# What is it about vinegar that cleans my coffee maker?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-vinegar-that-cleans-my-coffee-maker/365310>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 20, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-vinegar-that-cleans-my-coffee-maker/365310 "2006-07-20T11:57:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-vinegar-that-cleans-my-coffee-maker/365310/1 "2006-07-20T11:57:34Z")

</div>

I mean, I pour it in, run a cycle, and it works properly again. The water flows, everything’s Jake. No scrubbing. How does it do that?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-vinegar-that-cleans-my-coffee-maker/365310/2 "2006-07-20T12:07:31Z")

</div>

Minerals dissolved in the water get deposited on the coffee maker pipes and clog things up. Vinegar is acidic, dissolves the minerals once more, and out they go.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-vinegar-that-cleans-my-coffee-maker/365310/3 "2006-07-20T23:13:56Z")

</div>

Thanks. I was hoping for a more magical explanation, but I guess its just plain ol’ science. Damn.