Everyone wants their coffee machines to last forever. You get so used to them that you do not even anticipate that they might give out at some point. If you have a Nespresso machine, I bet that you rely on it to give you quick, easy, delicious coffee on demand. However, you need to learn how to clean your Nespresso machine if you want it to work well for longer.

If you do not clean your Nespresso, you might find that it starts to smell. The coffee you brew with it will also have a bad taste because the water container is filthy and the whole machine has not been descaled. There is a simple solution to bring back the machine to its former glory!

Once you learn how to clean and descale your machine, you will have no problem brewing amazing coffee with it. As a result of regular cleaning, the machine will last longer and will work for years to come, so read this guide to learn how to bring out the best in your Nespresso machine!

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Clean a Nespresso Machine

When it comes to cleaning a Nespresso machine, there are several things that you need to keep in mind. First of all, the cleaning can be divided into two parts: the physical cleaning of the separate parts and the descaling of the machine. You need to do both these parts if you want your machine to be totally clean!

Then, another thing you should remember is that the cleaning process of the different machines on the Original line might be a bit different. But no matter which machine you have, you need to do both parts of the cleaning. Let me tell you a bit about how you can do that. Let’s go right into the first step!

Step 1: Cleaning the Drip Tray, Water Container, and Capsule Container

In step 1, I will tell you more about the separate parts of the machine that you need to clean. Those parts are the water container, drip tray, and capsule container. These things should be cleaned every day or at least every other day.

The water container on some machines is removable, so you can easily detach it and clean it with warm water and dish soap. I recommend that you use dish soap that is odorless and chemical-free. Make sure that you rinse the container well at the end of the cleaning!

Then, you can remove the drip tray and clean it in the same way. The capsule container is the final thing you should empty and clean, making sure there are no spilled grounds in it. When you finish with the washing of these parts, make sure that you completely dry them before reattaching them to the machine!

Step 2: Prepare for Descaling

From step 2 onward, the guide will be dedicated to how to descale a Nespresso machine. For this, you will need the Nespresso descaling solution that you can purchase from the company’s official website. In the larger packet, there are usually a few smaller packets that contain the solution and that you can use on different occasions.

You should be aware that this process takes about 15 minutes, so you should be able to wait for that long before brewing the next cup of coffee.

After cleaning the drip tray, water container, and capsule container, you should fill the water tank with about 500 ml of water and add the descaling solution to the water. Put an empty container where your mug or cup would usually stand. This container will collect the water that comes out of the machine after the descaling process takes place.

how to descale a nespresso machine

Step 3: Start Descaling

To get the descaling process started, you should enter descaling mode on your machine while it is turned on. There should be instructions on how to do this in the manual that comes with your machine, or there could be a separate button that you can press to do the same.

When the descaling starts, the machine will run the water and the descaling solution through it and pour the water into the container on the drip tray. You should use the water from the container to fill the machine up again and run the descaling process once more.

how to descale a nespresso machine

Step 4: Run Clean Water Through

After running the descaling process two times, I recommend that you throw away the water with the descaling solution, rinse the water container, and fill it with clean water.

Using clean water only, you should run the descaling process two more times. This is so that you can make sure that the inside of the machine is completely clean and that none of the parts are compromised.

Step 5: Finish It Off

After running all these processes, you only have to do a few quick things to get your machine ready for the next brew. Exit the descaling mode and consider giving the machine some time to chill before starting a brew.

If you want to, you can rinse the water container as well as the drip tray once more. This is just to make sure that they are completely clean and that the descaling solution is wiped clean. If you decide to go with another rinse, make sure that you dry the separate parts before attaching them to the machine.

And voila, that is how you clean your Nespresso machine. If you did everything well and you used the appropriate cleaning solutions, the machine will be good as new! The next time you brew coffee with your Nespresso, it will taste as good as the very first cup of coffee that you ever made with this machine!

FAQs on How to Clean a Nespresso Machine

After reading everything in this guide, I believe that you should have a clear idea of how you can clean and descale your Nespresso machine. As a final note before wrapping the guide up, I would like to share a few other interesting things on the topic that I think you should know. Let’s see what they are!

Does vinegar harm Nespresso?

As you learned in the guide, the best way to descale a Nespresso machine is to use the Nespresso descaling solution – it is created for these machines, it is safe to use, and it cannot damage the inside of the machine. Sticking to it will be the best option for you. Using vinegar is not something that you should try on this machine.

Some people recommend using a solution of water and vinegar to descale coffee machines, and while this solution may work for some machines, you should not use it on a Nespresso machine. It can damage the internal parts of the machine and cause it not to work properly.

I recommend that you clean the outside parts with warm water and dish soap while using the Nespresso descaling solution to clean the internal parts.

How often should I clean my Nespresso?

How often you clean your Nespresso machine will depend on how often you use it. If you tend to use the machine every day, even several times per day, it would be best if you clean it a bit more often. If you do not use the machine that often, you can clean and descale it every couple of months.

The company advises that you clean your machine every 600 coffees. That means that you should do a thorough cleanup of the machine every six or seven months, while you can clean the water container and drip tray a bit more often!

That’s a Wrap on How to Clean a Nespresso Machine!

That is everything that you should know about how to run a Nespresso cleaning cycle and how often to do it. While there are several different types of machines on the Nespresso Original line, they are all pretty similar and have similar cleaning cycles. Remember to do both the cleaning of the separate parts as well as the descaling process on your machine – and this goes for all types of machines that Nespresso produces!

For more information on the cleaning cycle of your specific type of machine, visit the Nespresso official website. Let me know in the comments below if this guide helped you learn more about the cleaning of these machines or if you already knew how to do it. I cannot wait to read all about it!