Descaling your coffee machine with household remedies

Descaling your coffee machine – tips and tricks

Everyone knows the feeling – it's been a while since you last descaled your coffee machine, the flow rate is slowing down, and the coffee tastes worse. Perhaps unsightly limescale deposits have even built up over time. It's time to descale your coffee machine again. In our current guide, we'll show you which household remedies you can use to descale your coffee machine.

Frequency of descaling depends on water hardness

Depending on the water hardness of the region, coffee machines are susceptible to limescale buildup relatively quickly. Therefore, descaling your coffee machine regularly is a must. This is the only way to ensure a long service life, proper operation, and unaffected taste.

Why should you descale your coffee machine:

• significantly longer lifespan of your coffee machine
• better taste
• better throughput speed

Descaling your coffee machine with household remedies

But which household remedies actually work to descale your coffee machine? In our guide, we present various descaling options. Please note that not every option is recommended for every type of machine. For example, some of the household remedies listed below contain acids that can damage delicate surfaces. Therefore, it is advisable to read the manufacturer's and care instructions for your coffee machine before descaling.

Descale coffee machine with vinegar

As with other household appliances, vinegar is a very reliable household remedy for descaling coffee machines. However, we recommend using this method for filter machines rather than fully automatic coffee machines. This is because the acid in vinegar can attack seals and surfaces. If you decide to use vinegar as a household remedy, it is essential that you dilute it before use. Simply mix household vinegar with twice the amount of water and fill the tank of your (filter) coffee machine. Switch on the coffee machine and let half the water tank run through. Once this is done, switch the machine off and let the machine rest for about 20 minutes to allow the household remedy to work. You can then switch the machine back on and let the second half of the tank run through. After descaling, it is important to run clear water through the coffee machine 2-3 times.

citric acid also suitable as a home remedy

Citric acid is a true all-rounder when it comes to limescale deposits. This household remedy is also suitable for most coffee machines. It's not without reason that citric acid is a key ingredient in many commercially available descalers. To descale a coffee machine with citric acid, take a teaspoon of lemon powder and dissolve it in about half a liter of water. Pour the resulting mixture into the coffee machine's water tank and run half of it through the machine. Halfway through, turn the coffee machine off and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Then run the rest of the water through the tank and finally, clean the machine with 2-3 clean water runs. If the coffee machine contains aluminum-containing parts, extreme caution is advised.

Home remedy number 3: Descale coffee machine with baking soda

Another household remedy for descaling your coffee maker is baking soda. Add one packet of baking soda to half a liter of hot water until the baking soda dissolves. Then proceed as described in the first two methods. Fill the coffee maker's water tank with the mixture, run the water halfway through the machine, take a 15-minute break, and then run the rest of the water through the machine. Finally, clean the entire system by running cold water through the coffee maker two or three more times.

Home remedy insider tip: Descale coffee machine with aspirin or denture cleaner

Due to its ingredients, aspirin is also suitable for descaling your coffee maker. The same applies to denture cleaner. You can therefore fill the reservoir of your coffee maker with water and dissolve an aspirin tablet or denture cleaner in it. Stir the mixture and run it through the machine as with the other options. Finally, with these home remedies, you should also run clean water through the coffee maker two or three times.