A common problem is when the entire internal surface of an electric kettle is covered with a layer of lime, rust or salt sediment, and the heating element is completely hidden under a few millimeters of this “something”. Over time, scale begins to affect the taste of tea, and is found in it in the form of lumps and dirt. In addition, it will eventually damage the device. At first, the water will take much longer to heat up, and then the body or even the shell of the heating element may burst. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify how to clean Electric kettle, and do it as carefully as possible.
Using abrasives or a wire brush will do no good. Considering that most teapots are made of plastic, the walls will wear off much faster than stone-like scale. Any reasonable means are based on the process of dissolving the unpleasant pollution. There are several fail-safe ways to deal with the problem.
Lemon acid
One of the most effective ways. It is best suited if scale is the result of boiling water with lime inclusions and a large amount of salts; it copes worse where the bulk of rust contamination is in the water.
It is necessary to fill the kettle with water; in order to improve the effect, it is better to use purified purchased water and add packaging to it citric acid(100g). After this, the water is boiled, several times with a break of 5-6 minutes. If there was little scale or its thickness was less than a millimeter, then the effect will be immediately noticeable. It will dissolve or fall away from the walls before your eyes, leaving behind a clean surface.
After the water with citric acid has been poured out, you can wash the walls with a regular sponge and detergent to remove remaining scale. If not everything has been cleaned, then you should clean the electric kettle again with citric acid. After the second time, usually only the shine of a perfectly clean heating element and shiny walls remain.
Vinegar
A method similar to the previous one on how to descale an electric kettle is to use acetic acid. To solve the problem, you will need to boil a 3% vinegar solution in a kettle, possibly several times. It all happens as follows. Pour in 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar (this is a 9% solution) and as a result we get the desired consistency. After boiling, some of the scale, especially limescale inclusions, dissolve or become loose and soft. All that remains is to wash the inner walls with a hard sponge and detergent and boil it again clean water.
If not all the dirt is gone the first time, the procedure should be repeated. As soon as the result is satisfactory, you should boil and pour out clean water and let the kettle sit and dry for a day so that the vinegar completely evaporates.
We use soda
In particular difficult cases The option with soda is suitable. It consists of two stages.
At the first stage, two tablespoons of soda are poured in and water is poured in; you can first add just a little water and rub the soda into the scum with a sponge, but without much enthusiasm. When the water is poured in and the soda is thoroughly mixed, the kettle is turned on until it boils, preferably several times with a break of 5-6 minutes. During this time, the soda will get inside the scale.
The second stage is to use vinegar as in the previous method. After the first boiling with vinegar, the scale will begin to peel off in layers from the kettle and become loose. Afterwards, all that remains is to wipe it with a sponge with detergent inside.
This option is suitable in case of ambiguous nature of contamination. When it is unclear whether it is limescale, salt or rust. Soda and vinegar form a violent reaction, effectively breaking up stubborn scale. So using this method of descaling an electric kettle may be the most effective in the most advanced cases.
Video on how to descale an electric kettle:
How to clean an electric kettle
Why is scale dangerous?
Some people are little concerned about the issue of scale, and they don’t even suspect that they need to get rid of it as soon as possible. Limescale or scale is deposits of magnesium, calcium, iron and some other salts on the inner surface of dishes. Plaque forms gradually, depositing layers on the walls or heating element. It is formed if the water from the tap flows of medium hardness or hard (indicator exceeds 4 mEq/l). If scale is not removed in a timely manner, then with further boiling of water, some of the salts dissolve and enter the human body. Over time, excess salts will inevitably lead to diseases Bladder, kidneys, bones, joints.
In addition, limescale has low thermal conductivity, so water in such kettles boils more slowly. Often, scale leads to the breakdown of the heating element in an electric kettle, because in order to boil water, a steel spiral has to be heated to temperatures that are unusual for it. This leads to malfunction and, as a result, to breakdown.
Methods for cleaning metal and enamel surfaces from scale
How to descale a kettle that boils water on a gas or electric stove? In this case, it is much easier to cope with the problem, because the metal can withstand exposure to both acids and alkalis.
Vinegar
Removal limescale by using table vinegar- the easiest and most effective way. In a separate vessel, you need to prepare a solution: 1 liter of cold water and 100 ml of the substance. Next, pour it into the kettle that needs cleaning and put it on the fire. In this case, the fire should be low so that the water boils slowly, gradually dissolving the limescale. As soon as the liquid boils, you need to carefully open the lid and observe the process of scale removal. In particularly difficult cases, boiling should be maintained for 10–15 minutes. Then, pour out the contents of the kettle and remove the remaining plaque using a hard sponge. Next, the kettle should be filled clean water, boil it and pour it away without using it for food. For greater reliability, it is recommended to boil the water again and pour it into the sink. It should be remembered that vinegar contains acid, so all actions must be performed carefully.
When opening the lid slightly while a solution containing acid is boiling, remember that the fumes can cause burns to the eyes and skin. For this reason, it is not recommended to bend too low.
Soda
How to descale a kettle using soda? The cleaning principle is similar to the method described above. Pouring into the kettle cold water, add 25 g of soda and put on fire. As soon as the water boils, turn down the fire. The water should boil over low heat for another 30 minutes. After this, the contents are poured out, the container is thoroughly cleaned and rinsed. Next, you need to boil water in a kettle 2 times, but do not use it for food.
Vinegar, soda and citric acid
How to descale a kettle in particularly severe cases? If the water in a region of high hardness, then limescale settles on the walls of the dishes very quickly, hardening more and more every day. In this case, the fight against scale will be long and stubborn. Pour clean water into the kettle, add 25 grams of soda, bring to a boil, then continue to boil for 25–35 minutes over low heat. Then the soda solution is replaced with clean water, to which 25–30 g of citric acid (crystals) is added. The solution is boiled in the same way, then drained again. The final stage is a vinegar solution; half a glass of the substance is added to the volume of a standard kettle (2.5 liters) and boiled for 30 minutes. As a rule, this method gives very good result, although it takes a long time. If the plaque does not come off on its own, then after the procedure it will become looser and can be easily removed with a sponge.
After the kettle has been descaled, it is washed in running water and boiled a couple of times, pouring the contents into the sink.
Less popular folk methods
In addition to those listed above, there are several more interesting ways, and many housewives claim that they are no less effective. In addition to vinegar or soda solution, you can use soda and cucumber pickle.
It is better to take a light-colored soda, for example, Sprite, so as not to accidentally stain the surface of the kettle. Before pouring the soda, you need to wait until the bubbles come out of it, and to do this you should leave the bottle open for a couple of hours. The kettle is filled 2/3 full and put on fire. As soon as the soda boils, pour it out. This method can remove not only scale, but also rust. Brine from canned vegetables works in a similar way, as it contains citric acid.
Another unusual way- peel raw potatoes, apple or pear. How to descale a kettle using a peel? “Skins” are placed in a kettle and filled with water, after which they are brought to a boil. Next, you need to leave the peeling for a couple of hours so that the acid in the peel begins to act, and only then wash the container. This method is less effective and is only suitable if the limescale deposit is insignificant.
How to descale a plastic electric kettle?
Vinegar and soda cannot be used to clean plastic, but citric acid can do an excellent job of removing scale. The method described below can be used to remove limescale on metal surfaces.
If only a thin layer is visible on the surface, then you can do without boiling. You need to take a liter of water and dilute 20 g of citric acid (crystals) in it, pour the resulting solution into a kettle and leave to act. Usually 3-4 hours are enough, after which the scale will peel off on its own. If this does not happen, then you can turn on the kettle and bring the solution to a boil. After this procedure, plaque from plastic can be cleaned without special labor.
Features of kettle care
To avoid the question of how to descale a kettle, you need to regularly care for it. Use only filtered water for boiling; this is insignificant, but it reduces the salt content in it. If the water in the region is characterized by increased hardness, then you should not wait for a large accumulation of plaque, but remove sediment every 2 weeks using any suitable method.
To reduce the accumulation of scale, experts recommend rinsing the container after each boil and then wiping the surface dry with a towel. This simple technique will help keep your dishes clean for a long time.
Video on how to descale a kettle
The water in the taps leaves much to be desired, so lime deposits remain on the walls of all devices in contact with it.
Even expensive water filters cannot prevent plaque. Sooner or later it will appear on the surfaces of the appliance and the question will arise of how to clean the kettle from scale.
Traditional methods
Limescale deposits can be removed quickly using special chemicals. But since they are not safe for health, many prefer traditional methods that are time-tested.
Vinegar
Vinegar is not suitable for removing lime deposits from an electric kettle. This product is too aggressive and manufacturers do not recommend its use for such equipment.
You can clean the electric kettle with vinegar only as a last resort, when a large layer of deposits has accumulated.
During the procedure, you will feel it in the kitchen. Therefore, manipulation should be carried out in a room with good ventilation. All windows and vents are opened.
When working with vinegar, wear a protective mask to avoid inhaling harmful fumes.
How to descale a kettle:
- For metal devices prepare the following solution: 150 ml of 9% table acid is mixed with 1 tbsp. l. essences. ⅔ of the total volume of water is poured into the container, then the prepared composition is added. The mixture is heated and boiled for half an hour. After turning off the stove, you need to leave the kettle for 5 minutes so that the water cools down a little and repeat the procedure again. This must be done up to 3 times. If there is a strong limescale deposit, the solution is left overnight. After this you need to do well.
- How to descale an electric kettle: devices made from a plastic casing can be damaged if acid is used in pure form, so preparing the solution is a little different. Water is poured into the device to be cleaned with 5 tbsp. l. citric acid and acetic acid. The device is turned on, left until it boils, then turned off. After 15 minutes the process can be repeated. The process is repeated 3-4 times until all plaque is removed. Then wash with detergent.
Descaling a kettle with vinegar is quick and easy. Only such a remedy leaves behind bad smell, even after using detergent.
Boiling with clean water, which is carried out at least 3 times, will save you from the stench.
Lemon acid
Cleaning the kettle from scale is gentle on it and safe for humans. Citric acid is an excellent remedy for getting rid of plaque from any thermal elements.
The advantage of this product is the absence unpleasant aroma, which is good if there are small children in the house.
How to descale a kettle with citric acid:
- For conventional appliances: take 2 packs of product, fill the equipment with water, but not completely. Add citric acid to the liquid and boil. The solution should cool, leave it for 10 minutes. Then cleanse and remove plaque. The procedure can be repeated if the plaque has left the walls unevenly.
- How to descale a kettle with citric acid if it is electric: pour a solution of 1-2 tsp into the bowl. products and 1 liter of water. After the liquid boils, drain it and add another one. It is necessary to boil clean water several times.
- If the deposits are small, you can descale the kettle with citric acid even easier. It is dissolved in warm water, poured into the device and left for 6 hours. Then you need to wipe off the plaque with a sponge.
Descaling your kettle at home is easy and cheap. You can purchase the product at any grocery store.
Sodium bicarbonate
Not only Coca-Cola will do, but also Fanta, Sprite, Lemonade, and Schweppes.
How to remove scale from an electric kettle:
- First you need to release the gas from the drink.
- Pour 500 ml of Sprite into the container, close it and let it boil.
- After boiling, turn off the device and allow the liquid to cool.
- Wash away any remaining plaque with a soft sponge and rinse the kitchen appliance several times with clean water.
Coca-Cola and other carbonated drinks contain phosphoric acid. Thanks to it, it is possible to remove lime deposits.
This method is ancient - our great-grandmothers successfully used it. The method is suitable for all types of devices and is accessible to everyone.
The only drawback is that it will not cope with old growths.
How to descale an enamel kettle:
- Pour water into the device and place washed apple or potato peelings.
- The liquid is brought to a boil and left for 1.5 hours.
- Then they go over the walls with a sponge.
You can descale an electric kettle using this method if you carry out the procedure several times a week.
If the device has not been washed for a long time, do not waste your time. Apple peels and potato peelings will not help in this case.
Brine
Removing plaque is possible using cucumber or tomato brine. This is an effective folk method.
How to descale an electric kettle:
- Pour brine into the device.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cool, pour out the brine and wash thoroughly to remove plaque.
This tool is not independent. Thanks to the vinegar and salt in its composition, the cleansing process occurs.
Oxalic acid
Of all the cleansers folk remedies oxalic acid is considered the most aggressive. It removes heavy limescale deposits.
How to remove scale from a kettle?
Housewives' advice - algorithm of actions:
- I pour a small amount of the product into the device and fill it with water.
- The solution must be boiled and left for 5 minutes.
- I remove any remaining product and clean it with a soft sponge.
Oxalic acid good remedy and many housewives recommend using it. To descale, you can also use fresh sorrel, but it contains a little acid and may require several manipulations.
Household chemicals
Range household chemicals great The products on store shelves effectively remove scale from the kettle.
Before using any products, you should wear gloves and a protective mask.
Antiscale and Major Domus can be used as cleaning agents. These descaling chemical products are effective on all types of stains.
How to remove limescale:
- Antiscale. First, water is poured into the container to be treated, then the contents of the bag are poured at the rate of 100 g per 2–2.5 liters of water. The solution is brought to a boil and boiled for 20 minutes. After switching off, the liquid is left for 2–3 hours so that Antiscale can work better. To clean the kettle, take a sponge and remove any remaining plaque.
- Major Domus. The product is poured into a container and left for 20 minutes. No need to boil. After which the device is washed with plenty of water. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
- Cillit Another good industrial product that can quickly remove plaque from the surfaces of the inner walls of coffee makers and teapots. It is necessary to fill the container with clean water, dissolve Cillit in water in a ratio of 100 ml for every 500 ml of water. The product is left for half an hour. After which the container must be rinsed. Cillit should be used no more than once a month.
Household chemicals can cause serious irritation of mucous membranes. When using such products, you must wear glasses or avoid touching your eyes with your hands during manipulation.
Removal of limescale must be carried out in a timely manner so as not to resort to the use of household chemicals.
Because of large quantity accumulated plaque on an electrical appliance is not only a source of certain diseases, but also affects the functionality of the device. Before changing the device to a new device, you should try one of traditional methods cleaning.
The water coming out of the taps may not be the best best quality. Scale on the walls not only gives bad taste brewed drinks, but also increases the heating time of the device, reducing its thermal conductivity.
The same applies to regular enameled metal teapots. The resulting deposit requires the dishes to remain on the stove for a longer time. As a result, electricity or gas is consumed. Therefore, the question of how to descale a kettle at home remains relevant for many.
It doesn't matter what kind of kettle you use. Everyday life– electric or metal. Scale may appear on each of the appliances. And no filters or even boiling high-quality artesian water will help avoid this problem.
For scale, it is a more terrible threat, since the product can not only begin to perform its purpose worse, but also completely fail. AND simple devices They can also be so “overgrown” with lime on the inner surface that the use of the strongest cleaning agents will not help get rid of it.
Therefore, any care must be timely. There is no need to delay this, postponing the process until later. Otherwise, you risk being left without a device.
The process of scale formation on each of the teapots is characterized by several points.
All scale is formed from tap water, containing many different salts that settle on the walls of containers during boiling.
Therefore, the question of how to clean the inside of a kettle from scale worries us much more, because it is much easier and faster.
The rate of scale formation depends on the concentration of salts in tap water and increases in proportion to their number. All newfangled filters can, of course, soften water, but they will not be a panacea for scale.
But not only teapots suffer from scale. It can also harm our body. And, above all, to the organs of the urinary system and kidneys.
Citric acid is one of the most effective means in the fight against scale. Its use will not cause any difficulties, but will help you quickly clean the kettle.
The advantages are the availability of this product and its effectiveness. But how to clean a kettle with citric acid? The process is carried out in several successive steps.
- Counting the required amount of lemon. It is related to the degree of contamination of the device. The more scale there is, the correspondingly more lemon powder you need to take. The best option There will be the use of two or three packs per unit.
- Fill up with water, approximately 2/3 of the container's volume. If the scale is localized on the upper walls, then add water to such an extent that it covers it.
- Pour the acid into the water and stir until all the crystals dissolve.
- If the scale is fresh, then there will be no need to boil the lemon juice. You can simply prepare the solution using the above method and leave it for several hours. After this, rinse the dishes and boil them with clean water.
- If the case is more complex, then the prepared solution should be boiled in a kettle for 10-15 minutes, then pour it out, rinse the product with clean water and boil again.
- It is better to repeat the procedure a couple of times to consolidate the result.
Another remedy that helps descale a kettle at home is vinegar.
To do this, water is poured into the device in the same volume as in the previous method, and vinegar is added at the rate of half a glass of vinegar per 1 liter of water. If you don’t have vinegar, then vinegar essence will do.
In this case, its amount should be reduced (take 3 teaspoons of essence per liter of water). Boil the water for 3-5 minutes, let it cool completely, drain and rinse the kettle with water. Repeat boiling only with clean liquid at least twice.
If the old plaque does not go away the first time, the process can be repeated. Also, softened plaque can be removed by rubbing it with a sponge.
However, vinegar cannot be used to clean electric kettles.
Soda is suitable for enamel and electric kettles. She is affordable but at the same time universal remedy, very effective in the fight against limescale deposits on the walls of teapots.
However, you need to be careful with it, since hard grains can damage the surfaces by scratching them.
Most likely, you will have to repeat cleaning the kettle with soda. Since it is a fairly mild product, one application for a heavily damaged surface will not be enough.
You need to fill the kettle halfway with water and pour two teaspoons of soda into it. Let the water boil, then, reducing the flame, boil for 25-35 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the inside of the kettle.
If the kettle is electric with an auto-shut-off mode, then simply after the appliance has finished boiling, leave the water and soda in it until it cools completely.
other methods
Regular soda will also help solve the question of how to descale an electric kettle. To prevent the inner surface of the device from becoming dark color, it is better to use colorless drinks. Sprite is ideal. You need to pour it into the kettle and let the product boil. The scale will evaporate after this process without a trace. The same method will work for a regular metal kettle.
Before you start using the soda, you need to let all the air bubbles out of it. You can leave the bottle open or pour the liquid into a spacious container.
One more effective method Remove limescale by peeling potatoes, pears or apples. They need to be washed, put in a kettle, and filled with water. Then boil for 5-10 minutes.
In addition to limescale deposits inside the kettle, another unpleasant phenomenon is the appearance of rust. It is associated with excess iron contained in tap water and its hardness.
You need to get rid of rusty deposits in a timely manner, because in addition to imparting an unpleasant taste to tea or coffee, it can be harmful to health.
The citric acid and vinegar mentioned above will help not only remove scale from the walls of the appliance, but also remove rust. You need to do the same with them as when removing scale from the inner surface of the kettle.
Other available and original products and methods.
- Washing powder and potatoes. Sprinkle the powder over a moistened surface and rub these areas with half the potatoes. Rinse thoroughly with water.
- "Coca Cola". Pour the drink into the kettle and leave overnight. In the morning the device will be ready for use.
- Cucumber pickle. Pour it into the kettle and boil for 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse dishes with water until the smell goes away.
- Spoiled milk. It is also boiled in a kettle.
Prevention measures
To prevent the appearance of scale and rust, it will not be superfluous to observe several points.
- After use, leave the kettles dry, pouring out all the water. Its remains produce calcium. It turns into scale and affects the walls of the products.
- Clean kettles at least monthly. The more often the procedure is performed, the less effort will have to be expended in the future. In addition, this will help maintain the functionality of the product for a long time.
- Boil only distilled water or purified water using a filter in a kettle.
- Rinse the kettle with a sponge after each use. This way you can remove scale at its initial stage.
There are many means and methods to help clean a kettle from scale. But their effectiveness will depend on how quickly you get to work.
The longer the kettle accumulates scale, the more time it will take to wash it. In any case, it is better to use proven methods, otherwise the risk of damaging the device increases.
Mother of two children. I'm leading household for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.
How nice it is to quickly cook and enjoy a cup in the morning aromatic coffee or tea, without waiting for the water to boil in a whistling metal pot on the stove. Nowadays, modern has become an indispensable assistant And original decoration kitchens.
However, sooner or later we are faced with such a problem as, which is often the reason for the breakdown of the device or the unpleasant taste of the drink we prepared. Even our grandmothers knew how to remove scale from a kettle, removing it from their copper samovars. Most of these ancient methods are still very popular. We will tell you about them in detail in our article.
How can you remove scale from an electric kettle?
To solve this problem, even the most basic products that are available in the kitchen of every housewife are suitable. It could be baking soda, vinegar, sparkling water, citric acid or descaling agent for electric kettles.
The deposits on the walls and heating element of the kettle are nothing more than salts, of which there was too much in the water, and after boiling the water repeatedly, they settled on the surface. Before you start cleaning, you need to figure out what is the reason for the appearance of limescale, maybe it’s all in the water, and you just need to replace it with a better one.
How to remove scale from an electric kettle using soda, vinegar and citric acid?
To do this, you may need a few tablespoons of vinegar and 1 sachet of citric acid - 50 g. Pour vinegar into a kettle with water and add lemon, you can also use lemon peel, it is no worse. Then boil the kettle and leave it all to cool for an hour. After this procedure, the plaque is easily washed off with a kitchen sponge. If not all of the scale was removed the first time, you can repeat it again.
Cleaning a kettle from scale with vinegar has always been considered the most effective way. It is enough to pour 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar into the “vessel”. Then we boil the kettle again and leave it to cool. The scale dissolves under the influence of acid and can be easily removed. You need to rinse the kettle very carefully so that acetic acid did not linger on the walls and then did not enter the body with coffee or tea.
Cleaning an electric kettle with baking soda is probably safer. You need to act on old system, first pour water into the kettle, then pour 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) into it, boil it all, leave for 20 minutes and pour out the water. After this you need to pour into the kettle new water, add ½ teaspoon of citric acid to it and boil again. When the water has cooled, it needs to be drained and you can start washing the kettle. If some areas don’t come off right away, don’t worry, they still become very loose and can be easily removed.
How to remove scale from an electric kettle using soda?
This method is the most unconventional. You need to take 1 liter of preferably uncolored sparkling water. 
Everything is much simpler here, pour water into the kettle, boil and drain. The limescale will come off immediately. It is very important to choose uncolored water because the dye can settle on the walls, and it will be much more difficult to get rid of it.
Cleaning an electric kettle from scale using household chemicals
Today on store shelves there are the most different means from limescale. But the result from their use may not justify the money spent if scale has already corroded the walls and the heating element.
Therefore, the best thing is to take care of the device on a daily basis, then at least you won’t have to rack your brains about how to remove scale from the electric kettle.