Coffeemaker

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The Seemingly No-Mess Coffeemaker
Pod-based coffee machines, like Keurig, make it so easy to brew a cup of joe that you rarely have to think about them—but as their owner's manuals attest, they should be cleaned of mineral deposits regularly. Many of these brands sell their own descaling kits, but Becky Rapinchuk, author of The Organically Clean Home and CleanMama.net, has a homemade solution. Every two months she fills the coffeemaker's reservoir about halfway with white vinegar, or, depending on the model, pours 10 ounces into its water chamber. She runs the machine as if she would if she were making a cup of coffee—without inserting a pod, so only the vinegar solution goes through the machine—then runs it a few more times using water instead of vinegar, until the vinegar smell has disappeared. (You may want to check your owner's manual to see if your model has any warnings against using vinegar before attempting this.)