Not as often as I should. Did you use vinegar or a commercial cleaner?

vinegar and followed the manual directions for cleaning.

I only get coffee occasionally when I'm out and about. But when I worked, the gals cleaned the pot out about once a month. Had to when so many pots were made a day. You had to go through the kitchen to get to my office, so I got the vinegar odor full blast.

Shirley

BTW, since I was the first one in every day, I often made the first coffee of the day. I love the smell of fresh coffee, even though I rarely drank it.

This reminds me to clean mine, too. I use white vinegar for the machine; run it through then run several with plain water. For the stainless carafe I put in a tablespoon of dishwasher detergent, fill with boiling water, and let sit: all the sludge is then easy to scour out. I really need to do this more often as it does affect the taste of coffee!

DH has been using an electric percolator for about the last 6 months. I wonder if you are supposed to clean them with vinegar.

This is similar to my MR Coffee cleaning instructions, lisa

Clean your coffee maker every 2-3 months to keep it brewing smoothly.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 60 minutes

Here's How:
1.Remove and dispose of used coffee filter from filter basket.
2.Add vinegar to the water resevoir until 1/4 full. Fill with water until full.
3.Run the coffee maker.
4.Turn off the coffee maker; let cool for 10 minutes.
5.Run the vinegar and water mixture through the coffee maker again. Let cool 10 minutes.
6.Run plain water through the coffee maker; let cool 10 minutes, repeat.
7.Hand-wash the carafe and filter basket in soapy water.

Tips:
1.You can also wash the carafe in the dishwasher.
2.If the vinegar odor is still present after two rinsings, run more water through coffee maker.

I followed directions exactly and no vinegar odor!

Great fresh tasting coffee!

A few years ago, I cleaned mine the hard way. I ran straight white vinegar thru, then 5 pots of clear water to get rid of the smell. My daughter gave me a brand new Mr. Coffee two years ago for Mothers day. I haven't cleaned it yet. I mostly buy my coffee at a diner. I make about one pot at home each week.

Of course I clean my coffee maker regularly. One of the secrets to a decent cup of coffee!

One thing that the instructions say on several of them and it makes sense is to put the vinegar and water in the well, start it going for a minute or two then stop it (unplug it usually) and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then start it and let it finish. The reason is that it'll work the lines and clean them out better than if you just run it through. As I said, it makes sense. You usually let the vinegar sit on a corroded item before rinsing it to get maximum benefit.

And I do 2 cleanings. I never reuse the vinegar water. Why put dirty water through it? A cup or so of vinegar isn't going to break the bank. I then give 3-4 "rinse" runs and put a little baking soda and salt down the drain and let the hot vinegar water do a drain cleaning at the same time.

I do as Cynic, let the vinegar sit for 15 minutes.
The hot vinegar then goes into my tea-kettle to dissolve any lime on the heating coils.

These are the instructions I use for MY Mr Coffee

Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
Decalcifying your MR. COFFEE� Coffeemaker
Minerals (calcium) found in water will leave deposits in your coffeemaker and will affect it.
It�s recommended that you regularly remove these deposits by using MR. COFFEE� Cleaner
or vinegar.
1. F ollow package instructions to prepare one batch of MR. COFFEE� Coffeemaker Cleaner.
Pour the mixture into the water reservoir.
NOTE: 4 cups or 20 f. oz. of undiluted, white household vinegar may be used as a substitute
for the cleaner.
2. P lace an empty MR. COFFEE� 4 cup basket-style paper filter or MR. COFFEE � permanent
filter into the filter basket and close coffeemaker lid.
3. Place the empty decanter back in the unit, centered on the warming plate.
4. Brew three cups of cleaning solution through the coffeemaker.
5. Turn the coffeemaker off and let stand for 30 minutes.
6. Run the remainder of the cleaning solution through the coffeemaker.
7. Discard the cleaning solution and rinse the decanter thoroughly with clean water.
8. Fill the water reservoir with clean, fresh water.
9. Place the empty decanter back on the coffeemaker, centered on the warming plate.

10. R emove and discard the paper filter used during the cleaning cycle. If a MR. COFFEE �
    permanent filter was used during cleaning, remove it and rinse it thoroughly before
    replacing it in the filter basket.
11. Begin brewing and allow the full brew cycle to complete.
12. Repeat Steps 8 through 11 one more time.
    Your coffeemaker is now clean and ready to brew the next pot of delicious, hot coffee!

I have a bunn and haven't cleaned it yet. I guess I would have to drain the tank that holds hot water to do that. Coffee tastes really good this morning. :) I guess it must be okay.