Where can I get a Material Safety Data Sheet for an Urnex® Brand Product?
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available for all of our products online. Please
Click Here to Retrieve an MSDS Form.
Are Urnex® Products Hazardous?
All Urnex® Brand Products are non-toxic. In addition, many of our products contain food-safe dyes to help ensure proper rinsing.
What ingredients are used in your products?
Our ingredients and formulas are confidential. However, our MSDS pages are available by
clicking here. These MSDS sheets disclose all required names and technical data regarding the ingredients used in our products. All of our formulas are considered non-toxic.
How often should I clean my Commercial Brewer?
Commercial Brewers should be cleaned each night after service. This will prevent the accumulation of stale coffee oils which can impact the taste of the next day's brews. Weekly, take off removable parts such as site glasses, etc. and give these a thorough cleaning as well. Finally, always remember to wipe down the area around the spray head (above the brewbasket), as splashed- back coffee can accumulate there as well.
How often should I clean my Commercial Espresso Machine?
Commercial Espresso Machines should be cleaned by backflushing with espresso machine detergent each night. Nightly backflushing will prevent the accumulation of stale coffee oils in the group heads, shower screens and filter baskets of your espresso machine. Keeping these parts clean is essential to maintaining great tasting coffee over time. Weekly, you should soak portafilters and baskets in a solution of espresso machine detergent and water.
How often should I clean my Grinder?
Grinders used for Espresso Coffee should be cleaned with one capful of Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner once a week. Larger Shop Grinders used for Drip Coffee should be cleaned with two capfuls of Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner once a month. The reason for the difference in dosage has to do with the different size of the grinders in question. The reason for the increased frequency of Espresso Grinder cleaning is because espresso beans tend to be darker and more oily, and therefore lead to increased residue deposits on the Burrs of the Grinder.
To access the full Grindz™ FAQ page, please
click here.
How often should I clean my Home Brewer?
The answer to this depends on how much you use it. However, for the best taste and performance, we recommend cleaning your home machine at least once a week. To learn more about cleaning your home equipment, please visit our
How to Clean Home Equipment section.
What is the difference between Cleancaf® and Dezcal™?
Cleancaf® is first and foremost a cleaner. It also contains a gentle descaling component that works as a scale inhibitor. When used regularly on a new machine (or at least one which has not already developed a significant scale problem), it will work to prevent the accumulation of scale buildup on the internal parts of the machine. While inhibiting scale development, its cleaning elements work to remove the stale coffee oil buildups which cause freshly brewed coffee to taste bitter.
Over time, however, (and especially in hard water environments) a machine will need to be thoroughly descaled in order to preserve quick brew times and hot brew temperatures. Dezcal™ is specifically designed to address these concerns. Solely a descaling agent, Dezcal™ is engineered to remove even the toughest scale buildup from machinery. At the same time, it is tempered for use on all of the materials which normally comprise coffee and espresso equipment so it is "tough on scale, but easy on equipment."
While Cleancaf® should be used frequently as a preventative maintenance tool, Dezcal™ is designed for more periodic use (quarterly).
Why can't I use dishwasher detergent on my coffee machine?
Dishwasher detergent, while great on dishes, is not ideal for use on cleaning coffee machines. There are several reasons for this:
1) Dishwasher detergent is not intended to rinse very quickly. (Think about how long your dishwasher cycle lasts.) Because of this fact, dishwasher detergent will not rinse properly in the few minutes that most people are willing to devote to cleaning their coffee machines - resulting in a soapy residue being left behind.
2) Dishwasher detergent is usually not flavor neutral. As such, if there is any residue left behind, it will be very noticeable and will dramatically effect the taste of your coffee.
3) Because they are not specifically tested for use on coffee and espresso equipment, some dishwasher detergents may contain ingredients which will react poorly with the interior surfaces of your machine and could cause damage.
I use vinegar to clean my coffee machine. Why should I buy Cleancaf®?
1) Unlike vinegar, Cleancaf® is specifically designed and tested for use on home coffee and espresso equipment.
2) Cleancaf®'s rinsing profile and flavor neutral characteristics mean that it will do its job and then exit your coffee machine easily with no taste impacting residue. Vinegar, on the other hand, has a strong flavor which remains inside machines long after its final rinsing.
3) Vinegar is not a cleaner. Rather, it's only benefit to a coffee machine is it's acidic nature which allows it to combat calcium and limescale buildup. As such, vinegar will not remove taste impacting coffee oil residue. Therefore vinegar only accomplishes some portion of one aspect of Cleancaf® Brand Cleaner and Descaler's dual action formula.
I use rice to clean my Grinder. Why should I buy Grindz™?
In the past, many people have cleaned grinders with rice. However, rice carries the risk of locking up the motor of a grinder as it passes through and is turned into a fine powder. The hardness and shape of Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner prevents this from happening. Using rice to clean your grinder also leaves a starchy residue on the inner mechanics of a grinder that is difficult to remove.
What is OMRI™, and what are your OMRI™ listed products?
Our OMRI™ certified products have been independently certified and reviewed by the Organic Materials Review Institute. In their review, OMRI™ audits our formulas and operations in order to confirm that all ingredients used are listed by the U.S. Dept of Agriculture as approved for use in organic food processing.
Can I use Urnex® Brand Products on aluminum?
Alkaline detergents (like most of our products) are not generally compatible with aluminum. For this reason we do not recommend use of these products on aluminum surfaces.
Can I use Urnex® Brand Products on my percolator?
As most percolators are made from aluminum rather than stainless steel, we do not normally recommend use of our products on them. However, if you do have a stainless steel percolator, our product Cleancaf® Brand Cleaner and Descaler will work to both remove coffee oil buildup and prevent the accumulation of scale from its interior.
Why did Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner switch from a red cap to a yellow cap?
As part of the "Clean by Color™" packaging program, Urnex® released a bright yellow cap as a better way for customers to distinguish the product from others in the Urnex® portfolio. This packaging change is especially helpful for a more distinct differentiation between Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner and Cafiza® Espresso Machine Cleaner Powder.
