Proven ways to remove scale from an electric kettle at home

An electric kettle is a great helper in the kitchen. It can be used to boil water in a few minutes.

In order for the device to function properly, it must be properly cared for. First of all, this concerns the removal of limescale, which regularly forms on its walls.

Read the article about how to quickly and safely remove scale from an electric kettle at home.

Folk recipes

You can deal with deposits in an electric kettle using improvised means. To the rescue comes:

• citric and oxalic acid,
• soda,
• vinegar and even sweet sparkling water.

Read more about descaling a kettle Here.

How to remove with citric acid?

Citric acid gently and effectively removes lime deposits. To prepare the solution, take 10 g of powder for each liter of water. If the scale layer is thick, then the amount of preservative is increased to 20 g.

The contents of the bag are poured into the kettle, filled with water and turned on. When the liquid is brought to a boil, stop heating.

Allow the product to work and drain it after about an hour.. The kettle is washed, filled with new water, boiled, rinsed again, and then used as usual. Read more Here.

Vinegar

Vinegar is as effective as citric acid. To treat the device, a preservative with a concentration of 9% is used. For 1 liter of water you will need 200 ml of vinegar.

The solution is poured into a kettle, boiled, left to cool completely and drained. If the layer was small, then you will be able to cope with it on the first try. To get rid of old deposits, the procedure will need to be repeated 2-3 times. Additionally, you can clean the inside of the kettle with a soft sponge. You can find out more here.

How to clean with soda?

You can get rid of limescale using baking soda. This gentle product is not highly effective in combating old deposits, but it can deal with a small layer of scale.

To carry out the procedure you will need 1 liter of water and 5 tablespoons of soda. The solution is boiled, kept for 2 hours and drained. The walls of the kettle are rinsed with clean water. If necessary, use a foam sponge. Read more here.

Oxalic acid

Oxalic acid makes deposits loose, promoting their rapid dissolution. To remove limescale, it is better to use store-bought concentrate rather than fresh sorrel. The herb is effective only for preventive purposes.

Mode of application:

1. Fill the kettle with water so that it covers the entire lime layer.
2. Add oxalic acid to the water. For 1 liter you will need 10 - 15 g.
3. Bring the solution to a boil.
4. Turn off the appliance and allow the cleaning agent to cool.
5. Drain the composition, walk over the surface of the heating element and the walls with a soft sponge.
6. Rinse the kettle, pour clean water into it, boil and drain.

How to quickly clean the walls with Coca-Cola, Sprite or Fanta?

Carbonated drinks such as Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite contain phosphoric acid. This substance dissolves salt deposits well, making them soft. Therefore, with the help of popular drinks you can cope with even a thick layer of scale.

The procedure is carried out as follows:

• pour soda into the kettle;
• leave it open for 20 minutes to allow excess gas to escape;
• turn on the device, bring the liquid to a boil;
• when the solution has cooled completely, it is drained;
• The kettle is rinsed with warm water.

As a rule, carbonated drinks are so effective that after using them the kettle shines with its original cleanliness. Repeated treatment may be required only in the most advanced cases. Read more about the method in this article.

Peeling potatoes or apples

Apple and potato skins will help cope with salt deposits if they have just begun to form. This method is suitable for preventative cleaning, as well as for those people who are afraid to use caustic descaling products.

Mode of application:

1. Clean, washed peels are poured into the kettle.
2. Fill it with water until it covers the layer of scale.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil 2-3 times.
4. Leave to cool.

How can you remove plaque with cucumber or tomato pickle?

You can deal with lime deposits using brine from canned cucumbers or tomatoes. It contains several active components:

• vinegar,
• salt,
• acid produced by vegetables.

Therefore, the product is not inferior in effectiveness to lemon juice.

Mode of application:

• pour brine into the kettle;
• bring it to a boil;
• leave for 30 minutes and drain;
• Rinse the kettle thoroughly using soda and boil it with clean water.

The main disadvantage of brine is the specific smell that appears when heated. To prevent it from spreading throughout the apartment, the kitchen must be thoroughly ventilated.

Store products

You can get rid of scale in your kettle using professional cleaners. They are available for sale in retail stores and online markets. Popular and effective means:

1. Topper for descaling electric kettles. The amount of solution per 1 liter of water is 100-120 ml. Heating temperature – 50 degrees. Exposure time – 30 minutes. Price – 145 rubles for 250 ml.
2. Top House descaling cleaner for teapots and coffee makers. The amount of solution per 1 liter of water is 150-200 ml. Heating temperature: bring to a boil. Exposure time – 30 minutes. Price – 275 rubles per 500 ml.
3. Mellerud for quick descaling. The amount of solution per 250 ml of water is 60 ml. Heating temperature – to boiling. Exposure time – 15 minutes. Price – 500 rubles per 500 ml.
4. Antiscale: descaling agent. The amount of powder per 1.5 liters of water is 1 tablespoon. Heating temperature – to boiling. Exposure time is 20 minutes. Price for 100 g – 13 rubles.
5. Cillit to remove scale. The amount of solution per 500 ml of water is 100 ml. No heating required. Exposure time – 30 minutes. The price for 450 ml of solution is 195 rubles.

Features of cleaning electrical appliances made of different materials

Depending on the material from which the kettle is made, the rules for cleaning it will differ.

Basic moments:

1. It is not recommended to use Coca-Cola or Fanta for plastic cutlery. These drinks contain dye that can be absorbed into the walls when heated, which will not have the best effect on the appearance of the device.
2. Kettles made of aluminum, copper, brass and galvanized metal are afraid of contact with acids. Therefore, it is better to use gentle products to clean them.
3. It is not recommended to rub glass teapots with a wire brush to avoid scratches.
4. Metal devices are afraid of contact with sharp objects.

Preventing the formation of lime deposits

In order for scale to form slowly in the kettle, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

• use only soft water for boiling; you can pass it through a filter or fill it with bottled liquid;
• do not leave water in the kettle overnight, discarding any remaining water after the last use;
• do not boil water twice;
• Rinse the appliance after each boil.

Helpful information

Successfully get rid of scale The following tips will help:

1. Do not use a hard metal brush or sharp objects to remove plaque. They can damage the walls of the device.
2. After finishing the treatment, it is not enough to simply rinse the kettle. You need to fill it with clean water, boil it and drain it.Only after this can you safely use the device for its intended purpose.
3. The exposure time of the cleaning agent must not be exceeded. This is especially important when using professional household chemicals.

Read about methods for descaling in this section.

Video on the topic of the article

3 effective ways to descale an electric kettle in the video:

Conclusion

The scale in the kettle quickly turns into a thick layer of limescale. You can deal with it using improvised means and professional household chemicals. The more complex the case, the stronger the composition should be. If you do not want to resort to aggressive means, cleaning should be done regularly.