When someone asks how you’d prefer your morning cup of tea, you’d probably ask for milk and sugar in one variation or the other.
However, what you wouldn’t prefer instead of cubes of sugar are cubes of limescale.
When hot water evaporates and solidifies, a white and chalky substance called limescale is formed. Limescale makes the sight of tea unpleasant, it deteriorates the ability of a kettle to heat up quickly. Layers of deposits around the kettle’s heating elements waste more energy and you get soaring utility bills for a change.
Whether it’s a washing machine you own, a dishwasher running months on end, or a simple kettle that makes your precious coffee – taking care of them results in your needs being taken care of. Now is the time to make descaling your kettle every three months, a regular part of your maintenance routine.
How to prevent limescale buildups in your kettle, according to experts?
Dean Davis, a cleaning supervisor at Fantastic Services, suggests not boiling too much water,
“People tend to overfill the kettle with more water than they need, which they leave in the kettle after use. This is not a good practice and can lead to even faster accumulation of limescale.”
He also recommends cleaning the outside of a kettle ‘at least once a week’ and descaling it ‘once a month or every two months.
How to Descale your Kettle:
Descaling is so essential to caring for the kettle that you read about it everywhere. In an era where our time demands so much from our bodies, it is vital to have the tools sharp and ready to keep us prepared.
Outworking your kettle will soon have repercussions; reboiled tea that tastes dull, wasting those precious morning minutes before work because your kettle takes more time to heat up, and the list goes on. Descaling solves all those problems and keeps you level-headed when it matters.
Descaling with White Vinegar
“An easy way to descale your kettle is to reach for a couple of household products. Limescale can be dissolved easily with a mild acid.” – Dean Davies, Cleaning Supervisor at Fantastic Services.
Why Vinegar?
- Vinegar is cheap.
- The process is hassle-free.
- A natural method to descale.
- The acetic acid in vinegar is highly efficient at breaking down limescale deposits.
Here’s how:
- Measure two equal parts of white vinegar and freshwater to cleanse the limescale surfaces.
- Fill your kettle with the combination (total of 500ml).
- Boil the vinegar and water mixture.
- Unplug the kettle and let the mixture sit for an hour or more.
- Use a scrub or toothbrush to scrub all the affected regions of the kettle thoroughly.
- Make sure you reach all the crevices where limescale quickly settles in.
- Dispose of the solution and wash the kettle three to four times.
- Air-dry the kettle.
- Fill the kettle with another batch of fresh water and bring it to a boil.
- Repeat process until the smell of vinegar is gone.
Descaling with Coke
We all love the jolt of energy a fizzed-up can of Coke gives us, but our beloved soft drink is so good it does a marvelous job at destroying all the limescale deposits in a kettle too!
Here’s how:
- Grab the bottle of Coke from your fridge.
- Pour 500ml of Coke into the kettle.
- Let it rest in there for about half an hour.
- Discard the Coke.
- Wash the kettle thoroughly.
Bonus Tip to Remove Kettle Rust that involves Coke:
Your kettle is exposed to water every day with each use, and soon enough, there is moisture stuck inside. What you have in your hands is rust. To prevent rust, we recommend washing the kettle thoroughly every day. But with stubborn rust, a simple rinse won’t do, which is where Coca-Cola can help.
- Start by scrubbing the rust stains with a metal wire.
- Rinse the kettle with cold water.
- Now soak the whole kettle in Coke.
- Make sure it covers the bottom of the kettle too.
- Let it be for about half an hour.
- Clean the kettle with warm water, and you’re done!
Descaling with Baking Soda
Next up on our list is yet another homemade solution to descaling your kettle, baking soda!
Here’s How: Method One
- Unplug the kettle from its power source.
- Create a baking soda and water solution by adding one teaspoon of baking soda with half a liter of clean water.
- Fill the kettle with the solution and bring it to a 15-minute boil.
- Let the solution do its magic in the kettle for another 15 minutes.
- Discard the solution.
- Wash the inside of the kettle with cold water a couple of times.
Here’s How: Method Two
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a couple of water drops.
- Stir to create a paste mixture.
- Use a toothbrush or scrub to rub the affected areas with the mixture gently.
- Wash the kettle with fresh water.
- Fill the kettle with another batch of fresh water and bring it to a boil.
- Check if that’s enough, and that’s it!
Descaling with Lemon & Water
What do the fans of cleaning star and social media sensation Sophia Hinchliffe say about using lemon juice to descale limescale buildups?
“Cut a lemon in half. Put both halves in with a kettle full of water. Boil it with the lemon in and preferably leave overnight. Empty in the morning – perfect every time!”
Here’s an easy and safe method to descale your kettle without having to do much at all. It doesn’t involve harsh chemicals, and the lemon juice will discard limescale deposits and leave an aromatic glow to your kettle after.
Here’s How:
- Grab a lemon from the fridge and cut it into two halves. Squeeze the lemon juice in the kettle.
- Use the two squeezed halves to rub the inside of the kettle to get rid of stubborn stains.
- Now chop the two pieces into smaller portions and add them to the lemon juice inside.
- Fill the kettle with half a liter of water to create a lemon and water solution.
- Plugin the kettle and bring the solution to a boil.
- Leave the boiled mixture in there for fifteen minutes.
- Next, turn off the kettle and allow the solution to sit for a couple of hours, so the kettle is entirely cooled down.
- Leaving the lemon and water solution inside, scrub the kettle with a sponge inside out.
- Finally, discard the leftovers and wash the kettle thoroughly with warm water.
- Before you make a cup of tea, ensure that the kettle is thoroughly dried to avoid accidents.
Descaling with Pickle Water
Pickle-water is efficient at clearing limescale, thanks to the citric acid that mixes in with ease and breaks down every deposit content.
Here’s How:
- Fill the kettle with pickle-water.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Let it cool down completely.
- Wash the kettle with clean water thoroughly.
Do Judge a Kettle By its Cover
Cleaning the exterior of a kettle is just as necessary to make things easier. You don’t want a job half-done.
To clean the outside of a kettle, create a hot soapy water solution. Use a scrub to rub the surfaces with extra care and rinse with fresh water. Go the extra mile and get a shiny kettle use vinegar.
Create a solution of vinegar and water in equal parts in a spray bottle. Spray away onto the exterior and scrub the body with a soft cloth, and afterward, rinse the kettle, and there you go!
FAQ
- What other substances can I boil inside my kettle besides water?
It is strictly recommended that you do not boil anything besides water inside your kettle to damage the kettle permanently.
- How long can I expect my kettle to last with regular descaling?
It can easily last you five to six years with regular maintenance.
- Is it normal for my kettle to get noisy?
When a kettle boils, it is customary to get noisy and gradually ascend as it reaches boiling point.
- Can I use my kettle right away after purchase?
It is recommended that you boil your kettle with water to its total capacity three times before avoiding a taste in water.
Conclusion
It’s about time you inhibit regular cleaning and descaling your kettle as we saw the various reasons you should.
Limescale buildups or rust are problems that you don’t want to deal with on Monday mornings if you do your descaling right. Soon enough, you will enjoy spikes in productivity with soothing sips of your favorite cuppa!
