Posts Tagged ‘espresso decalcifier’
Admittedly, I’m not the best person when it comes to keeping things clean. I tend to wait until my house is borderline unbearable, at which time I do a comprehensive cleansing of the entire house, then neglect my chores once again for the next couple of months. My appliances tend to be in the worst condition when cleaning time rolls around, especially my coffee machine, which I use at least twice a day.
The hard water in my neighborhood simply wreaks havoc on the inner workings of the machine, and for the last few days, the flow of coffee has been dawdling. Yesterday I finally decided to clean the machine, so I pulled out my Durgol. You may be accustomed to the old vinegar method of cleaning coffee makers, but Durgol works much better and there isn’t any weird smell or aftertaste to worry about.
My son moved into his own apartment about a year and a half ago, but last weekend was the first time my husband and I had visited his new abode. He was never the cleanest person when he was living at home, so I went in expecting the worst. And I wasn’t disappointed. Garbage and clothes were strewn about the house and half of his belongings weren’t even out of the boxes yet.
Within seconds my maternal instincts took over and I went into a cleaning frenzy, tackling everything from the bathroom to the attic. One area that was particularly dingy was the kitchen; instead of cleaning his dishes, I think he simply goes out and buys new ones. To make matters worse, there is hard water in his apartment complex, so I had to break out my descaler and clean all of his appliances. I know my hard work will all be for not, but at least the apartment will be clean for a few hours.
With the economy in the tank and uncertainty on the horizon, we’re all looking for ways to pinch pennies and cut corners. My husband and I have given up many of the little luxuries we used to enjoy, but one thing we can’t go without is our morning coffee. We like to splurge and buy premium beans and put a great deal of time and effort into crafting the perfect cup of coffee. A few mornings ago I went to brew my morning cup of joe, and much to my dismay the coffee maker wouldn’t even turn on.
Purchasing a new coffee maker was out of the question with our budget, so I decided to go to the secondhand store down the street to see what I could find. Luckily they had a couple of premium coffee makers that looked like they were in fabulous condition. I bought the nicer of the two, took it home and went to work cleaning the exterior and removing the mineral deposits with our Durgol. After the machine was spruced up, it worked even better than our previous model.
Some parents experience the effects of empty nest syndrome when their children leave the home—but not my husband and me. We were literally counting down the days until our children left so that we could sell our home and retire to the Maldives.While this may sound like a selfish and coldhearted approach to parenting, you have to understand that we have 11 children and have already help raise numerous grandchildren.
Despite the fact that we are halfway around the globe, our children still call us regularly for advice. Just the other day one of our sons moved into a new apartment and called us frantic because his laundry machine was emitting an off-putting odor and he wasn’t able to work up a lather in the shower. I had to chuckle a little bit due to the melodrama he injected into the situation and calmly explained it was just hard water. Of course, I also recommended he pick up some descaler, as his household appliances will inevitably have mineral buildup.
Most of us know that hard water poses a serious threat to our household appliances. Sure mineral deposits build up in the shower, but this rarely has an impact on the performance of the shower itself. When calcium and other minerals begin to collect in your coffeemaker or water heater however, the flow of liquid through the machine and the quality of the product will be adversely affected.
Hard water buildup is an acute problem, especially in areas where hot water is used, as this facilitates the collection of minerals. One of the best ways to eliminate mineral deposits and prevent future buildup is by using a decalcifying product, such as Durgol. These products are safe and easy-to-use, and unlike cleaning your appliances with a vinegar solution, you don’t have to worry about an acrid aftertaste.
As with most things, the best way to keep your coffeemaker performing to its potential is to clean it regularly. There are several options for this, but one of the most widely practiced is using vinegar. The process is quite simple.
Start by running a cycle of vinegar through your coffee machine, and stopping it three-quarters of the way through to let it soak. Once this is done, repeat the process with clean water before brewing your next pot. If you are like me and neglect your machine, chances are that there is some considerable buildup and mineral deposits impeding the flow. When this happens, you will need an espresso decalcifier to get your machine back in working condition.