The calcium in the water can create a buildup of limescale in the coffee machine. This lowers its lifespan and causes frequent breakdowns. Descaling your coffee maker removes the limescale buildup. It is a good idea to descale every month or 6 weeks. If you use filtered water, you won’t have to worry about descaling. Many machines need descaling tablets to remove the buildup. Others can be descaled with a mix of white vinegar and water. Just pour the mix into your water chamber and set it to brew. After the brew cycle is over, turn off your machine and let it sit for an hour. Then discard the vinegar-water mix and rinse out the chamber.