Described is method for cleaning a machine (1) for liquid or semi-liquid food products, the machine comprising: at least one container (2) forming a processing chamber intended to convert a basic mixture into a finished product and provided with a mixer (8) inside the processing chamber; thermal treatment means (4) intended to exchange heat with the processing chamber, the method comprising, in combination, the following steps: a) pasteurising the basic mixture or finished product in the container (2) at each predetermined first time interval; b) performing the following sequence of operations at each predetermined second time interval: emptying the basic mixture contained in the first container (2), washing the first container (2) using a washing fluid, filling at least partly the first container (2) with a cleaning fluid and subjecting the cleaning fluid in the first container (2) to a heating thermal treatment; c) disassembling and cleaning at each predetermined third time interval at least part of the components of which the machine (1) consists and which are intended to make contact, in use, with the basic mixture or with the product, where the first time interval is less than the second time interval and the second time interval is less than the third time interval.