Cleaning Tools to Keep Your Coffee Gear Bacteria-Free

Your kitchen is crawling with bacteria. Hopefully, you know this and deep-clean your sink and stove regularly to keep said bacteria at bay. But what you might not realize is that your espresso machines, coffee makers, and travel coffee mugs are also harboring harmful pathogens. Don’t believe us? A study from 2017 found mold and bacteria — including pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterobacter, klebsiella, staph, E. coli, staphylococcus, and streptococcus, to name a few — thriving in single-serve coffee machines at CBS news stations across the country. 

To keep this same disgusting fate from befalling your coffee maker, we rounded up seven cleaning tools to help with deep cleans and basic maintenance alike. Shop non-abrasive sponges, cleaning tablets, brushes, and more, starting at $3 at Amazon.  

Cleaning Tools to Keep Your Coffee Gear Bacteria-Free 

Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets 

Cafiza’s tablets are designed to break up coffee oils and residue in your espresso machines and coffee makers. While it’s also available as a powder, the tablets are already conveniently portioned for easier cleaning. No matter which format you choose, this detergent is key to keeping your machine running smoothly and bacteria from building up. 

Palmolive Fragrance-Free Dish Soap 

Using vinegar to descale a coffee machine is effective, but it can also leave behind an unwanted odor and flavor that can taint your brew. To keep this from happening, pair Cafiza’s tablets with Palmolive’s fragrance-free dish soap. The former is ideal for deep cleans and the latter for daily use. 

Scrub Daddy Scrub Mommy Sponges 

A non-abrasive sponge is a critical cleaning tool when scrubbing delicate espresso and coffee machine parts. Scrub Daddy’s Scrub Mommy line offers the best of both worlds, with one rough and one soft side. We use the abrasive half for tough messes, and the smooth half for nonstick pans, steam wands, milk carafes, and more tools that require a gentle touch.   

Pallo Coffee Tool 

The Pallo Coffee Tool has stiff nylon bristles that can clean the group head after pulling a shot of espresso. It can also unclog a steam wand and measure powdered detergent, thanks to a handy scoop on the back. 

Cafemasy Espresso Machine Cleaning Set 

If you need more care than the Palo Coffee Tool can provide, you should get the Cafemasy Espresso Machine Cleaning Set. The 5-pack includes one brush with stiff bristles for cleaning the group head, one with soft bristles for the coffee grinder, one with a long handle for extra-hot spouts, one with a thin, needle-like design for the portafilter, and one with heat-resistant bristles for the steam wand. We can’t believe you get all of this for just $13. 

BlenderBottle 2-in-1 Bottle and Straw Cleaning Brush 

It’s likely that your travel mug is crawling with bacteria. To remedy this situation, grab BlenderBottle’s 2-in-1 bottle and straw cleaning brush set. If you use these tools often to clean those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies that your hands can’t access, you’ll be far less likely to get sick from your dirty mug. 

Kitsure Dish Drying Rack 

All of the travel mugs, milk jugs, coffee cups, drip trays, and baskets need a place to dry that won’t add clutter to your counter or re-expose them to bacteria. Kitsure’s dish drying rack is the ideal model for this task, especially now that it’s on sale. One Amazon shopper wrote that they “really appreciate” that “the utensil holder, cup slots, and side compartments keep everything organized, and that the water drains away neatly without leaving a mess.” Clearly, Kitsure ticks every box with this drying rack.