How To Clean Reusable Coffee Filter – The Ultimate Guide

Have you noticed an offbeat taste in your coffee lately? No, it’s not just in your mind. Maybe your reusable coffee filter is asking for a nice cleaning. Better get ready for some polishing before you decide to throw it off.

Cleaning the coffee filter isn’t just a neat freak thing. You need a clean coffee filter to maintain hygiene. Those hard water buildup, leftover coffee oil can go rancid and grow mold that contaminates your coffee. But don’t you worry if you haven’t cleaned it for a while or need a bit of guidance on its regular maintenance.

Lucky for you, we are covering both the ways of regular rinsing and deep purification of every type of them. So, scroll down below to find about how to clean reusable coffee filter that you’ve got.

Cleaning Coffee Filters

How To Clean Reusable Coffee Filter

A washable coffee filter produces richer flavorful coffee shots compared to a disposable paper refiner. On top of that, you’re being nice to mother nature by creating a lot less wastage. Reusable ones also go a long way- seven years or more if taken care of properly.

So after you’re done with brewing, get rid of the coffee ground as much as you can before cleaning the strainer. Or else the residue will clog the drainage of your sink.

But please stop before you throw them into the garbage bin! Do you know coffee is an amazing source for nitrogen? So you can make compost out of it for your plants. Besides, it works wonders to prevent insects like mosquitos, wasps, bees, etc.

From here on, the cleansing process will be different for various types of coffee refiners. Find your ones to learn how to clean a reusable coffee filter.

Gold Mesh Strainer

Unlike paper filters, gold coffee filters are chemically inactive. So it ensures nothing can interfere with the purity of your cup of coffee. Moreover, blocking bad cholesterol it allows the free flow of antioxidants with every sip you take.

But, the acid in caffeine ruins the gold mesh gradually, so if you own one you may wonder how to clean gold mesh coffee filter.

Follow these steps after every use for regular rinsing:

  1. Scrape out the grounds.
  2. Give it a proper rinse under the hot water faucet.

Don’t forget to give it a thorough cleansing weekly to get a clean tasting coffee after every brew. Follow any of the step given below:

  • Dishwasher Cleansing Method: Wash the strainer with the rest of your dishes. You don’t want the plastic parts to get melted. So, make sure to keep it on the upper rack of the washer.
  • Scrubbing Method: Don’t own a dishwasher? No problem. We’ve got you covered. Pour a little bit of liquid cleanser and give it a gentle scrub. Rub both the sides of the mesh. Try using a toothbrush if you don’t have a soft sponge. Don’t use a metal sponge. It can ruin your filter. Wash to get rid of the foams.

Plastic Filter

Wash your plastic refiner after every use by scrubbing it with a mild liquid soap. Clean it well with hot water and keep it on a towel to dry nice and clean. That’s all that you need for a fresh, silky and smooth cup of java.

But if you have come to read this article just after finding off-flavors in your brew and then you might be wondering how to clean plastic coffee filter basket. Relax and try out this easy and simple deep sterilizing process.

  1. Pour lukewarm water in a bowl or in your sink. Make a mixture of water and white vinegar in a 1:1 ratio.
  2. Soak the filter basket in it for 45 minutes or so.
  3. Scrub it with a soft sponge or brush to remove any dirt.
  4. Rinse all the vinegar off thoroughly to avoid a weird tasting coffee after your next brew.
  5. Dry it entirely so that it doesn’t water down your coffee ground when you use it again.

Pro Tip: For a faster result you can use baking soda instead of vinegar. Apply about 4 tablespoons of baking soda, and you’ll get a visibly cleaner outcome.

Cloth Filter

Washing cloth strainer directly after every usage is really important. We also recommend you do follow these steps every 6-8 weeks or so for cloth coffee filters cleaning.

  • Rinse it using running water to wash out the coffee ground.
  • Boil some water and soak the cloth. Leave it for 10 minutes.
  • Repeat the process until all the coffee oil stains get cleaned.

If you brew often, the best practice is to keep it in the refrigerator, storing inside a zip-lock bag.

Metallic Strainer

For regular cleansing, tap out the coffee fines from the mesh and clean it well with liquid soap. But still, over time, the little holes get clogged up with the help of grease that extracted from the brew. To remove the remains, try:

  • Massaging the soap through the mesh using a brush.
  • Applying an equal portion of hot water and vinegar solution to dissolve the coffee ground.
  • Mixing a teaspoon of Urnex Coffee Equipment Cleaning Powder in hot water to make it look like new.

We won’t recommend you to boil the metal strainer as it can enlarge the holes by expanding the metal.

Coffee Filter Alternative

Your reusable filter got ruined? Ran out of paper strainer? No need to panic. Here are some cool coffee filter alternatives to make DIY strainers out of them.

  • Paper Towel or Napkin
  • Toilet Paper
  • Cheesecloth
  • Fine Cloth or Butter Muslin

Grab any of them. Fold it into half and half again until it forms a filter-like shape. Or forget about it if you fail to manage any of them. Grab some instant coffee. You won’t need a strainer at all.

FAQs

Final Words

We hope you’ve found the guidance you were looking for on how to clean reusable coffee filter. Get set, go to give the strainer a nice clean, and brew fresher coffee with oozing aroma.

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