# Cleaning the coffee pot. No white vinegar. Will either of these do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451 "2006-03-08T00:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/1 "2006-03-08T00:04:45Z")
I’m lazy and don’t feel like going to the store. 🙂 I want to clean the drip brewer, but don’t have any regular white vinegar. Can I use either of these with the same effect? 1. White wine vinegar. 2. Red wine vinegar. Would anything else work? The coffee pot hasn’t been used for a couple months due to free coffee at work. I have a bottle of Bailey’s and want the freshest coffee I can get. If you have to link to some super-duper self-cleaning urn you have, go ahead. But I just want to know how to clean this maker. Any suggestions? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/2 "2006-03-08T02:07:44Z")
As far as I can tell, it doesn’t make any difference what kind of vinegar you use. [http://www.versatilevinegar.org/faqs.html](http://www.versatilevinegar.org/faqs.html) > [@](#): > > The strength of vinegar is measured by the percent of acetic acid present in the product. All vinegar sold in the United States at the retail level should be at least 4% acidity as mandated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Typical white distilled vinegar is at least 4% acidity and not more than 7%. Cider and wine vinegars are typically slightly more acidic with approximately 5-6% acidity. Now, see, I did not know that, so I learned something tonight. Probably the reason you’re always told to use white vinegar is it’s cheaper than white wine vinegar. [About.com](http://About.com) says to use [citric acid,](http://coffeetea.about.com/cs/coffeemaking/ht/ht_drip.htm) anyway, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/3 "2006-03-08T02:11:00Z")
Use whatever is cheapest, or oldest and needs used up. Almost any acid will do. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/4 "2006-03-08T02:11:29Z")
Go ahead and use either. As **DDG** noted, white vinegar is recommended because it is the cheapest. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/5 "2006-03-08T02:15:27Z")
So what do you do, let it sit in there for a while or just run it through as if you were making coffee? And I assume run some water through afterwards? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-coffee-pot-no-white-vinegar-will-either-of-these-do/347451/6 "2006-03-08T03:10:31Z")
Thanks for the responses. I figured it wouldn’t make much difference. **panache45** , what you do is run approximately 4:1 water to vinegar through a cycle then run 2 cycles of straight water. Increase water cycles as needed if vinegar is still present. You can tell by the smell. Anyway, thanks again all.