Help! My Ninja Coffee Bar Won’t Run Clean Cycle! [What To Do]

When your Ninja coffee bar won’t run clean cycle there are many things that you can do long before you pick up your phone and start calling for help.

I’ve identified 6 reasons and actions that you can take to get your coffee machine running the clean cycle.

Keep reading to find out these 6 reasons why your Ninja coffee bar may not be running the clean cycle and the actions that you can take.

Why Your Ninja Coffee Bar Won’t Run Clean Cycle

There are several reasons why your Ninja coffee maker might not run the cleaning cycle and several actions that you can take to remedy the situation before you rush to call customer service.

Here are the most common reasons why your Ninja coffee bar clean cycle may not be working and what you can do about it!

1: You Pressed The Wrong Button!

It might be that the clean cycle is not working because you did not press the correct button. Pressing the wrong button will not start the cleaning cycle. Fill your water reservoir with a 50% distilled white vinegar and 50% fresh, clean water to the max fill line and press the clean button.

This will clean your coffee machine and will flush the machine with your water and vinegar solution and give your machine good clean. Run a brew cycle 4 or 5 times to flush away the scent of vinegar.

This will put out your clean light and, just in case you are curious, pressing the wrong button in an error that a few people make.

Read: How to clean ninja coffee maker without vinegar

2: Check Your Brew Basket

The cleaning cycle will not work if your brew basket is not in place or correctly in place. Remove it from your coffee machine and replace it, putting it back in place and ensure that it is in the correct position.

When it is in the correct position, you’ll hear a slight click. If it is off or even slightly off, your coffee bar clean cycle might not run.

3: Limescale Deposits Caused By Hard Water

Hard water mineral deposits is another reason why your Ninja coffee bar won’t run a clean cycle. These slowly buildup over time and damage your coffee machine. A good preventative treatment is to use filtered water or mineral water.

It is a small step, it is one that will prolong the life of your machine. You can also take the step of adding a filter. If you want to add a filter, wait until your warranty and guarantee has expired. Until then, fill a water filter jug and use that to filter your water and fill your machine with water from the jug.

When you have a buildup of limescale and mineral deposits the best solution is prevention and cleaning your machine every 15 days, every other week. Do this, and it will not have a chance to form. If it is already too late and there is already a calcium build up, give your Ninja coffee maker a good deep clean with distilled white vinegar or bicarbonate of soda.

Run a good brewing cycle until the scent of vinegar or taste of baking soda has disappeared.

Read: How to clean Ninja 12-Cup coffee maker

4: Shake It, Baby, Shake It…

As unusual as it may sound, remove all cables attached to your Ninja coffee maker, once it is unplugged and everything has been removed, water, coffee, everything. Give your machine a real, good shake. Turn it upside down and give it a shake, and shake it well, pretend it is a maraca and shake, shake, shake.

Place your machine back on your countertop and let it settle for 10 to 15 minutes and run a cleaning cycle. Use a 50% vinegar and 50% water solution.

Vinegar will get rid of the harsh calcium build ups.

5. Improper Cleaning

You need to clean your machine properly and regularly. Incomplete cleaning cycles can still lead to the build up of mineral deposits and dirt that can and will lead to build up that can and will eventually block your internal tubing and pipes.

Run a good, proper deep clean every other week as this will descale your machine and ensure that your coffee is fresh, tasty and, more importantly, your machine is free from mold, bacterial and all sorts of nasty stuff.

6. Reset Your Machine

If your ninja coffee bar won’t run a clean cycle, and all else fails, reset your coffee machine. Pull the plug out, and leave it for a short while to power down everything.

The plug it back in again and try running and a clean cycle again.

At this point, if even this does not work, call their customer service number and consult with an operator and follow their instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ninja Coffee Bar Won’t Run Clean Cycle

Why Is My Ninja Coffee Bar Not Cleaning?

If your Ninja coffee bar will not completely run a cleaning cycle it may need an extra and stronger descaling cycle.

At the first attempt, use a stronger concentration of white vinegar using 75% white vinegar and add hot, almost boiling water to your water reservoir and start a cleaning cycle.

This hot water and stronger focus of vinegar should dissolve and dislodge any blockages of mineral build up. If this works, run a similar cycle at least 3 times to remove all traces of all blockages that there may be.

Rinse it well with multiple flushes of clean water and clean your machine every other week to keep it in perfect condition. If your Ninja coffee bar’s cleaning light is still on, contact customer service.

Why Does My Ninja Coffee Bar Keep Saying Clean?

If your clean light is on and stays on, your coffee maker is trying to tell you something – it needs cleaning and there is an unacceptable build up of dirt in your machine, and you need to clean it. The dirt may be anywhere, your brew basket, coffee pot or water reservoir.

Give it a good clean and rinse well.

Read: How to clean ninja coffee maker

How Do I Reset My Ninja Coffee Maker Clean Button?

If your Ninja coffee maker is clean, you can try to reset it. Unplug your machine and wait 5 to 10 minutes before you plug it back in. You will need to reset your clock, the cleaning indicator should be off.

How Do You Fix A Clogged Ninja Coffee Maker?

A clogged Ninja coffee maker is probably clogged due to mineral buildup due to deposits of magnesium, calcium, dirt, old coffee, mold, bacteria and more.

Run a full descaling cycle with a commercial descaling solution or distilled white vinegar. Half fill your coffee bar’s water reservoir with vinegar and top it up to the max fill line with water and then flush well.

Final Thoughts – Ninja Coffee Bar Won’t Run Clean Cycle 

If you have read this far you know half a dozen reasons why your Ninja coffee bar won’t run clean cycle and what you can do to fix the situation. 

Don’t forget, you can take that 7th option, of calling their service line.

Do you have your own method of fixing your Ninja coffee bar when it won’t run a clean cycle? 

Join our online coffee community on Facebook/Meta and share your “secret” method with us all – we’d love to hear it!

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location