When water boils and evaporates, the inner surface of the kettle becomes covered with deposits of magnesium and calcium salts and metal particles. If the kettle is not cleaned for a long period of time, the plaque layer becomes denser. This makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to remove. The accumulated layer of plaque has low thermal conductivity and therefore the water heats up slowly. Often because of this, the heating element in electric kettles breaks down. In addition, particles of adhering scale enter the body and have a detrimental effect on the renal and genitourinary systems. Today we will tell you how to descale a kettle at home.
How to remove scale from a kettle using folk remedies
Known today different methods, allowing you to remove unwanted scale deposits using both the simplest home remedies and specialized household chemicals. For example:
- vinegar,
- carbonated drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc.),
- by special means,
- citric acid,
- soda,
- brine
Now you know how to descale a kettle using vinegar.
Using carbonated drinks to remove scale
Many people have heard that rust and scale can be removed with our favorite carbonated drinks: Sprite, Fanta, Cola. Thanks to their aggressive properties, you can easily clean the scale inside the kettle. However, electric kettles cannot be cleaned using this method. The use of these drinks leads to their malfunction. Clear deposits from inner surface An enamel teapot is better than colorless Sprite. After colored drinks, it is possible to coat the enamel with colored stains.
Before cleaning, the sweet drink must be opened and left until the gases are completely released. Afterwards, the container is half filled with soda and begins to boil within a few minutes. Then the liquid must be poured out and the kettle must be rinsed thoroughly. To be more sure, the cleaning procedure is repeated.
How to descale a kettle using special means
You can remove scale from inside the kettle not only folk remedies, but also chemicals. Use the contents of the sachet strictly in accordance with the instructions on the label. At the end of the procedure, it is necessary to eliminate the residues chemical substance from a kettle by repeatedly boiling water.
How to clean a kettle using citric acid
This cleaning method is suitable for regular and electric kettles. But how to clean a kettle with citric acid at home? Mix one to two teaspoons of citric acid in one liter of water. The solution poured into the kettle should be boiled for several minutes. In case of poor detachment, the liquid is not drained, but left for an hour. For minor deposits, you can not boil the citric acid solution, but simply leave it for two to three hours. To clean the leftovers, you need to take a hard sponge, wash the inside of the dishes, add water and boil repeatedly.
Soda as the most affordable descaling agent
The older generation knows well how to descale a kettle with regular baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Soda is a product in the form of finely resinous white powder. Getting soda into the human body is absolutely safe for health. You can only be poisoned by soda if you overdose it.
Baking soda has unique properties and can effectively clean a wide variety of household stains along with popular advertised products. Soda has the property of breaking down solid deposits of magnesium and calcium salts. As a result, the stone-scaled layer softens and is removed from the surface.
For cleaning metal kettle soda, 1 teaspoon of powder is mixed with 4 cups of boiling water. Place the dishes on low heat for 30 minutes. When the solution with soda boils, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the contents. If the water boils completely, soda will settle on the walls and the kettle may burn.
After the boiling time has elapsed, the fire under the kettle turns off. The dishes are washed, water is poured into them and boiled for half an hour. It is better to repeat the last procedure again to completely clean the walls of sediment and soda. Otherwise, the taste of the brewed tea may deteriorate.
Descaling with intense attack
When using the kettle for a long time without cleaning, it is recommended to use the so-called intensive attack. It is strictly forbidden to clean electric kettles using this method.
Place a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda added over high heat until it boils. After boiling it lasts 30 minutes over low heat. Then the solution is poured out, water with 1 tablespoon of citric acid is poured into the kettle to the brim. The resulting solution is boiled for 30 minutes. The process is repeated again, but with 1/2 cup of vinegar. Usually, in this way, the scale is removed completely without a trace or becomes loose and can be washed with a sponge.
Descaling with brine
You can effectively remove the accumulated layer with tomato and cucumber brine. It is poured into a kettle and boiled for half an hour. Further steps are the same as in the methods described above. The acid content allows you to get rid of hard deposits of salts on surfaces and rust.
Before getting rid of scale in the kettle, be sure to warn your family about your intentions in order to eliminate the slightest chance of someone accidentally consuming the contents. We wish everyone to drink exceptionally good quality water.
Of course, you can periodically remove scale from the kettle, but it is better not to allow it to form. To do this, timely prevention should be carried out. An example of the simplest and most economical method:
- Filling the kettle with filtered water. However, over time, scale will begin to appear, but it will not be so significant.
- After using water, any remaining water must be poured out of the kettle. It is not advisable to store water in it for a long period of time, especially overnight.
- Be sure to wash the outer and inner surfaces of the kettle every day with a non-metallic hard sponge to avoid damaging the enamel coating. If you have a catastrophic lack of time, get rid of scale once or twice a month. Remember! Delete more thin layer much easier!
I hope the above cleaning methods helped you solve the problem of how to descale a kettle at home without using expensive household chemicals.
Scale (salt sediment) disrupts the functioning of the electrical appliance, and white and red flakes fall into the cup along with boiled water. At first this layer is just white coating, then it turns into stone, which is difficult to remove. I'll describe effective ways How to descale a kettle at home.
- Warn your family not to use the device temporarily.
- Fill the water up to the middle of the container.
- Add active ingredient.
- Turn on the device.
- Wait at least half an hour.
- Wash the inside surface thoroughly.
To remove old fossilized plaque, use several methods at once or try again.
Traditional Effective Methods
The easiest way to clean an electrical appliance at home is with the help of improvised means:
- Soda - softens salt deposits.
- Acids - They even dissolve fossilized scale.
- Brush and sponge- will not damage the surface of the kettle walls, like their metal counterparts.
So, the main sediment fighters are soda and citric acid.
Method 1: Cleaning with baking soda
Baking or soda ash will help restore cleanliness to any electrical appliances (plastic, metal, ceramic). There are 3 ways to descale a kettle with soda:
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Method 1 - with soda ash
Recipe for multilayer scale:
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Method 2 - with baking soda and vinegar
Recipe for a small layer of salts:
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Method 3 - powerful complex from soda ash and citric acid
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Method 2: using acids
Any old deposits can be easily removed by acids:
| Acid | Application |
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Vinegar
To clean metal, ceramic and glass electric kettles:
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Two types of citric acid are used: powder and lemon.
Cleaning instructions:
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Cleaning a kettle from scale with oxalic acid:
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Lemonade contains phosphoric and citric acids, eliminating sediment:
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Organic acids of the peel an apple will descale an electric kettle:
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Method 3: combined (for a thick layer of scale)
After such a powerful attack, all the scale will come off. This is a two-step cleansing process:
- Step 1: remove with soda and acid. Pour some soda into a saucer, add any acid from the table. Treat the entire coated surface with the resulting slurry. After 10 minutes, rinse.
- Step 2: Remove scale and odors. Cut the lemon into slices and place in the electric kettle. Boil water with lemon and leave for half an hour. Wash the device to remove loose residues.
Various household chemicals for descaling
Except traditional methods, you can clean an electric kettle using chemical products specially designed for this purpose.
Their main components:
- Organic and mineral acids(citric, sulfamic, adipic).
- Sodium tripolyphosphate- the main product from the processing of phosphoric acid in expensive products.
- Soda.
These products also solve the problem of how to descale an enamel kettle. Available in liquid, powder or tablet form. Use strictly according to the instructions so as not to damage the equipment.
General scheme of how to get rid of scale special cleaners:
- Prepare the solution.
- Boil in a kettle.
- Then pour it out.
- Remove scale. Once softened, it can be easily removed.
- Boil clean water 2-3 times to flush out any remaining chemicals.
Conclusion
We found out that the choice of ways to remove scale from an electric kettle is quite large. Home remedies are not inferior in effectiveness to industrial ones, tested! Check out the video in this article, and you can ask questions in the comments.
Our tap water is too hard, and therefore from time to time we have to look for ways to descale the electric kettle. Kettles must be cleaned regularly, because calcium and magnesium deposits are harmful to health.
Scale in electrical appliances is very sensitive to acids, and therefore all methods of removing it mainly come down to using products that contain acids. How to descale an electric kettle yourself?
A proven option for descaling an electric kettle is to boil it with citric acid. Should be 1 tbsp. l. pour the acid into the kettle, pour water into it and turn it on. When the water boils, drain it and rinse the electrical appliance thoroughly. Then they put the water to boil again.
As a result, the walls and heating elements will become perfectly clean, although some lime stains may remain on the bottom. Cleaning the kettle with citric acid is the most popular method.
You can remove plaque with regular lemon. Take water, throw in a few slices of lemon and boil them. This is perhaps the most safe way cleaning heating elements from plaque.
Soda
You can easily clean an electric kettle with baking soda. It is enough to pour 1 tbsp into the device. l. soda and fill it with water. Then the device is turned on. After the water boils, drain it and rinse the equipment thoroughly. running water.
If necessary, remove the softened dirt with a sponge. It is advisable to boil the water 2 more times so that all the dirt is completely removed.
Vinegar
To clean the electric kettle using this method, fill it with water and add 100 ml of vinegar. Then the water is boiled and left for a couple of hours. If there is a lot of lime, you can leave the solution overnight. Then the vinegar solution is drained and the device is thoroughly washed.
The disadvantage of this method is a rather unpleasant vinegar smell, which will spread throughout the apartment during boiling.
Lemonade
A good, proven way to remove lime is to clean it with lemonade. It is important to choose colorless lemonade so that the drink does not stain the plastic.
The soda is shaken well and then boiled. After which the lemonade is left to cool completely. Drinks contain phosphoric acid, which eats away scale. Finally, we clean the equipment, rinse it, and then boil it again.
Oxalic acid
A little product is diluted in water and boiled. The solution should be left for a few minutes, and then all that remains is to remove the remaining dirt with a sponge. You can also use fresh, raw sorrel, but since the concentration of acids in it is low, the procedure will have to be repeated.
Apple peelings
This method of cleaning electrical appliances is not so common, but still quite effective. But you will have to turn on the water several times. The peelings are placed in the kettle, filled with water and boiled 2-3 times. Apple peeling also contains acids, but not as strong as in other methods.
Household chemicals
Today there are a lot of products sold that can be used to easily remove scale from heating elements. Strong household chemicals very quickly remove even the most stubborn stains. But after using such products, kitchen utensils need to be rinsed very well. The device will have to be boiled with fresh water at least 3 times.
- Carry out cleaning work when children are not at home. And if there are small children in the apartment, then carefully ensure that they do not prepare tea with harmful substances.
- After cleaning the equipment, the water in it must be boiled at least 2 times to remove all harmful substances.
- Do not use abrasives to clean the heating element as they may damage the surface. Although you will remove the plaque in this way, the inside of the device may be damaged.
- Treatment should be carried out once a month to prevent the formation of thick layer raid.
- Try to use only filtered water for boiling. This will allow you to significantly extend the life of your equipment.
We hope that our tips will be useful to you, and by listening to them, you will properly clean your kitchen utensils from scale and plaque. Compliance simple rules will allow you to keep the electric kettle perfectly clean.
The formation of scale on the inner surface of the electric kettle is a natural result of using hard and unfiltered water. Stone deposits must be removed regularly; they promote the growth of bacteria, and small flakes will inevitably enter the body along with the drink. To maintain cleanliness, users are advised to know a few effective ways how to clean an electric kettle from scale, because large number sediment harms both the equipment itself and health. There are many options for descaling a kettle at home using improvised and inexpensive means. Considering that sediment forms quite quickly, it is understandable that everyone wants to find a simple and affordable method for descaling a kettle.
Maximum affordable option How to descale a kettle at home - use regular powdered citric acid. One sachet will be enough for a capacity of up to 3 liters, and half is enough for a volume of 1.8 - 2.0 liters. Citric acid should be poured into water poured to the top mark, after which the kettle should be boiled, preferably at least twice. All stone deposits simply dissolve in an acidic environment.
You can descale the kettle with citric acid at work, for example, in the office. This simple product does not emit any odors and will not take up much space in your desk drawer.
This option considered quite effective, but aggressive. Boiling water with citric acid is still a last resort for a kettle when it is necessary to short term put the electrical appliance in order. A softer and more gentle method for getting rid of scale in a kettle is to fill it with fresh water to the maximum and pour in the powder. To soften lime deposits, the solution must stand for at least 4 hours. Perfect for these purposes and fresh lemon slices. Place them in clean water and boil well, then you need to reduce the heat and “cook” the fruit for about 25 minutes. After you have cleaned the electric kettle of scale and deposits, you should rinse it thoroughly under warm running water.
Method number 2. How does soda work?
Household or baking soda is very popular among the population because its scope is quite wide. Multifunctional cleaning agent widely used for softening limescale deposits. If you decide to descale the kettle with soda, fill it with fresh running water to the maximum level, then add 1 tsp. household soda ash or baking soda. Boil until the surface is clean. The resulting solution should stand on low heat for up to half an hour. After cleaning, rinse the container, boil again and drain the water for the final rinse. This will completely remove all remaining powder.
It is allowed to use soda as a soft abrasive cleanser to remove scale. If there are not a lot of deposits, one teaspoon is enough. In addition, household soda is excellent at removing carbon deposits. gas stove, but it should be used carefully so as not to damage the surface.
Method No. 3. Carbonated drinks
Since getting rid of scale in a kettle is not always easy, users began to look for new effective methods, which include carbonated drinks. The secret is that these drinks contain a component called orthophosphoric acid, which makes soda an excellent tool for descaling a kettle.
The peculiarity of the non-standard method is that highly carbonated drinks should not be boiled. This option is not entirely suitable for getting rid of scale in an electric kettle, but you can simply turn the device on and off periodically, controlling the temperature of the liquid. Before descaling the kettle using any carbonated drink (Coca-Cola, Fanta or Sprite), the gas must “dissipate” a little. When most of the bubbles have come out, fill the liquid to the middle mark and heat to 80 - 90°C.
As experienced users write, Fanta and Cola can leave their shade on light elements. Therefore, it is better to opt for Sprite - it does not contain any dyes.
Method number 4. Vinegar
To descale a kettle with vinegar, keep in mind that boiling vinegar water will spread specific aroma throughout the room.
Manufacturers household appliances It is not recommended to use this method to soften or remove scale in an electric kettle, as well as aluminum and enamel-coated containers. But it will do a good job of removing old deposits on stainless steel cookware.
When you need to clean the surface from a small layer of scale, fill a third of the kettle with 9% vinegar, and the second two-thirds, as in the previous methods - clean water. The solution is boiled and left to stand for 3 - 4 hours until the acids loosen the deposits. When there is a lot of lime, let the container with the vinegar solution boil for no longer than 50 minutes, then wipe the inside of the container several times with a soft sponge.
If you decide to use vinegar to remove lime, you should be careful: you don’t want the acid to remain on the bottom or walls of the dish. When the layer of plaque has been completely removed, you need to wash the kettle, fill it with clean water twice, boil it and rinse several times. Vinegar is one of the most effective methods how to descale a kettle.
Method No. 5. Eco-friendly and safe
This option will appeal to everyone who values safety and environmental friendliness, even in cleaning products. You can clean an electric kettle or dishes with an enamel surface and remove small scale deposits using potato or apple peels, placing them in a container. Vegetable or fruit peelings contain many acids that will quickly destroy lime deposits. The procedure is simple, like all previous ones: the cleaning needs to be filled with clean water and left for 1 – 3 hours on medium. Afterwards, it is enough to wash the dishes twice.
The product is perfect for splitting a thin layer of lime from a kettle at home. It will not be possible to completely loosen old and dense sediment in one procedure, except perhaps after several applications in a row.
Method number 6. We use marinade or brine from preservation
The brine or marinade contains vinegar or citric acid, and they perfectly soften or completely dissolve plaque. In addition, the marinade will cope perfectly with rust inside the electric kettle and will bring all metal parts to a shine.
Cleaning a kettle from scale with canned brine does not involve any particular difficulties: pour it into a container, heat it to a vigorous boil, and let it cool. If one procedure did not bring desired result, it can be repeated. The only caveat is that the brine has a very spicy smell To neutralize it, you will have to boil clean water and rinse the dishes well.
Method No. 7. For the most advanced cases
Before descaling your kettle, assess the extent of the contamination. When the layer of rock deposits is too large, simple methods will not help, or you will have to apply them in stages. If you are looking effective method How to remove scale from an electric kettle, you can turn to the most aggressive methods.
- Pour baking soda into the electric kettle and clean it with a sponge soaked in vinegar. The acid combines with the alkali and has a destructive effect on the scale.
- Use three solutions in turn: First you need to boil water with 1 tsp. soda, then type clean water and boil a kettle with citric acid, finally keep it on low heat, adding 150 ml of 9% vinegar. Before each new solution, be sure to change all the water, and after the procedure, rinse the container thoroughly, boil it three times and drain the clean water. In order to clean a plastic electric kettle, this is too aggressive a method, but for stainless steel it is quite suitable.
Method No. 8. Effective
If you don’t want to delve into household wisdom, how to descale an electric kettle, or boil a kettle with citric acid or vinegar, opt for special means, presented in the store, removing any deposits. Manufacturers have already done everything themselves: tablets, liquid, abrasive and alkaline substances. Before washing the electric kettle, be sure to wear protective gloves - many chemicals are too harsh on the skin of your hands.
Use of household chemicals - best solution for those who are thinking how to descale an electric kettle with minimal effort. It contains citric, sulfamic or adipic acid, which does an excellent job even with large amounts of scale. The algorithm of action is simple: pour the product into an electric kettle, following the instructions, and boil at low temperature for about an hour. Wash the cleaned surface and remaining plaque with a soft sponge, rinse the device thoroughly, and boil it three times with clean water.
According to users, in terms of effectiveness household chemicals can be compared to methods such as cleaning with vinegar or soda. It is worth noting that the cost of store-bought drugs is several times higher than the price of any popular life hack.
Rules for cleaning the kettle
Even in the most advanced situations, it is not recommended to remove scale metal brushes and sponges, mechanically chip off plaque from the kettle using objects such as knives or forks. Such harsh methods can seriously damage the equipment, after which repairs will be required.
Choose the most effective methods among gentle ones, for example, such as cleaning the kettle with citric acid, soda solution or household chemicals. Always use a soft sponge afterwards: good cleaning eliminates plaque residues on the bottom and in hard-to-reach places.
Completes the list of rules thorough rinsing followed by boiling clean water. Do not neglect the latest recommendations - this will protect the body from chemicals, aggressive acids or alkalis.
Scale is formed due to the fact that the water contains a large amount of salts, which settle on the bottom, walls and heating coil of the kettle.
The accumulation of scale inside the kettle will cause it to take much longer to heat the water. And over time, when the layer of scale thickens, the kettle may break.
At home, the following are used to remove scale:
If you do nothing, such an electric kettle will only last a year and a half. To prevent it from breaking down prematurely, you need to know how to remove scale from an electric kettle.
Method one is the easiest
Many housewives know how to descale an electric kettle. We offer the simplest and most effective method, which will take a little time:
Baking soda works well against scale - Fill a kettle with water and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- After the kettle boils, let it sit for 20 minutes, then drain the water.
- Then fill the kettle with fresh water with 20 grams of citric acid.
- Boil the kettle in the same way and let it sit for half an hour.
After this procedure, rinse the kettle. If the scale has not disappeared, then its structure has become loose, and you can easily clean the kettle with a regular sponge.
Method two – “grandmother’s method”
Of course, our grandmothers did not know how to clean an electric kettle from scale - there were no electric kettles at that time)). But this method of cleaning copper teapots will also work for us. So, we need a nine percent solution of acetic acid, or more simply, vinegar.
- First, fill the kettle 2/3 with water, the remaining third is vinegar.
- Let the water boil and then leave the kettle until the water cools down. After some time, the scale in the electric kettle will dissolve. This is due to the fact that the acid contained in vinegar will react chemically with salts and decompose them into simple substances.
- However, do not forget to rinse the kettle thoroughly after this, as acetic acid will remain on its walls and then enter your body with the tea.
Method three - using soda
Perhaps the most unconventional way to descale an electric kettle. However, according to many housewives, this method is very effective.
To perform this cleaning, you will need a liter of colorless carbonated water, like Sprite. Pour the soda into the kettle and boil. And the scale in the electric kettle will disappear!
The key point here is to purchase colorless soda. Be careful - the dyes contained in colored sodas will remain on the walls of the kettle when boiled, and it will be even more difficult to wipe them off than to get rid of scale.
Method four - citric acid
Do you want to know how to descale an electric kettle using regular citric acid?
- Pour one packet of acid into a full kettle and boil.
- Drain this liquid and rinse the kettle with running water.
- Boil regular tap water a couple of times and pour it out.
You only need one packet of citric acid This method is based on the same chemical reaction as when using acetic acid. Removing scale from an electric kettle may not happen immediately - after all, it’s more soft way. To do this, repeat the procedure again until the vessel is completely cleansed of salts. Also, do not forget to rinse the kettle after this procedure.
Method five - household chemicals
In addition to manual cleaning, you can also resort to using all kinds of chemicals. The household chemical store knows how to remove scale from an electric kettle.
- "Descaler"
- Major Domus
- "Antiscale: deep cleaning."
However, this method may not bring the expected result, and the money will be wasted. The kettle may not be cleaned due to the fact that the layer of scale has already sufficiently corroded the body and heating element.
And finally
Using these simple tips, you will be able to descale your electric kettle, but do not forget that the procedure will need to be repeated at certain intervals.
And remember, before you descale your electric kettle, you should warn your family members, as one of them may inadvertently make coffee from boiled Sprite, or worse.
There are many more methods for removing scale from an electric kettle, but not all of them are effective. Remember that if you use untested methods, you risk getting the opposite effect and your kettle may become completely unusable.
