I pull about 3-4 doubles each morning for my cappuccino drinks. Usually in a 1.5 hour span except weekends. So things get a bit messy but I keep a tidy work area including 2-3 machine backflushes + grouphead scrub just before shutting down for the day. I also keep lint-free cloths out; one for cleaning steam wand, one for drip tray, PF, they go to laundry after 4-5 days. Is this overkill? Wondering if others use separate cloths in their home setup?

My cleaning tools consist of:

1) chef towel shammy cloths for wet
2) paper towels for dry
3) Microfiber cloth for polishing

Chef towel gets changed/washed every couple weeks or when it gets funky.

I additionally put everything on a stainless tray. Helps keep the bean debris contained which falls off the wdt stick, funnel, etc. I throw the tray in the dishwasher.

Also, I have snuck my knock box over by the kitchen sink instead of by all this which has made a big difference in bean debris.

I'm additionally thinking of getting a silicone drying mat as I often set things on a towel to dry (or the drip tray). Not sure if the room it would take all the time would be worth it. I don't think my wife would love it as she hasn't when I've had something like if for dishes.

slybarman wrote:My cleaning tools consist of:

1) chef towel shammy cloths for wet
2) paper towels for dry
3) Microfiber cloth for polishing

Chef towel gets changed/washed every couple weeks or when it gets funky.


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Nice! Do you use any liquid cleaner when polishing your machine's stainless steel? Or just plain water?

Anyone using this type of steam wand extension as a group head cleaning device? Interesting idea, this one's made by JoeFrex. A bit pricey here.

DJL wrote:Nice! Do you use any liquid cleaner when polishing your machine's stainless steel? Or just plain water?

I just wipe it with the damp chef towel and then the micro fiber.

I have a cleaning person every two weeks. Done. In between, I don't care.

DJL wrote:I also keep lint-free cloths out; one for cleaning steam wand, one for drip tray, PF, they go to laundry after 4-5 days. Is this overkill?

If that's overkill, I'm in need of serious therapy

I keep half a dozen each of brown (for PF) and white (for wand) cloths, along with blue microfiber cloths for general machine cleanup. I take out a fresh one of each when I start making drinks. After the last shot of the session, whether I'm making 3 or 4 caps during the morning or one ristretto in the afternoon, I use a Pallo on the screen and gasket before backflushing with water. Then I wipe everything down / off and each towel goes into the laundry.

Leaving milk residue on a damp cloth for a few days seems like an invitation to sourness. And coffee oils start to turn after as little as a few hours. So using the same cloth to wipe damp baskets multiple times over a few days also seems like a mistake to me. Also, our air is filled with mold spores, which land on these damp cloths and germinate. Smell your used cloths after a few days and you'll probably detect a hint of sourness or other funky stuff.

I leave the machine on if I plan to use it within a few hours, but I clean up the workspace after use regardless. I also brush often to keep the grinder and surrounding counter space clean.

DJL wrote:Anyone using this type of steam wand extension as a group head cleaning device? Interesting idea, this one's made by JoeFrex. A bit pricey here.

Great tool. Mine's still in its original box - unopened 5-plus years later!

I also use an assortment of funnels to mitigate mess as well as a cheap Dollar Store (Dollarama) makeup brush to brush everything off that is dry. The shower screen is cleaned with a damp napkin after every shot.

I try not to obsess too much anymore. I no longer need to have my equipment look like it's still in a showroom. Well used is more indicative that I'm having fun and camouflages OCD.

Clean is good. And I love your set ups guys. Especially love @slybarman's Bianca and @Mnate's Robot. I've been doing only french press with a Baratza Virtuoso but an ready to pull the trigger on a Robot and a Niche Zero. Nice clean coffee bars.