system.

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