Unclog Senseo Pod Holders
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How to unclog Senseo pod holders?
If you have a Senseo coffee machine, there is a risk that the pod holders get clogged.
This happened to me a few months ago, and I tried unclogging it unsuccessfully with the following methods found on the internet:
- Clean it in the dishwasher;
- Use a needle to remove the clog;
- Clean it with a brush;
- And I also tried to remove the plastic ring to release the filter and clean it, but it was locked.
Then I finally found the best and quickest method: using a syringe, and pump water through the filter to evacuate the clog!
Below you can see a gif with food coloring injected through the filter after being unclogged.
![](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F9X/WKGX/K51O2IJ6/F9XWKGXK51O2IJ6.ANIMATED.LARGE.gif)
Supplies
- A cup of water;
- A syringe (without needle).
Problems Related to Clogged Pod Holder
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With time, coffee got stuck inside the tiny filter of the pod holder, and it became almost impossible to remove.
Clogged pod holders can cause the following problems:
- The machine makes less coffee than before (read about this);
- The lid cannot be opened (read about this);
- The machine is leaking (read about this).
Leave It in Water
![holder_glass+water.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FBR/YKJV/K51O2I11/FBRYKJVK51O2I11.jpg&filename=holder_glass+water.jpg)
![holder+glass+water.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FVB/JYPK/K51O2I1R/FVBJYPKK51O2I1R.jpg&filename=holder+glass+water.jpg)
I'd suggest to first leave to pod holder in water for a few minutes so that the clog is moistened.
Pump With the Syringe
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![serynge_down.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F2Z/V50M/K51O2IAW/F2ZV50MK51O2IAW.jpg&filename=serynge_down.jpg)
![serynge_up.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FZ6/S2Y7/K51O2IAX/FZ6S2Y7K51O2IAX.jpg&filename=serynge_up.jpg)
Place the syringe on top of the filter of the pod holder, and pump a few times back and forth. Doing this leads to the following:
- An increase of pressure on the clog, to desagregate the coffee stuck inside the filter;
- An increase of water flow through the filter, to evacuate the clog.
The faster you pump, the greater the flow and pressure inside the filter.
![](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F7M/JVDB/K51O2IJ4/F7MJVDBK51O2IJ4.ANIMATED.LARGE.gif)
Or With a Larger Container
![IMG_5608.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FEK/TOAX/K55WEE4B/FEKTOAXK55WEE4B.jpg&filename=IMG_5608.jpg)
![IMG_5609.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FJC/KJYV/K55WEE82/FJCKJYVK55WEE82.jpg&filename=IMG_5609.jpg)
You can also use a larger container filled with water:
- Hold both the pod holder and the syringe with one hand
- Then, pump with the other hand.
Drink Your Coffee!
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I hope this has been useful, and that you can once again enjoy your coffee as I do!