how to clean keurig needle

You've brewed your perfect cup of coffee, and it's time to clean that pesky Keurig needle. If you're not careful, neglecting this simple maintenance chore could end up costing you more than just a little bit of money—the entire unit might need to be replaced!

In this article, we'll tell you all about how to clean a Keurig needle and why you need to do so, as well as what tools are going to come in handy.

Here's a rundown of the different ways to clean a Keurig needle:

1. How to Clean a Keurig Needle – Using Water:

To clean your Keurig needle while using water, fill up the brewer maintenance pod with water and place it in the brewer where you'd normally brew your coffee.

Turn on your Keurig and run five cycles of brewing with water through the needle, then take the maintenance pod out and give the brewer a good rinse.

2. How to Clean a Keurig Needle – Using the Rinse Pods:

Another easy way to clean a Keurig needle without buying any special items is by using the included rinse pods. These are alcohol-based and will help break down any residue left on the needle.

After brewing your coffee, put one of the rinse pods in every cup you'd like to use, then fill up your pod holder with water from your refrigerator or tap and pour it into the pod holder. Place the pod holder on the Keurig and press "Brew."

After several minutes, use your clean hands to remove the pod holder and empty it into your garbage.

3. How to Clean a Keurig Needle – Using a Paper Clip or Safety Pin:

How do I clean the needle on my Keurig without the tool?

A third way to clean a Keurig needle is by using something as simple as a paper clip or safety pin. This method is especially useful if you accidentally dropped something into the brewer and need to know which cup is the one that contains the offending item.

Simply attach a paper clip or safety pin to the end of your coffee-brewing cable or right next to it, and then attach that same paper clip or safety pin to your needle.

With this method, you won't have to open up your brewer for cleaning since you can just touch the needle when brewing with water.

4. How to Clean a Keurig Needle – Using a Q-tip:

If you're really lazy and don't want to deal with any of the above methods, you can use one of those Q-tips with a lint roller on the end—that's how many people clean their Keurigs these days.

While this method is extremely easy, it won't do much to actually remove any of the lint from your needle since the end of the Q-tip is too big to get inside there. Instead, you'll be compressing the lint against the inside of your needle while using this method.

If you're just looking for a way to be sure that you have no extra residue on your needle so that it works properly, then this method will work fine.

For the most thorough cleaning, none of the methods above quite beat cleaning the needle with a paper clip or safety pin.

5. How to Clean a Keurig Needle – Using Vinegar:

There are some people who swear by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar to their water when brewing coffee in their Keurig coffee machine.

While this may be more of a personal preference, there are also those who insist that it does help remove any lint that is inside your needle over time.

If you're one of the believers, then this method is for you. Simply add the vinegar to your water before brewing each cup and give it a good stir. Then brew your coffee as normal.

Why Do You Need to Clean Keurig Needles?

Although it may not seem like much, leaving coffee residue in your needle can actually do some damage over time.

The dirty needles are not going to make a good cup of coffee. They will, however, leave tiny bits of ground coffee in your final cup, which will cause it to taste horrible and may even cause you to get sick.

In addition, leaving scraps of paper or plastic in your needle can clog up that area and prevent the water from passing through.

How Do You Clean the Keurig Needle? Step By Step

First, you need to unplug your Keurig. This will help you avoid the risk of a shock.
Remove the pod holder out of the machine. To do this, lift the handle on your Keurig, then grab the top of the pod holder and using your other hand, push the pod holder up from underneath.
Remove the funnel from the pod holder.
Disconnect the funnel from the pod holder and use a toothpick or paperclip to clean out the entrance needle.
Turn the pod holder upon its head and draw it into the tube. Include the following advice: Move it to and fro earlier than popping it out for 30 seconds in order that any clogs are clear.
To complete the process of cleaning the exit needle, rinse the pod holder and funnel under running tap water.
Now that you cleaned the exit needle, you'll need to clean the entrance needle. This can be found under the brewer's head. If you upend the Keurig brewer, you will find the needle hole.
Remove any accumulation from the needle's entrance with a paper clip.
Place your pod holder back together.

Things To Be Aware Of

What are the things people should be aware of?

Be sure to be careful when changing a Keurig needle. The needles are very sharp and can easily puncture your skin as the needle's job is to pierce through pods.

So, make sure you're careful when cleaning Keurig's needles by not running across them with your fingers.

They may get caught up or get stuck in your skin. You could also accidentally drop it while cleaning, which can cause injury to yourself.

Final Words

This article was created to provide a comprehensive look at how to clean a Keurig needle. We hope that you found this article useful in cleaning your Keurig coffee machine.

No one wants to spend too much time and money on maintaining a coffee machine, thankfully maintenance is simple.

Keurig's can be hard to clean, but it's not impossible. It's worth investing some time if you're having an issue.