How To Descale a Nespresso VertuoLine Machine Step by Step

Help, the Nespresso stopped working! Well, its not broken, it just needs to be descaled. The Nespresso maching doesn't have a nice easy to understand display, its just one button that blinks in Morse Code. I hope this video helps you to decipher the code and enjoy another great cup of coffee!

[@hotgatika]

RESPECT! You are a genius! 🤓 ... you explained it slowly and clearly. ❤ I've been sitting here for over an hour. I saw & read the directions over and over again. I watched several videos, including their official one. Nothing worked until I watched yours. I went step by step with you and "glory to God," 🙌 it finally worked! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@MultiT74]

Thanks Mum ! Made it so much easier then the horribly worded instructions the company has put out.

[@TikkiOOO]

Glad it helped!

[@amberrutan86]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I bought my machine from a friend and didn’t have a manual, couldn’t get the water to draw at all and had no idea the cleaning and descaling functions were different! You’ve just saved me from buying a new machine! ❤

[@TikkiOOO]

Glad I could help!

[@JamesBond-hv6zi]

Thanks so much couldn't remember this, moms are the best!

[@TikkiOOO]

The best! Thanks James Bond!

[@matthewsokolik5326]

You are a life saver. Thank you for this video!

[@TikkiOOO]

You're welcome, thanks for the comment!

[@kbuszta]

This was extremely helpful! Moms to the rescue!

[@TikkiOOO]

Moms and don't forget Grandmoms! Thanks for the comment!

[@susanyakus7364]

If you don't want to buy the descaling solution, you can use 6 oz. white vinegar and 12 oz. water combined. Works very well. Thank you for your informative video. I lost the directions long ago.

[@TikkiOOO]

Thanks for the info!

[@olinsalty1670]

This is not entirely correct. I’m copying this from u/leyline on Reddit because they are absolutely correct: Ok, even though the current popular comment here is against proper cleaning solution, [u/leyline] went down this rabbit hole and here is what they found. It is true - a low dilution of vinegar will likely not ruin your machine. Counter point, it is a low dilution and it also will not dissolve and remove the minerals as well as lactic or citric acid. Since you can't see inside your machine - you can find videos of people trying to use vinegar to descale regular kettles and their heating elements vs lactic/citric acid. To the person who runs a cap of vinegar every month, that seems great, it will do an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal clean for you. I should start doing this to maintain my tank cleanliness and have better coffee. 1 cap in a tank won't really descale at all. If you use RO water, awesome. I live in an area with hard water full of lime (Florida - aquifer). I tried vinegar, but when I used some real (other brand) descale solution the next time I descaled, there was a huge difference. I also have a flat bottom tea kettle, even though I filter my water it still builds up white lime deposist. I tried to clean with 1:1 water vinegar and it didn't touch it. It mostly cleaned the kettle well, but the points where the bubbles nucleate during boiling still had white craters of mineral scale. I put a few drops of lemon juice wiped it with my cloth, rinsed with water and bam, perfect kettle. I really wanted to know why, so I researched. Lactic acid and citric acid are far stronger to dissolve minerals. Acetic acid - vinegar is too weak at 1:1 dilution for scale removal. In the same concentrations that would make it as effective against minerals it attacks rubber seals. Second point, the lactic and citric acid solutions really dissolve the minerals back into small particles and the vinegar usually causes the minerals to release, but still float in larger chunks. The degradation on the rubber seals, and if a large particle of scale becomes lodged in the thermal tubes is what ruins the machine. What about how grandpa always cleaned his coffee maker? Back in the old days of coffee makers - vinegar once a month to freshen the tank and clean the elements was ok. The elements were exposed into the water tank area and had a higher surface area that would have less minerals build up in just one month. In a Nespresso the water flows inside a thermal block through small diameter tubes; the mineral build up is quicker and more intense in the small area. The coffee maker was also not high pressure, gaskets and seals were just press fit plastic and not pressure bearing. People (*most) also don't descale monthly, but instead every 6 months, that means harder mineral buildup. The affect of acetic acid on gaskets and seals means that using lactic/citric acid are truly a better choice. Example: Why scrub for an hour with weak cleaner when you can use the right cleaner and wipe right through the problem. Final note: You can by many brands 1/2 to 1/5th the price of Nespresso, true; or even bulk citric acid to use as a descale (research citric concentrations for espresso machine cleaning) and save money. TL;DR Vinegar is weak and not as effective as lactic/citric acid against minerals. To use vinegar that IS strong enough to compete, it also dissolves rubber seals.

[@isabelkugler5114]

Great video! Instructions for descaling this older model are no longer on the Nespresso website. Thank you!!

[@TikkiOOO]

You are welcome, thanks for leaving a comment!

[@d.t.4523]

I suggest running a pint of your favorite white wine to descale it. It's safer, and you get a warm drink when it's finished. Have fun.

[@TikkiOOO]

Interesting solution (read that both ways!) !!! Is the wine okay to drink after descaling???? Thanks for the tip, I'm not sure if it was serious, but I appreciate it!

[@d.t.4523]

@@TikkiOOO The scale is just the calcium in normal water. It's a valid option to descale the machine, yes. Certain wines are best when warm, so ask for ideas from someone you know that drinks it. Good luck and enjoy it.

[@sinulariasin4887]

That’s funny you mentioned it. I gave my machine away also to my mother hoping she would descale it for me ! She did but said she would do it only one time because she has fat fingers…….

[@TikkiOOO]

I don't know how to reply to that...except to say...cheers!