How to Clean an Espresso Machine (Daily, Weekly, Monthly)

By Marcus · Updated May 2026

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Your espresso machine is a workhorse. It pulls shots every morning, steams milk for your lattes, and drips coffee oils and milk residue into every crevice. If you don’t clean it, those oils go rancid in about three days. Your shots taste bitter and sour at the same time — which is impressive in the worst way.

Daily tasks take two minutes. Weekly deep-cleans need ten. Monthly backflushing takes fifteen but saves you from a $200 service call when your grouphead clogs. Skip the routine and you’ll taste the consequences long before you see the mold in your drip tray.

What you’ll need

Grouphead brush (or old toothbrush)
Microfiber cloth
Blind basket (for backflushing)
Espresso machine detergent (Cafiza or Urnex)
Small bowl or mug
Descaling solution (if your water is hard)
Steam wand cleaning tool or paperclip

Step 1: Purge the steam wand immediately

Right after you steam milk, open the steam valve for two seconds. This blows out any milk trapped inside the wand. Then wipe the wand down with a damp cloth before the milk bakes on.

Step 2: Empty and rinse the drip tray

Do this every single day. Coffee oils pool in that tray and turn into a bacteria circus. Pull it out, dump it, rinse with hot water, and dry it before sliding it back in.

Step 3: Brush the grouphead and portafilter

Remove your portafilter and look up into the grouphead. You’ll see a rubber gasket and a shower screen — both coated in coffee grounds. Use your grouphead brush to scrub the screen and gasket, then run a blank shot to flush debris into the drip tray.

Step 4: Backflush with detergent weekly

Insert your blind basket into the portafilter and add half a teaspoon of Cafiza. Lock it in, run the brew cycle for ten seconds, stop, wait ten seconds, repeat five times. Then remove the basket, rinse everything, and run three blank cycles to flush out detergent residue.

Step 5: Soak the portafilter and baskets

Once a week, drop your portafilter, baskets, and shower screen into a bowl of hot water mixed with a teaspoon of espresso detergent. Let them soak for twenty minutes, scrub with your brush, rinse thoroughly, and reassemble.

Step 6: Deep-clean the steam wand monthly

Unscrew the steam tip if it comes off. Soak it in espresso detergent solution for fifteen minutes. Use a steam wand cleaning tool or straightened paperclip to clear any milk buildup inside the tip holes. Rinse and reattach.

Step 7: Descale if your water is hard

If you see white mineral buildup or your flow rate slows down, run a descaling cycle. Follow your machine’s manual — most want you to run descaler through the boiler, let it sit for twenty minutes, then flush with fresh water three times. Yes, it smells like vinegar. Open a window.

Pro tips & common mistakes

The biggest mistake is skipping the steam wand purge. Milk sits in that wand and turns into cement overnight. If your machine has a three-way solenoid valve, backflushing is non-negotiable — without it, coffee oils migrate into the valve and your machine starts leaking or losing pressure. If you taste anything sour or metallic, you’ve waited too long.

Use filtered water if your tap is hard. It won’t eliminate descaling, but you’ll do it twice a year instead of every month. And if your grouphead gasket starts leaking or your shots spray everywhere, it’s probably worn out — that’s a fifteen-dollar part, not a cleaning issue.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

How often should I backflush my espresso machine?

Once a week if you pull shots daily. If you only use your machine on weekends, every two weeks is fine. Backflushing clears oils from the grouphead and three-way valve, which keeps pressure stable and prevents rancid flavors.

Can I use dish soap instead of espresso detergent?

No. Dish soap leaves residue that’s hard to rinse and can taste soapy in your espresso. Espresso detergents like Cafiza are formulated to break down coffee oils without leaving a film. A 20-ounce jar costs twelve dollars and lasts six months.

What happens if I don’t clean the steam wand?

Milk buildup clogs the steam tip holes, which reduces steam pressure and makes microfoam impossible. Worse, old milk grows bacteria. If you see black spots around the tip or smell anything sour, you’ve already got a problem.

How do I know if my machine needs descaling?

Slow flow rate, weak steam pressure, or visible white crust around the grouphead or boiler vents. If your water is hard (above 120 ppm), descale every two to three months. Soft water users can go six months or longer.

Do I need to remove the shower screen to clean it?

Not every time. Brushing it daily is enough for routine cleaning. Remove it once a month, soak it in detergent solution, and scrub both sides. You’ll need a screwdriver — the screw is in the center of the screen.

Can I backflush a machine without a three-way valve?

No. Machines without a three-way valve (most single-boiler budget models) can’t backflush because water has nowhere to go. You’ll just flood the drip tray or damage the pump. Stick to brushing and soaking parts instead.