Simply rinsing your coffee pot after every use isn’t enough to keep it clean. With time and use, coffee residue tends to build up in the pot, and the interior starts to turn brown from the coffee oils. This buildup can be quite tough to remove, and it can even change the taste of coffee.
There are many ways to clean a glass coffee pot. You can use dishwasher detergent, lemon juice, or a combination of baking soda and vinegar. You can also use chemical products like commercial cleaners, denture tablets, a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, or a stain remover.
While cleaning the coffee pot every day is the easiest way to prevent it from turning brown in the first place, we often forget to do so. So, if you have unappealing stains on your glass pot, don’t throw it out just yet. Let’s look at how you can clean it to make it look as good as new.
How to Remove Coffee Stains From a Glass Coffee Pot
The only way to get rid of the dark and ugly stains on your coffee pot is with deep cleaning, and to do that, you can try out the below methods.
Ideally, you should deep clean the coffee pot at least once a month, but if you use it very frequently, then you should clean it at least twice a month.
Using Vinegar and Baking Soda
A combination of baking soda and vinegar is great for cleaning many surfaces, including glass coffee pots. In particular, baking soda is great for removing brown coffee stains from carafes and mugs.
For this method, you need 1 part water, 1 part baking soda, and vinegar. Here’s what you have to do:
- Make a thick paste using water and baking soda.
- Scrub it into all the coffee stains on your pot.
- Wash the pot thoroughly until it’s clean.
Note: If you only have light stains in the pot, just baking soda might be able to take care of them. However, if the stains are more stubborn, pour vinegar over the baking soda and mix it. The chemical reaction will remove the stains from the pot.
Using Just White Vinegar
White vinegar works great when used with baking soda, but you can also use it alone to remove stains and sanitize the pot. This is great for cleaning the coffee maker as well as the pot together.
Fill half of the carafe with white vinegar and then add one-third cup of water. Add this solution to the coffee machine reservoir and let it brew without any coffee. Doing so will remove any build-up or foul taste from the coffee machine while cleaning the pot, too.
Let the water and vinegar solution sit in the pot for a few minutes, and then rinse both the machine and the pot with multiple plain water cycles.
Using Dishwasher Detergent
You can also use dishwasher detergent to remove stubborn stains, provided that you soak the pot for a little bit. For this method, add 1 tablespoon of detergent to the pot and fill it with boiling water. Allow the mixture to sit overnight.
The next day, remove the leftover stains with a sponge or scrub brush. Once you’re done, rinse the carafe thoroughly.
Using Lemon Juice
Another way to clean your glass coffee pot is with a combination of lemon juice, salt, and crushed ice. Here’s what you have to do:
- Sprinkle around 3 tablespoons of coarse salt inside the carafe, especially on the stained areas.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice along with a cup of crushed ice into the carafe.
- Swirl the ice around the pot. The salt and ice will scrub the stains, while the lemon will lift them up.
- If there are any leftover stubborn stains, scrub them away with a sponge.
- Once you’re done, rinse the carafe with cold water. Avoid using hot water at all costs since hot water on chilled glass can shatter it.
Using Chemical Cleaners
In addition to the methods listed above, there are many chemical cleaners you can use to get rid of stains. These include:
Dish Soap
Routine cleaning at least once a week using warm water and dish soap can prevent coffee stains. You can use any store-bought soap like Dawn (on Amazon), or you can even make some dish soap yourself.
For this method, here’s what you have to do:
- Add one tablespoon of dish soap to the carafe.
- Fill it up to the top with hot water.
- Allow the soapy water to sit in the pot for a few minutes. Meanwhile, you can wipe your coffee machine, too.
- Pour out most of the soapy water and then use a soft cloth or sponge to scrub the stained areas.
- Once you’re done cleaning the pot, make sure you rinse it a few times to get the soapy taste out of it.
Denture Tablets
Since you can use denture tablets to remove food and coffee residue from your dentures, it only makes sense that you use them for your coffee pot, too.
Follow these steps to use denture tablets (on Amazon) to clean your glass coffee pot:
- Fill up the pot with warm water.
- Add 2 antibacterial denture tablets into the coffee pot and let them work their magic.
- After around 15 minutes (or more), rinse the pot thoroughly and use a sponge to scrub away the remaining stains.
Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
A combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda makes for an effective and strong cleaning solution that can remove the toughest stains from your carafe.
Simply combine these two items in the pot and swirl them for a minute or so. If you have the time, allow the solution to sit for at least half an hour, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use some elbow grease. Then, scrub the stains with a scrub pad or sponge and wash the pot thoroughly with soap and water.
Commercial Coffee Stain Remover
If you’ve tried all the methods mentioned above and haven’t succeeded in removing the stains, then you can use a commercial coffee stain remover (on Amazon) as your last resort.
Hardly any DIY cleaning solution is as strong as a commercial cleaner, and if you don’t mind the chemical makeup of the latter, then it’s the simplest way of getting rid of stubborn stains.
When using a coffee cleaner, make sure to follow the directions mentioned on the box or packet. Some kinds of cleansers will include soaking or scrubbing away stains, while others will make you run the coffee machine through a cycle with the stain remover.