How to Descale a Keurig Slim: Easy Cleaning & Maintenance (2024)

Written byJames Sears|Edited byHunter Rising

Last Updated: May 8, 2024Fact Checked

If your Keurig isn’t working properly or brewing bitter coffee, it’s time to descale your machine. It’s easy to get rid of all the buildup in your Keurig with descaling solution or white vinegar, and it only takes about 15–20 minutes to do. Descaling is an important step in maintaining your coffee maker, and we’ll walk you through the whole process. Keep reading for everything you need to know so you can start brewing fresh coffee again.

This article is based on an interview with our house cleaning professional, James Sears. Check out the full interview here.

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1. 1

   Fill the reservoir with an equal mix of water and descaling solution. If there’s any water still in the reservoir, empty it out. Pour the full bottle of descaling solution into the reservoir. Then, refill the bottle with water and add it to the reservoir with the solution. Put the lid back on your reservoir and ensure it’s attached properly to the machine.^[1]

   • Alternatively, you may try descaling your Keurig Slim with distilled white vinegar in place of a descaling solution. However, vinegar is acidic and may damage internal parts of your Keurig machine, so it’s not recommended by the manufacturer.
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   Put a mug on the tray and remove any K-cup pods from the machine. Choose your largest ceramic mug and set it on the tray underneath the spout. Open your Keurig and take out any pods that are still inside because they can interfere with the cleaning process.^[2]

   • Avoid using a paper cup because the hot water could cause it to break.

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   Hold down the “8oz” and “12oz” buttons until the Descale light turns on. Start with your Keurig coffee maker turned off. Look for the “8oz” and “12oz” buttons on top of the machine, and press them at the same time. Keep holding the buttons down for about 3 seconds until the Descale light in the top-right corner stops blinking and turns solid.^[3]

4. 4

   Run brew cycles until the “Add Water” light turns on. When the Brew light on top of the machine starts blinking, press the button so the descaling solution goes through the machine and breaks apart the calcium deposits. When one cycle finishes, empty the mug into your sink and run the Brew cycle again. Keep running the solution through your Keurig until the reservoir empties and the “Add Water” light flashes.^[4]

   • It usually will take around 15–20 minutes to descale your Keurig Slim.
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   Run clean water through your Keurig until the reservoir empties. Rinse out any leftover solution in the reservoir and fill it up with clean water. Start a Brew cycle by pressing the button so hot water runs through the machine. Empty the mug after each cycle, and continue running them until the “Add Water” light starts flashing again. After that, your Keurig K-Slim will be clean and ready to use again.^[5]

   See Also

   How To Descale A Keurig: The Quick Way & The BEST Way (+Pictures)You Probably Need to Descale Your KeurigUser Manual Keurig K920 | manualsFileHow To Descale Keurig | All Method & Step by Step Guide - CoffeeCherish

   • Running clean water through your Keurig cleans out any leftover calcium deposits or descaling solution left inside your coffee maker.

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1. 1

   It keeps your Keurig functioning properly. When calcium deposits from hard water build up inside your Keurig machine, they can block the internal components and cause them to run inefficiently. Regularly descaling your coffee maker breaks apart the buildup before too much accumulates inside.^[6]

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   It improves the quality of your coffee. Scale deposits inside of your Keurig can make coffee taste more bitter and may have an unpleasant odor. By removing the scale, you keep your cup of coffee tasting fresh anytime you brew it.

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1. 1

   Descale your Keurig K-Slim every 3 months. Running the Descale cycle on your coffee maker every 3 months ensures that no large scale deposits form inside your machine. Make a note every few months to get some descaling solution or vinegar to run through your Keurig to keep it clean.

   • If you don’t have hard water in your area, you may descale your Keurig every 6 months instead because buildup won’t form as quickly
2. 2

   Wipe your Keurig with a damp cloth regularly to keep it clean. Whenever it looks dirty on the outside, clean your Keurig with a damp cloth. If there’s stubborn residue still stuck on the surface, then spray a non-toxic cleaner onto your cloth, and gently scrub it off.

   • Be sure to take off and clean the removable parts of your machine as well. Pieces that you can easily remove include the drip tray and the K-cup pod holder.
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   Use filtered or bottled water to prevent buildup in your machine. If you have hard water in your area, scale deposits will continue to quickly form inside of your Keurig machine. If you want to avoid frequent cleanings or descaling, add filtered or bottled water to the reservoir instead so your coffee continues to taste fresh.^[7]

   • You may get a filter pitcher or a faucet filter to get rid of mineral deposits in your tap water.
4. 4

   Change the water in the reservoir every 3–4 days. When water sits in the reservoir, it could cause scale to form more quickly or it may make your coffee taste stale. If it’s been a few days since you last used your Keurig Slim, empty out the reservoir and put some fresh water in before brewing your coffee.^[8]

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1. 1

   Unplug and run clean water in your Keurig if foam comes out the spout. If you notice foam coming out from the Keurig’s spout, start by turning off and unplugging your machine. If you still have descaling solution in the reservoir, rinse it out and refill it with clean water. Then, plug your coffee maker back in, turn it on, and press the Brew button so the solution cleans out of your machine.^[9]

   • If you still notice foam coming out from the spout, then leave your machine unplugged for 30 minutes before continuing the rinse cycle.
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   Run another cycle with plain water if the Descale light stays on. If you notice the Descale light stays on even after running clean water through the machine, fill the reservoir up with clean water. Start a Descale cycle by holding down the “8oz” and 12oz” buttons for 3 seconds, and let the water run through your machine. Refill the reservoir and run a few more Brew cycles, and the light will turn off.^[10]

   See Also

   How to descale a Keurig coffee maker

3. 3

   Clean out the Keurig needle with a paperclip if it’s clogged. Open your Keurig Slim and carefully pull out the K-Cup pod holder to expose the needle underneath. clean the needle by straightening a paper clip and sticking it inside to remove any scale deposits or loose coffee grounds that got stuck inside.^[11]

   • The needle is usually the issue if you have coffee grounds in your mug or if your mug doesn’t fill up as much as it normally does.

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