The kettle is an essential device for preparing your favorite hot drinks; the kettle heats your water every day! But very quickly, you notice that a whitish deposit forms in the bottom and on the walls of your kettle: this is the arrival of scale (or limestone)!
Every kitchen appliance that we use forms residues. The residue left on the appliances makes spots; sometimes it can change the cooking quality. It is also can be proved to be a health hazard. Generally due to everyday use the mark of this residue forms.
To avoid this buildup, we will guide you throughout this article on how to get rid of this often stubborn deposit. Check out the full article on how to descale a kettle properly.
We can descale a kettle in 2 methods:
- Why does a kettle build up with limescale?
- How to descale a kettle?
- The mechanical method
- The “chemical” method
Why does a kettle build up with limescale?
Everyone will agree that tartar is one of the worst enemies of electrical devices. We know it in particular for its action on irons. By plugging the small holes on the sole of the iron, it considerably reduces the performance of the device. It is also often seen forming around faucets and in pipes.
Did you know ?
Scale reduces the life of a kettle, leads to overconsumption of laundry in a washing machine and can reduce the diameter of a pipe by up to 20%.
This lime deposit is formed under the effect of heat by precipitation of minerals from the water: for example, calcium ions and bicarbonate are found in cold water. When the water is heated, these compounds will react together to form calcium carbonate which will form a white deposit.
It’s the same with magnesium carbonate. However, not all regions of France are affected in the same way by this phenomenon because water is not the same everywhere.
Do not be afraid. Drinking hard water is not in itself bad for your health because your body needs calcium and magnesium, in particular for a good solidification of the bones and a good functioning of the muscles.
Did you know ?
The level of limestone in water is characterized by its “ hardness ”, a quantity expressed in French degrees (° F) which corresponds to the calcium and magnesium content in the water. The higher this content, the more the water is said to be ” hard “.
How to descale a kettle?
We will present here two more or less effective methods to remove tartar from your device. However, we prefer to notify you now that the first one is absolutely not recommended.
The mechanical method
Rubbing very hard to remove scale from a kettle is one method like any other. This is not only an interview but also a physical test, the result of which may disappoint you.
The limestone adheres very of course to the walls and is lodged in small spaces, difficult to access. In that case a mechanical cleaning method is quite effective.
While this method may seem effective the first time around, you will quickly find that tartar will settle in these newly formed streaks. It will therefore be even more difficult for you to eliminate it the next time.
If you choose this method, your kettle may not last long.
The “chemical” method
This involves using a product with an acid function capable of producing a chemical reaction to remove lime from the walls of the kettle.
Three options are available to you for descaling:
- Sodium bicarbonate is used. To descale your kettle with this product, pour a liter of water into your appliance and two teaspoons of baking soda. Boil the water and wait half an hour. After rinsing, your kettle will have regained all its youth.
You can also boil water once or twice to remove any leftover baking soda to make sure you don’t ingest it.
- Others will prefer the older and equally effective methods. A glass of white vinegar in the kettle and a few hours of waiting later, and you will find a very clean appliance.
However, we advise you to rinse your kettle well afterward; otherwise, you will give your drink a very specific taste. You can also boil water once or twice to remove the taste of the vinegar.
- Finally, you can choose to use a commercial product specially designed to descale kettles. All you have to do is pour the sachet of descaling agent into the indicated volume of water and boil the water in the appliance.
- You can increase the life of your appliance, we recommend that you descale it every three months for daily use. Its performance will only be better.
- You have succeeded! Your kettle is like new. well done
- If you have other descaling tips, do not hesitate to send them to us in the comments, we are as curious as you.
How to descale a Kettle easily in 15 minutes?
- Pour a small cup of white vinegar into your kettle.
- Add water to the top.
- Once the water is boiling, let it act for a few minutes.
- Result in your kettle is perfectly descaled! Thank you white vinegar! You know how to easily descale your stainless steel electric kettle with white vinegar.
Advice : White vinegar, or crystal vinegar, is practical, but it has a taste and an odor … that we do not want to find in the tea or coffee that we enjoy by the fire! So remember to rinse your clean kettle several times … before you use it again!
Suggested Read: What Can I Put in My Tea to make it Taste Better?
Descaling an electric kettle : how to descale a kettle
Scale is simply THE number one problem with electric kettles: over time, their walls inexorably become covered with a whitish deposit (especially if the water in your area is hard and rich in limestone), which in addition to being less flavorful makes their operation more laborious and will make you use more energy when you turn them on.
Fortunately, there are some unstoppable tips to easily descale an electric kettle. The first, and the most famous, is obviously white vinegar. To descale your kettle in a 100% efficient and ecological way, fill your container with water and vinegar and boil it normally. The limestone should disappear!
To descale a kettle, you can also boil in the bottom of the water to which you have added lemon juice: the citric acid it contains is very effective in removing lime from a kettle.
Finally, if you want to descale your kettle with another product that is as economical as it is ecological, boil a mixture of one liter of water and two teaspoons of baking soda in it
2. Tips against limescale …
In general, acidic products are very useful for getting rid of limescale in a kettle (some people even use cola to remove it!). Moreover, to prevent the lime from returning too quickly to your kettle, we recommend:
- not to let water stagnate at the bottom after use;
- put an oyster or mussel shell (after washing it of course) in your kettle so that the limestone attaches to it rather than to its walls;
- place a clean pebble in your kettle to prevent tartar from sticking to its resistances.
3. Detach a stainless steel kettle
Stainless steel quickly tends to get stained: fingerprints, watermarks … Fortunately, you can easily get rid of stains and clean a stainless steel kettle using:
- A sheet of newspaper that you will use to scrub your kettle;
- Soapy water;
- A little baking soda diluted in hot water;
- Olive oil (put a few drops on a cloth then rub your kettle with it: it will be shiny like the first day!);
- Silver stone, rubbing gently and in a circular fashion.
4. Clean a plastic kettle
If you want to use white vinegar to clean your plastic kettle, be careful: pure, this product can attack the plastic or at least damage it.
So prefer natural products but a little less aggressive, such as lemon juice for example!
5. Make a copper kettle shine
To remove watermarks and fingerprints on a copper kettle, nothing like a newspaper! Rub your kettle vigorously with a slightly crumpled sheet of newspaper, and it will shine brilliantly.
You can also clean your copper kettle by rubbing it with a soft cloth soaked in hot water in which you have diluted two handfuls of soda crystals. Rinse well, and that’s it!
A final word on – How to descale a kettle
We recommend descaling a kettle after a regular time gap. It will help you enjoy hygienic drinks. You can also make the device long-lasting.
Hope by now you know all about “how to descale a kettle” and you can do it at home.
