How to Descale a Nespresso Vertuo or Original (Step by Step)

Written by Sara Ibrahim. Sara researches home and kitchen products for Cupindy.

Published October 2026 · Last reviewed October 21, 2026

Short answer: empty the drip tray and capsule container, pour one packet of Nespresso descaling solution into the water tank with fresh water, put a big container under the spout, and start your machine's descaling mode. Run the tank through, rinse with clean water, then exit the mode. Nespresso says to do it every 3 months or 300 capsules.

The part that changes from machine to machine is the button sequence. Vertuo machines use a long button hold and the lock lever; most Original machines use both cup buttons at once. We put Nespresso's sequences for 11 machines side by side below.

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How we put this together: on October 21, 2026 we read Nespresso's own descaling guides and support pages for 11 machines, Nespresso's safety data sheet for the solution, and the Amazon listings we link. We did not test these products. Cupindy is not affiliated with Nespresso.

Nespresso Descaling, Machine by Machine

Find your machine, then follow the full steps in the next sections. Amounts are Nespresso's, in the units each guide uses.

Don't see your model? Nespresso keeps a guide for each machine on its machine assistance pages.

What You Need Before You Start

Three things, and about 20 minutes. Nespresso's guides put the job at 15 to 25 minutes depending on the machine.

1. One packet of Nespresso descaling solution (two for the Expert).
2. Fresh drinking water.
3. A container big enough to catch a full tank. Nespresso asks for at least 34 oz (1 L) on the Vertuo Next and Pop.

Put a towel or tray under the machine first. Nespresso warns that the solution can damage or stain surfaces, and says to wipe up spills right away (VertuoLine guide).

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How to Descale a Nespresso Vertuo (Next and Pop)

These steps come from Nespresso's Vertuo Pop descaling guide and its Vertuo Next support page, which use the same sequence (Vertuo Pop guide, Vertuo Next).

1. Eject any capsule. Empty the capsule container and drip tray and put them back.
2. Pour 1 packet of descaling solution and 17 oz (0.5 L) of water into the tank.
3. Remove the cup support. Put a container of at least 34 oz (1 L) under the coffee outlet.
4. Turn the machine on, close the head and leave the lever unlocked.
5. Press and hold the button until the steady light goes off and starts blinking orange quickly. This takes about 7 seconds.
6. Turn the lever to lock, then back to unlock. Press and hold the button again until it blinks orange quickly (about 7 seconds). You have 45 seconds for this step.
7. Lock the lever. If the light is still blinking orange quickly, you are in descaling mode. If not, start again from step 4.
8. Press the button once. The light keeps blinking while it works, and the machine stops by itself when the descaling phase is done.
9. Empty the container. Rinse the water tank, drip tray and capsule container, fill the tank with fresh water and put everything back.
10. Press the button to rinse. When the light turns steady, you are done. Let the machine rest for 10 minutes.

Nespresso says descale mode on the Next and Pop “cannot be interrupted or exited”, and if the machine loses power partway through, it comes back in descale mode and you run both the descaling and the rinse again (Nespresso, Vertuo Pop).

VertuoPlus

The VertuoPlus works through a special functions menu instead (VertuoPlus guide):

1. Push the lever up to open the head and let the capsule drop. Empty the cup support and capsule container.
2. Close the head. Fill the tank with 1 unit of descaling liquid and at least 17 oz of water.
3. Turn the machine off by holding the lever down for 3 seconds.
4. With the machine off, push the button and the lever down together for 3 seconds. A steady orange light means you are in the special functions menu.
5. Press and release the lever once to enter descaling mode. Put a receptacle that holds at least 27 oz under the spout.
6. Press the button once. The orange light blinks while it works, and the machine stops by itself.
7. Empty and rinse the tank, refill it with fresh water and press the button once to rinse.
8. To leave descaling mode, press and hold the button and lever together for 3 seconds. Let it rest 10 minutes.

How to Descale a Nespresso Original (Essenza Mini, CitiZ, Pixie, Inissia)

Original machines run the solution through twice, then rinse with clean water. This is the CitiZ and Essenza Mini routine from Nespresso's guides (CitiZ, Essenza Mini). Water amount, rinse count and button times differ by model; check the table above.

1. Turn the machine on and wait for steady lights. Eject the capsule and close the lever.
2. Empty the capsule container and drip tray and put them back. Place a container under the coffee outlet.
3. Add 1 packet of descaling solution and water to the tank (half a tank on the CitiZ, up to the max line on the Essenza Mini).
4. Press and hold both cup buttons together until they blink quickly: 3 seconds on the CitiZ, 5 on the Essenza Mini.
5. Press the large cup (Lungo) button and let the whole tank run through.
6. Pour the used solution from the container back into the tank, empty the drip tray, and press the large cup button again.
7. Throw the solution away. Rinse the tank, fill it with fresh water and run the full tank through. The Essenza Mini guide says to rinse three times in all.
8. Exit descaling mode by holding both cup buttons again, then let the machine rest for 10 minutes.

The Pixie and Inissia pages follow the same pattern with 0.5 L of water. On the Pixie, Nespresso says to exit by pressing both buttons for just one second (Pixie, Inissia).

Lattissima and Creatista (milk machines)

Milk machines add a step for the steam side. On the Lattissima One you plug the descaling pipe from the back of the machine into the steam connector, and the solution runs out through the coffee outlet, the pipe and the drip tray, so set a 1-liter container under both (Lattissima One). The Creatista Uno uses the Ristretto and Steam buttons and a DESCALE line on the tank (Creatista Uno guide). Other Lattissima models have their own guides, so check yours.

How Often to Descale a Nespresso

Short answer: “Nespresso recommends descaling every 3 months or 300 capsules (whichever comes first).” That line appears in Nespresso's guides for the CitiZ, Essenza Mini, VertuoPlus, Creatista Uno and Expert (CitiZ guide). Many machines also tell you when it is due:

Nespresso Descale Light Still On or Blinking Orange?

Usually the machine hasn't left descaling mode. Here is what Nespresso says for each family.

1. Vertuo Next or Pop, fast orange blinking: the cycle is still running or was cut off. If the power was interrupted, the machine restarts in descale mode and you repeat both the descale and the rinse (Nespresso).
2. Vertuo (VertuoLine guide): fast blinking after you lock the lever means descaling mode is on. If it is not, start again from the step where you leave the lever unlocked and press the button. After the solution has run, hold the button about 7 seconds until the light turns steady, then rinse (guide).
3. VertuoPlus, still orange: orange blinking once every 2 seconds means the rinse still needs to run; after it, hold the button and lever down together for 3 seconds to leave descaling mode (guide).
4. Original machines, buttons still blinking: you skipped the exit. Hold both cup buttons again for your model's time (Pixie: 1 second).
5. Expert, maintenance light on afterward: Nespresso calls this normal. Run a Lungo without a capsule until the light goes out (Expert guide).

Can You Descale a Nespresso With Vinegar?

Short answer: Nespresso says no. Its CitiZ, Essenza Mini, VertuoPlus and Vertuo guides warn that other solutions “such as vinegar or store-bought descalers” may damage the machine, and say to use only the Nespresso kit (CitiZ guide). On the Pixie, Nespresso gives a second reason: other products such as vinegar “would affect the taste of the coffee” (Pixie). The Vertuo Next page puts it most bluntly: “Never use any product other than the Nespresso descaling kit” (Vertuo Next)

Plenty of short videos show vinegar going into a Vertuo. We would still follow the maker: seven of the 11 Nespresso guides we read warn against vinegar by name. For drip machines, where vinegar is often allowed, see how to clean a coffee maker with vinegar.

Citric Acid and Other Nespresso Descaler Alternatives

Nespresso's guides allow only its own kit, so any other descaler is your call, not theirs. People who go off-label usually do it for one of two reasons: they want a citric acid formula instead of lactic acid, or they want more uses per box.

Baking soda, lemon juice and homemade mixes come up in a lot of guides. No Nespresso document we read gives a recipe or an amount for any of them, so we don't either.

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What's in Nespresso Descaling Solution? Is It Non-Toxic?

It is mostly lactic acid. Nespresso's safety data sheet lists L-(+)-lactic acid at 30 to 50 percent and a phosphonate (phosphonobutanetricarboxylic acid) at 1 to 5 percent, with a pH of about 2 (Nespresso safety data sheet). The Amazon listing gives the ingredients as “lactic acid and phosphonates”.

Lactic acid is a food acid, but at this strength it is not gentle on people. The safety sheet's signal word is “Danger”, with “Causes skin irritation” and “Causes serious eye damage”. That sheet is an EU version issued in 2015, so the U.S. pack may be worded differently.

In practice: pour it slowly, keep children away, and if it splashes in your eyes, Nespresso's guides say to rinse with plenty of water for 15 minutes and get medical advice. If your worry is the capsules themselves, see our non-toxic coffee maker guide.

Descaling vs. Cleaning a Nespresso

They are two jobs. Descaling removes mineral scale with an acid. Cleaning flushes coffee residue with plain water. The Vertuo Next and Pop have a cleaning cycle that uses no solution at all (Vertuo Next):

1. Fill the tank with fresh water and put a container of at least 34 oz (1 L) under the outlet.
2. Open the head, eject any capsule, and empty the capsule container and drip tray.
3. Close the head and lock the handle, with no capsule inside.
4. When the light is steady white, press the button 3 times within 2 seconds.
5. The cycle runs on its own for about 7 minutes. Press the button to pause, and again to resume.

Nespresso suggests the cleaning cycle when no coffee or water comes out, and running it twice if you find grounds in your cup (Vertuo Pop). For espresso machines with a portafilter, see how to clean an espresso machine.

Nespresso Descalers Compared

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Descaling Other Coffee Makers

Keurig's steps are in how to descale a Keurig. Drip machines are in our vinegar guide. Still choosing a machine? Start with our coffee machine guide.

Questions People Ask

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Cupindy is not affiliated with Nespresso, Lemi Shine, ACTIVE or any seller named on this page. Nespresso, Vertuo, VertuoPlus, Essenza Mini, CitiZ, Pixie, Inissia, Lattissima, Creatista and Expert are trademarks of their owners.