Options

• First and foremost, you want your coffee machine to operate well and function properly. Cleaning the inside mechanisms will allow this to happen. A good way to clean it is to fill the water cavity with 6 cups of vinegar. Then add enough water to reach the fill line. This is enough to clean a 12 cup coffee maker. If yours is a different size, scale back to amounts by half. Turn on the coffee maker and run as you normally would when preparing a cup of coffee. Once the coffee pot is full, pour the hot vinegar into the water cavity again, and repeat the process. After the second cleaning with vinegar, empty out the vinegar, and scrub the interior of the pot with a long handled scrub brush and some soapy water. Empty the coffee pot and rinse out.
  Run a second cycle through the coffee maker using just plain water. This will rinse out the vinegar from the machine and ensure that all of the debris has been removed. Fill the water cavity with plain water and operate the machine as you normally would, allowing the water to flow into the coffee pot or carafe. Empty and rinse the pot out with clean water. Not only will this process clean out the coffee maker, it should help clean the coffee pot.
  
  If your coffee pot is still dark and dingy, a simple solution is to simply fill it with vinegar and let sit overnight. In the morning, pour out the vinegar and the coffee pot should look like new.
  
  Salt is another option to scrub out coffee stains from the interior of a coffee pot. Simply pour some regular salt and scrub into the surface using a long handled scrub brush.
  
  Baking soda has long been used as an effective cleaner around the house. Try pouring some into your stained coffee pot and scrubbing. It might take several tries, but this is an effective and natural way to get rid of coffee stains.
  
  Powdered dishwasher detergent can also be used to clean a coffee pot. Simply pour about a teaspoon of powdered dishwasher detergent into the coffee pot and fill with water. Allow it to sit overnight. In the morning the coffee pot should be clean.