The cleaning and maintainance operations, propperly executed on your espresso machine, mean a great deal in two directions: they prevent the components from malfunctioning/breaking, thus maximize the macine's lifespan; they enhance the quality of the coffee.

7 steps to clean & maintain your espresso machine

1. filter the water, or use bottled water; if the machine features a water filter you should descale once a week;
2. remove the grounds and rinse the portafilter immediately after use;
3. clean the portafilter, basket and screen heads thorowghly once a day; one highly recommended cleaning solution is Purro Caff; if this is not available in your area, you can also use tri-sodium phosphate;
4. clean the group head using the backflush method: replace the usual filter-basket with a blind filter (one without holes), and run the machine with plain water as when pulling a 15-20 secconds shot; because the filter doesn't have any holes, when you stop running the machine, the pressurized water will flush back through the group screen and group solenoid; this operation helps you remove the grounds and oils accumulations inside the group head; you can use some Purro Caff, placed inside the blind filter, and then repeat the 'brewing' several times, with 20 secconds pauses, to rinse properly;
5. portafilters and screens can be cleaned by soaking in hot water with customary detergent;
6. in order to clean the steam wand use warm water, detergent and a non-abrasive rag
7. periodically replace the shower screen with a new one, because coffee oils build-up inevitably;

As a general rule, do not use the backflush method on manual espresso machines.