Cleaning the kettle from scale at home. The best descaling agent: how to remove scale from a kettle. How to descale a kettle or coffee machine

August 22nd, 2017

It doesn’t matter what kind of kettle you have at home - electric, enameled or metal, you cannot avoid scale in it under any circumstances. Even expensive water filters will not save you. Electric kettles quickly break down due to scale, and at the bottom of ordinary kettles - metal or enameled - an explosive mixture of scale and rust forms.

In the struggle for health, for the ideal taste of tea and coffee, the most important thing is the quality of water. Lime in a kettle can easily ruin any drink and your health.

Scale is formed due to the content of metal salts in tap water, settling on the bottom and inner walls of ordinary teapots or electric heating elements.

Ignoring the scale problem is extremely dangerous.

Firstly, it causes premature failure of electric kettles and destruction of the walls of ordinary ones. Scale has a very small heat dissipation, which leads to overheating of the surface of the kettle. It prevents water from contacting the highly conductive steel, thereby heating the steel to unacceptable temperatures. In electric kettles, the heating element is made of steel, and as a result of the appearance of scale, it experiences severe thermal resistance, which leads to breakdown.

Secondly, when scale gets into our body with water, it has an extremely negative effect on its condition. The consequence of this phenomenon can be significant problems with the functioning of the urinary system and kidneys.

A dense layer of scale leads to long-term heating of water, and in electric kettles - to breakdowns of the heating coil. The rate of plaque formation depends on the hardness of the water, but even filtration will not eliminate the need to periodically remove scale from the kettle.

To rid the kettle of scale and extend its service life, you can use it as special drugs from the shop household chemicals, and home remedies:

• soda;


• vinegar;


• citric acid or lemons;


• sweet soda;


• pickle from canned cucumbers or tomatoes;


• peel of apples, pears or potatoes.

Soda softens limescale, and other products contain acids that scale is afraid of. For cleaning you will also need a soft brush, sponge or brush. Do not use metal scourers to speed up the process, as they damage the dishes.

The easiest way to remove scale from a kettle is to use improvised means that are found in every kitchen: citric or acetic acid, soda or a combination of both.

Cleaning with vinegar

Manufacturers do not recommend cleaning electric, enameled and aluminum kettles with vinegar; the product is suitable for stainless steel dishes with old deposits.

With a small layer of lime, fill 2/3 of the kettle with water, and the remaining 1/3 with 9% vinegar. Bring the solution to a boil over low heat, remove the kettle from the heat and set it aside for 1-3 hours to loosen the scale. If the bottom and walls of the dish are covered with a thick and dense crust of deposits, prepare a solution at the rate of ½ cup of vinegar per 1 liter of water, pour it into the kettle, put on low heat, wait until it boils and boil for another 10-30 minutes - depending on the volume of the vessel.

After cooling, rinse the kettle thoroughly with a soft sponge, removing any remaining scale, boil it 1-2 times with clean water and rinse the container to remove any traces of vinegar.

Cleaning with citric acid

A gentle product will help get rid of scale on any kettle. To remove dense deposits of lime, boil a kettle with an acid solution (10-15 g 1 liter of water), turn it off immediately after boiling and cool it for 30-60 minutes - during this time the scale will dissolve or soften. Then drain the liquid, remove any remaining deposits with a sponge, boil a container with clean water and rinse thoroughly. If you were unable to remove old scale on the first try, repeat the procedure.

In order not to subject the kettle to boiling with acid, it is enough to clean it monthly without heating: dilute the acid with water, pour it into a container and drain the solution after a few hours - a small deposit will disappear without a trace.

Cleaning with soda

Regular food or soda ash will help restore pristine cleanliness to any kettles, including electric ones.

Fill the bowl with water, add 1 tbsp. soda, boil and hold for half an hour over low heat. Cool, drain the solution and wash the kettle, then fill it again with water and boil, removing any remaining soda. After this, rinse the container again.

Option 2. Pour 1-2 tbsp into boiling water in a kettle. soda and immediately turn off the heat. After 1-2 hours, remove softened mineral deposits from the dishes, boil them with clean water and rinse again.

Cleaning old scale

Option 1. Moisten a sponge with vinegar, dip it in soda and rub the resulting slurry into the surfaces covered with a layer of scale. When vinegar and soda are combined, a reaction will occur that destroys the deposits; all that remains is to rinse and rinse the kettle. If the deposits are dense, cleaning will need to be repeated.

Option 2. Suitable for the most neglected kettles with a thick layer of scale, but not applicable for electric ones due to excessive aggressiveness. Cleansing is carried out in three steps:

1. Pour water into a container, add 1 tbsp. l. soda, boil, set aside for 10-20 minutes, drain the solution.

1. Refill with water, add 1-2 tbsp. citric acid, boil the solution over low heat for half an hour, drain.

1. Pour water into the kettle again, add 1/2 cup of vinegar, boil for another half hour, drain the liquid.

For especially severe cases - soda, citric acid and vinegar (not for electric kettles)

Suitable for the most neglected condition of the kettle. Pour water into the kettle, add a spoonful of baking soda (tablespoon), boil the solution, and drain the water. Next, add water again, but with citric acid (1 tablespoon per kettle). Boil for about half an hour over low heat. Drain again, add fresh water, add vinegar (1/2 cup), boil again for 30 minutes. Even if the scale does not come off on its own after such a shock cleaning, it will definitely become loose and can be removed with a simple sponge. Hard brushes and metal sponges are not recommended for all types of kettles.

How to descale a kettle: method 2 - “delicious”

Followers of safe natural remedies will appreciate the method of descaling by peeling potatoes, pears or apples containing organic acids. The peelings need to be rinsed, placed in a kettle, filled with water and the liquid boiled. After boiling, set the kettle with the peel aside for 1-2 hours, and then rinse the dishes well. The product is suitable for removing light scale deposits.

Cucumber or tomato brine is an excellent way to get rid of lime “deposits” due to the content of citric acid or vinegar. The brine needs to be poured into the kettle, boiled, cooled, rinsed and thoroughly rinsed the container to remove the smell of preserved food. An additional bonus of the method is the removal of rust from the inner surface of the vessel.

Lemon fights scale well. The sour fruit needs to be cut into quarters, put them in a kettle, add water, place the dishes on low heat and boil the solution for 10-15 minutes after boiling. If the scale has not softened enough, repeat the procedure, and then rinse the kettle and rinse big amount water.

To effectively remove scale from your kettle, you can also use sweet soda.

Open the bottle of drink to release the gases, then pour 0.5-1 liters of liquid into the kettle, boil, let cool and rinse the container thoroughly. If there is a small layer of deposits, you can do without boiling - just fill the kettle with soda to dissolve the deposits, and wash it after a few hours. The cleaning effect is based on the content of citric and phosphoric acid in the drink. Choose a clear soda, for example, 7UP, otherwise you will later have to remove colored stains from Coca-Cola or Fanta from the surface of the dishes.

Another surefire remedy is wood ash. You should pour more ash into the kettle. Then use a washcloth or sponge to rub the ash into the areas with scale. Finally, rinse the kettle with warm water.

How to descale a kettle: the chemical method

The destruction of scale by household chemicals is achieved by containing citric, adipic or sulfamic acid. Special products are available in the form of liquids, powders or tablets and are used according to the instructions. General scheme use - the solution with the cleaning agent is boiled in a kettle for 30-40 minutes, then drained. Softened scale can be easily removed, and after cleaning the kettle, you should boil clean water 2-3 more times to remove chemicals.
The effectiveness of using store-bought anti-scale products is comparable to the effect of vinegar and citric acid, but the latter are much more economical.

How to descale a kettle without ruining it

Even if the kettle is covered with a thick layer of plaque, do not scrape it with sharp objects, do not use hard brushes or steel wool for cleaning - such a cruel method greatly harms the dishes.

For the careful and effective removal scale, wash the inside of the kettle well, and then use home remedies or chemical reagents for dissolving or loosening the lime “coat”. After cleaning, be sure to wash the kettle with a sponge or soft brush, boil water in it a couple of times and rinse the dishes again to avoid poisoning.

The frequency of descaling the kettle depends on the hardness of the water used, but try not to start the process - with each boiling, the crust of plaque becomes stronger and thicker.
Preventive care will help minimize its formation:

• rinsing after each boil and daily washing teapot sponge;


• using filtered water, fresh each time - repeated boiling increases the precipitation of salts;


• draining the water from the kettle at night or during long periods of inactivity.

Household anti-scale products

In our technologically advanced times, a lot has been created household products that help remove scale: “Antikipin”, “Cinderella”, “Antiscale”.

They contain soda ash, commonly used to soften water. This product is available in liquid or powder form. But they are used in the same way - they are poured into a kettle, filled almost to the top with water and boiled.

Other products are also sold various manufacturers, including foreign ones. However, they all have a similar operating principle and the same result.

Caution - chemistry

Household products serve the easy way getting rid of scale. But it has disadvantages:

chemicals contained in cleaning products enter the stomach, which is not safe;
Some formulations do not give the desired result.

The choice of methods for descaling a kettle is quite large, and home remedies are as effective as store-bought ones. The main thing is not to forget to repeat the procedure regularly.

Sources:

Often, to prepare hot drinks, running water, which is highly hard due to salt impurities, is boiled in a kettle. When heated, salts precipitate, which is deposited on the walls of the container, forming a dense coating after some time. In this article we will look at how to descale a kettle at home.

If the dishes are not cleaned, scale prevents the water from heating, impairs the cooling of the heating element, which leads to overheating and increases the risk of failure of the device.

When salt deposits are systematically introduced into the human body, it leads to the development various diseases, including gout, osteochondrosis and stones in the urinary system, so regular cleaning of the kettle is required. How to perform the procedure correctly and safely?

Safety precautions and preparatory stage

• Do not use synthetic preparations used for cleaning washing machines. Only products designed for kitchen equipment and appliances whose surface comes into contact with food products. Chemical substances and abrasive preparations may end up in drinking water, since they are difficult to remove from plastic and metal elements.
• To clean the outer surface, you can use household chemicals without abrasive inclusions. It’s better to forget about metal sponges or brushes.
• Before cleaning the kettle, unplug the appliance and let it cool. To prevent sediment from getting into the drinking water, the kettle is equipped with a filter. It is located in the spout and also requires cleaning.
• Do not immerse the appliance in water or any other liquid for cleaning.

Folk remedies against scale

If the kettle is covered with too much scale, then not all means will help achieve the result the first time. However, you shouldn’t be upset, there are effective traditional methods, which cope well with plaque and cost practically nothing.

Vinegar

To prepare the solution you will need 9% table vinegar and water. Fill the kettle with ⅔ water from the maximum level. Then add vinegar to the max mark. Boil the solution, then leave to cool.

If 9% vinegar is not found, use vinegar essence (70%). Pour water into the kettle up to the max mark, then add 2-3 tablespoons of essence. Work with the product very carefully, avoiding contact with mucous membranes, so as not to cause a chemical burn.

Finally, rinse the device thoroughly with water. If it was not possible to remove all the scale the first time, repeat the procedure. The disadvantage of this method is the strong smell of vinegar (especially in the case of essence), so the room must be well ventilated.

Video tips

Lemon acid

The solution is prepared at the rate of 10 grams of citric acid per 1 liter of water. Typically, acid is packaged in 25 gram bags, so a standard kettle will require one bag.

Bring the resulting solution, as in the case of vinegar, to a boil. After boiling, turn off the kettle as the solution may begin to foam intensively. Let the kettle cool, drain the solution, and rinse thoroughly with water. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Baking soda

If the kettle has not been cleaned for a long time and the layer of scale is large enough, then before carrying out one of the above procedures, you need to boil water with baking soda in it. The solution is prepared at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons of soda per 1 liter of water. This preparation will give a more active reaction with the acid and increase the likelihood of cleaning.

Coca Cola

The method is suitable for any kettle, except electric. Sweet carbonated water must contain phosphoric and citric acid. Coca-Cola, Fanta or Sprite drinks are considered suitable for cleaning. They clean scale and do an excellent job of removing rust.

Before starting the procedure, open the lid and release the gas from the drink. Fill the kettle to medium level, bring to a boil and leave the liquid to cool. Drain the liquid and rinse thoroughly inner surface water.

Advanced cases require a combination of several methods. A kettle with heavy deposits can be cleaned in the following way:

1. Perform the first boiling with water and soda, drain the liquid, and rinse the kettle.
2. Perform the second boiling for half an hour. To do this, add 1-2 teaspoons of citric acid to the water and after boiling, rinse the container with water.
3. Perform the third boiling with water and vinegar.

At the end of the procedure, the scale will become loose and will fall away from the walls without any problems. After this, thoroughly wash the device again to prevent acid and crumbling plaque from getting into the future drink.

Purchased products and chemicals

If you need to quickly and easily remove scale from an electric kettle, use specialized products sold in stores. Such remedies are effective and act quite quickly.

• "Antiscale" - commercially available, inexpensive, quickly achieved desired result.
• "Descaler" - cheap and effective remedy.
• “Major Domus” is a proven product in liquid form, but unfortunately, it is not available in all stores.

Using anti-scale powders is quite simple: pour them inside the kettle and fill with water. After boiling, drain the water and rinse the inside of the appliance thoroughly.

Non-standard solutions

If you don't have the ingredients you need for cleaning at home, try cucumber pickle. Pour it into the kettle and boil for 1-2 hours. Instead of brine, you can also use whey or spoiled milk.

On the Internet there is a method of peeling apple peels. Only sour apples are suitable, the peels of which are filled with water and boiled in a kettle for an hour.

After the procedures, the kettle is thoroughly washed.

The best way The solution to the problem will be to prevent the appearance of scale.

• Use a sponge to remove a thin layer of scale from the inside surface after using the kettle 1-2 times.
• Boil pre-filtered water.
• Do not leave boiled water in the kettle for a long time; pour out the excess immediately.
• Carry out descaling monthly to prevent the deposits from becoming too thick.

Cleaning and preventative procedures will protect the kettle from scale, extending the life of the heating element.

Because of hard water water heating devices are subject to salt deposits on the internal walls. These are calcium and magnesium salts that affect water quality.

An electric kettle with scale boils water longer, making it harmful, and the service life of the device becomes shorter. That's why The kettle needs to be cleaned regularly to remove build-up. Cleaning at home will not present any difficulties to anyone.

When heated, various compounds contained in water precipitate, forming rough, hard deposits. The amount of scale directly depends on the quality of the water. Hard water contains a lot of salts, so it is recommended to use filtered water. It also contains salts, but in moderation.

It is impossible to completely protect an electric kettle from scale. But regular care behind it will significantly extend the performance of the kettle and improve the quality of water.

Reference: most cases of electric kettle breakdowns occur precisely because large quantity scale

All effective ways Electric kettle cleaning is easy to apply, and products that are used as a remedy are found in every home.

The device must be cleaned at least once a month. It is better if cleaning is carried out once a week to prevent excessive deposits. The more salts accumulate, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it.

Under no circumstances should you remove accumulations with a knife or other sharp, hard object. They can damage the integrity and structure of the kettle, which will render it unusable. Also, do not use metal brushes. Abrasive powders severely scratch the inside surface of an electrical appliance.

Important: Kettle users should be warned that cleaning is in progress. Water boiled from a kettle containing cleaning products becomes undrinkable. The cleaning process will not take much time.

Effective methods

The household must have one of the following products: soda, vinegar, citric acid, soda and household chemicals. The products are the most effective for descaling. They contain organic and inorganic acids, which destroy salt compounds. There are also special products, such as Antiscale, which will also quickly get rid of accumulations.

Cleaning an electric kettle with citric acid

Citric acid is effective against old scale. The product can be used on an electric kettle made of any material. For cleaning you will need:

• 0.5 l. water;
• 1–2 tbsp. l. acids.

Fresh lemon can replace acid. A quarter of a lemon is optimal quantity to create an active but not aggressive acid solution. The cleaning process consists of the following steps:

1. Boil water in a kettle.
2. Add a pack of citric acid powder (dip lemon in water).
3. Wait for the water to cool (maximum 2 hours).
4. Shake the kettle lightly.
5. Rinse the kettle.

Newly formed scale will come off without agitation. But for more old ones, you need to help the product dissolve the compounds.

Cleaning the electric kettle with soda

Baking soda is the most popular means for cleaning an electric kettle at home. It can loosen even old scale. For cleaning you will need:

• 0.5–1 l. water;
• 2-4 tbsp. l. soda respectively;
• For maximum effect, you can also use a 20 gram sachet of citric acid.

The process is not long, and the method is considered the safest. The cleaning process consists of the following steps:

1. Pour water and add soda.
2. Boil.
3. Wait 20 minutes and drain the solution.
4. Rinse the kettle.

After the action, the same is done with citric acid. Using baking soda and citric acid alternately will give immediately visible results. If the scale itself has not left the walls, it can be easily removed with a sponge.

Cleaning the electric kettle with vinegar

Using vinegar to clean an electric kettle is the most effective home method. The only disadvantage of the method is that it is not recommended for use with plastic teapots. For the solution you will need:

• an amount of water equal to the maximum volume of the device;
• 1 glass of 6% vinegar per 1 liter. water;
• citric acid or baking soda to consolidate the effect.

If you combine vinegar with powdered acid, a violent reaction will occur with abundant release of CO2, which helps break down the layers of scale. The method is effective even for old, multi-layered scale.

First, water is poured into the kettle, then vinegar is added. The solution should boil. Leave it to cool for 2 hours. A kitchen sponge will help remove any remaining deposits.

Attention: The method leaves a strong smell, so be sure to ventilate the kitchen well.

Cleaning the electric kettle with oxalic acid

Oxalic acid can rid the kettle of salt deposits. It quickly loosens layers. If there is no acid, you can take fresh sorrel. But concentrated store-bought acid removes scale much faster.

Water is poured into the kettle, to which a small amount of acid is then added. The solution must be brought to a boil. Within just a few minutes, the salts will begin to flake off. Using a kitchen sponge you can successfully remove all softened peelings. Fresh sorrel is also thrown into water and brought to a boil.

Cleaning an electric kettle with soda water

Carbonated drinks usually contain orthophosphate acid (E338). It can loosen layers. After exposure, the scale falls off in layers. Sprite is an effective drink.

It is recommended to use carbonated drinks without dyes, since the additive can color the inside walls of the kettle. Before use, you need to remove the gas from the drink a little to avoid foaming. To do this, you can shake and periodically open the bottle of drink, or leave it open for a while.

Soda is poured into the kettle and boiled. Then you need to leave it for an hour. Then the soda is drained, and the remaining deposits can be removed mechanically, without the use of sharp hard objects.

Removing scale using household chemicals

Modern descaling products are known for their effectiveness, but not all of them. The most popular are Antiscale, Silat and Mayordom. Excessive amounts of scale cannot always be removed successfully by such purchased funds, so most people prefer not to spend money, but to use folk remedies.

Instructions for use must be present on the packaging. Cleaning must be carried out strictly following the instructions. They usually also require boiling.

It is extremely important to thoroughly rinse the electric kettle after cleaning. The chemical components of the products are hazardous to health. Before drinking water from an electric kettle, you should boil clean water at least 3 times.

If we talk about safety, the main precaution when cleaning an electric kettle is to rinse the device. After any folk or store-bought product You need to boil the kettle several times and pour out clean water in order to rinse out the solution used as much as possible. The components of the products can cause poisoning.

You also need to be careful not to get acids into your eyes. In case of contact, rinse eyes with running water.

Sticking to simple recommendations, you can be confident in the functionality of the kettle. To make the need to remove deposits less frequent, you need to:

1. Use filtered or settled water.
2. Throw away unnecessary remaining water. Even when water cools, salts settle and harden.
3. Do not wait until the scale layer becomes too rough. Cleaning should be regular.
4. Clean the appliance with a kitchen sponge at least once every two days.
5. If we are talking about it, then devices with a closed spiral are much easier to clean.
6. For preventive cleaning, products such as brine and fruit peelers are suitable.

If you take care of your electric kettle, you can significantly extend its service life. Care is regular cleaning, which prevents the appearance of rough layers.

Every housewife should know how to descale a kettle. Unfortunately, sufficiently effective ways to prevent the occurrence of limescale on the walls and heating element of the functional apparatus. By filtering water and regularly rinsing the container weak solution soda or citric acid, you can only slightly reduce the rate of scale formation. Fortunately, there are many cleaning methods that allow you to restore the device even at home. Before you replace your old device with a new one, you should try one of them.

Causes and consequences of scale formation

Limescale deposits form equally actively in teapots of all types and designs. Only if this electrical appliance, a layer of scale mainly covers the heating element. In a stainless steel container or its enameled equivalent, sediment covers the bottom and walls to the level to which water is poured. The harder the water is used ( high content salts), and the more often you boil it, the faster problem becomes obvious.

If you do not try to wash the container, you will very soon have to face the following consequences:

1. An electrical device can become unusable from such exposure. This is due to the fact that plaque blocks contact of the heater with water and the steel is constantly heated to prohibitive temperatures. In the end, the element simply burns out
2. The lime composition, entering the human body, begins to cause negative reactions. If you do not remove the scale in the kettle in a timely manner, you can provoke the development of a disease of the excretory system.
3. Under the influence high temperatures in the composition of scale constantly occur chemical reactions, due to which the taste and smell of boiled water deteriorates over time.

Tip: Regardless of what cleaning product was used for the kettle, after carrying out manipulations in the container, you need to boil clean water at least twice. Only then will it be possible to use the device for its intended purpose without the risk of spoiling the taste of the drink or causing an upset stomach.

Of course, to get rid of scale in the kettle, you can purchase special chemical products, which are offered today by hardware stores. And yet, practice shows that the problem can be solved using folk remedies. Moreover, the result will be no less high-quality, and the risk of unpleasant consequences will be minimal.

Simple but effective ways to remove scale

Preparing to work with lemon or acetic acid, baking soda and other popular reagents, you need to take into account the type of material from which the kettle is made. Among the most gentle options for exposure at home, approaches based on the use of such products are especially popular:

• Use of citric acid. This product can be used when working with any materials, even plastic. We dilute 1-2 teaspoons of the reagent in 1 liter of water. For larger containers the same proportions apply. Fill the kettle with the resulting solution and turn it on. The composition should be boiled no more than 1-2 times. During this time, the plaque will come off and the surfaces of the product will be renewed.

• Cleansing with Coca-Cola and other carbonated drinks. This method is known to many, but not everyone follows the subtleties of the manipulation. First of all, the container with the drink must be opened so that most of gases Then fill the kettle with Coca-Cola to about halfway (traces of scale should be completely covered) and bring the contents to a boil. All that remains is to wash the walls with a soft sponge. It is worth considering that from such an impact Electric kettle may break. And to clean light-colored products, you should not use Coca-Cola or Fanta, they can stain the metal.

• Treatment with soda. The best option for processing enameled and metal containers. Simply fill the kettle with water, add a tablespoon of baking soda and bring to a boil. The mass must be boiled for another half hour, using very low heat. Then the device should be removed from the stove and cooled naturally. All that remains is to drain the liquid and clean the container manually. You can do no more than 3 approaches. If the procedure does not help, other treatment options are used.

• Using brine. A simple and accessible method. To remove scale from a kettle, you need to fill it with brine from pickled tomatoes or cucumbers and boil the contents.

• Purification based product. To remove light whitish plaque, you should use apple or pear peelings, and more dense ones, potato peelings. We put them in a container, fill them with water and boil them, then remove them from the stove (unplug them) and let them sit for two hours.

The above methods are considered the most gentle at home. But they should only be used if absolutely necessary. It’s better to just regularly wash the device inside and out with a citric acid solution (1 sachet per 1 liter of water). There is no need to boil the liquid!

Aggressive methods for removing limescale

In cases where the recipes described above do not help, you have to use more drastic methods to solve the problem. Before you descale the kettle with vinegar, it is worth considering that if it has a plastic or glass body, the consequences can be very unpredictable. It’s better not to take risks and use such approaches only when working with metal products.

• Cleaning with vinegar. For 1 liter of water, take half a glass of vinegar, pour the solution into a kettle and bring to a boil over low heat. After this, we evaluate the degree of plaque removal and, if necessary, extend the manipulation for another quarter of an hour.

• Using vinegar, baking soda and citric acid. If you have run out of methods, and removing the plaque has not led to anything, you need to do the following. Alternately boil water in a kettle with soda (a tablespoon per liter), citric acid (a tablespoon per liter) and vinegar (0.5 cups per liter). The exposure time in each case is half an hour. Treating with soda, lemon juice and vinegar will at least soften the scale, allowing you to scrub it off with a sponge.

There are as many housewives as there are recipes for cleaning teapots. Some are ready to clean the product with the help of Whiteness, after which they spend a lot of time eliminating the persistent chlorine odor. The approach is, of course, effective, but can lead to permanent damage to the material.

The water in our taps leaves much to be desired, and the question of how to descale a kettle does not lose its urgency. For electric kettles, sediment on the walls is not just a terrible internal thing, but a deterioration in the thermal conductivity of the metal in proportion to the thickening of the layer, which provokes a decrease in the power of the heater and its service life (working for wear has never made anything better). Boiling water requires increased time and energy costs. Limescale has a similar effect on regular kettles - the burner also takes much longer. Result: cost overrun premature wear household appliances.

Scale deposited on heating elements heating boilers, often leads to pipe rupture. Whether it can break the heating element of the kettle is unknown. Apparently, because housewives are accustomed to descaling teapots - let’s figure out how they do it.

How to descale a kettle at home

There are plenty of ways to clean a kettle at home. The stores offer a wide range special means. Some of them work instantly, while others don’t work at all. It depends on the manufacturer and his honesty. The vast majority of descaling tablets/liquids/gels are based on acetic and citric acids.

Regular kettle

At home, add vinegar and citric acid:

• brine;
• baking soda;
• Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola;
• potato and apple peeling.

Not all products suitable for cleaning conventional kettles are suitable for cleaning electric ones. The point is the duration of exposure and the proper temperature: if you need to boil for a long time over low heat, you won’t be able to descale a regular electric kettle this way, but you can descale a thermos kettle.

How to clean a kettle with vinegar

Kettle-thermos

This descaling method is suitable for regular kettles and thermos kettles with temperature control. Vinegar should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 (100 ml of vinegar per liter of water), fill the kettle with the solution and place on the stove (turn on). As soon as the water boils, you need to see if the scale has come off. If the walls of the dish have not yet been cleared of sediment, leave it to simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes (an electric boiler will not simmer quietly, so this method is not suitable).

Important! After the procedure, the dishes must be thoroughly washed, boil several portions of water in them, and ventilate the room well.

How to clean a kettle with citric acid

Cleaning a kettle from scale with citric acid is a universal method, equally effective for conventional and electric (metal and even plastic) models. Citric acid must be dissolved in water at the rate of 2 teaspoons per liter. Pour the solution into a kettle and boil.

Advice: do not let your dishes get to the point where getting rid of scale requires harsh cleaning. Use citric acid as a preventive measure: pour the solution into the kettle as soon as plaque appears on its walls, and leave for several hours.

How to remove scale with soda

With soda, proceed in the same way as with vinegar, but boil longer. You need to pour soda with water at the rate of 1 liter per tablespoon, put it on the stove, let it boil, reduce the heat to low and leave for half an hour so that the solution barely boils.

After boiling for half an hour, the liquid must be poured out, the kettle must be thoroughly washed and clean water boiled in it, after which it must also be poured out.

Non-format: soda, brine, cleaning

The obvious vinegar and citric acid can be replaced with non-standard, even unexpected, means. The foods and drinks you eat do a great job of removing scale from the kettle.

Soda

Excellent product - “Sprite”

Soda is so “safe” that it does an excellent job of descaling teapots. What about the dishes - sweet water is used to successfully wash carburetors. "Sprite", "Coca-Cola" and "Fanta" do the same job, but it is better to use "Sprite" - "Coca-Cola" and "Fanta" may well leave colorful stains on metal walls instead of scale.

The method is suitable for any teapots - you don’t even have to hold it for a long time (this is a “thermonuclear” composition): you need to fill the teapot halfway with the miracle drink and bring it to a boil. It is first necessary to rid the water of gas (it is not the gas that cleans - the caustic substance is contained in the water itself). The method is beautiful in its clarity. It can serve as a help and evidence base in educating children about the dangers of store-bought soda.

Brine

Same good way descaling electric kettles - no need to simmer for a long time. How the active substance works is the same vinegar - brine is not independent means. To clean the kettle, just fill it with brine, boil it, cool it, empty it and wash it thoroughly. Cucumber pickle is especially effective.

Anti-scale cleaning

This method is ancient - it was successfully used by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Potato and apple peelings are used as a cleaning agent (it is not starch that works, but acids). Removing scale is simple: you need to load the peel into the kettle, add water and put it on fire.

After the water boils, you need to remove the dishes from the stove, leave for a couple of hours, then rinse thoroughly, draining the solution. Before the procedure, the peelings, if they are potato, are also thoroughly washed.

How to descale a particularly neglected kettle

Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for an electric one, but an ordinary kettle, even if it is in very poor condition, can be cleaned. The success of the method is ensured by complex processing. You need to act in three stages:

1. Fill with water, add a tablespoon of soda, boil and drain the solution.
2. Fill with water, add a tablespoon of citric acid, bring to a boil and leave for half an hour over low heat; drain the solution.
3. Fill again, add half a glass of vinegar, let it boil, leave for half an hour over low heat; drain the solution.

Metal kettle that can withstand tough cleaning

After the procedure, you need to thoroughly wash the dishes and boil several portions of water in it “idle”.

It happens that sediment remains on the walls, but after such shock treatment it can be easily removed with a dish sponge.

Important! Do not use hard brushes, especially those with metal teeth, or abrasive sponges.

Tip: buy a glass electric kettle with a heating bottom. It is impossible to start it: the transparent walls will not allow it; scale does not settle on the walls, but floats in flakes; A special cleaning agent for dishes, glass, and ceramics (Cillit, for example) can easily get rid of plaque.

Model with heating bottom and glass walls

At home, descaling a kettle is not so difficult, but it will take time. Sediment appears due to excessive mineralization of water, but this can be avoided by using purchased water. It is inexpensive (especially when it comes to health: the body is not happy when salts and minerals are introduced into it excessively), and you don’t have to periodically remove the scale.