As of January 28, 2024, 7:56 a.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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Limescale can significantly shorten the lifespan of your coffee machine.
The device should therefore be descaled regularly.
This also works with natural home remedies.
For many people, a coffee in the morning is simply part of a successful start to the day.
Some people don't even wake up without the caffeine it contains.
To ensure that the coffee machine prepares tasty coffee and works for as long as possible, not only should the water be changed regularly, but the device should also be descaled regularly.
Why, how often and with which home remedies you can do this best.
How do I know that the coffee machine needs to be descaled?
How quickly limescale forms in the device depends on how often the coffee machine is used and the hardness of the water used.
Hard water contains more lime, which means more of it is deposited in the coffee machine.
Professionals recommend descaling the machine whenever
the device gives a signal for descaling,
if white deposits form,
the water takes significantly longer to flow through,
the machine makes unusually loud noises or
the coffee doesn't get really hot or doesn't taste good.
If the coffee machine rattles loudly, it is time to descale the machine.
(Symbolic image) © AntonioGuillem/Imago
How often should the coffee machine be descaled?
As a rule of thumb: On average, the coffee machine should be descaled once or twice a month.
It shouldn't be rare, because heavy limescale deposits can overheat the machine, which can lead to irreparable damage.
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Home remedies that help descale the coffee machine
In order to effectively descale the coffee machine, various descalers are available commercially.
If you don't have one in the house or prefer to use natural cleaning products, you can also use home remedies from the kitchen:
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Vinegar essence:
Mix vinegar essence and water in a 1:4 ratio.
The mixture should not be stronger, otherwise rubber seals and other sensitive parts of the machine could be damaged.
Pour the vinegar mixture into the water container of the coffee machine and let the whole thing run through once.
Then run the machine through the machine two or three more times with pure water to rinse out any vinegar residue.
Citric acid:
Instead of vinegar essence, citric acid is also suitable for descaling the coffee machine.
This is available in powder or liquid form from drugstores and can be used according to instructions.
For light calcification, a lemon is enough.
However, when citric acid is heated, calcium citrate can precipitate in the device and clog it.
Therefore, as a precaution, a cold descaling program should be used.
Here's how it works: Dilute the juice of a lemon (without pulp) with a liter of water and let the mixture go through halfway.
Then turn off the machine and let the lemon juice work for about 30 minutes.
Then let the rest run through and then let another two tank loads of water run through.
Baking powder or baking soda:
Baking powder or baking soda is particularly mild and completely harmless to the machine.
They contain acidulants and are ideal for dissolving limescale.
This is how it works: Dissolve a packet of baking powder or some baking soda in hot water and pour the mixture into the water tank.
Then let the coffee machine run until the water tank is empty.
Finally, run the device through a few times with clear water to remove any remaining residue.
However, before you descale the machine, you should always read the operating instructions for your device and pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations in order to enjoy your coffee machine for a long time to come.
Other household appliances, such as the dishwasher, also need to be descaled regularly to maintain their functionality.