Scale in the kettle worries every housewife. She not only spoils appearance device, prevents the water from boiling faster, but also leads to breakdown. Also, scale is extremely dangerous for the body, as it interferes with the normal functioning of the kidneys and excretory system.

Using filtered water, you temporarily postpone the problem, but someday scale will still form and you will have to remove it. Therefore, advice on how to do this without damaging the heating element will always come in handy.

Electric kettle operating rules

But first, let's talk about what will prevent it from forming quickly and extend the life of your kettle:

• do not boil the same water several times, it is harmful to your health;
• do not put the appliance to warm up if it is less than half full;
• make sure that the lid is tightly closed;
• do not let various objects get inside the kettle;
• do not clean it with harsh abrasive products or metal sponges;
• do not touch the heating surface, do not try to clean it mechanically;
• do not clean the kettle with soda, it will stain the walls;
• descale at least once every two weeks.

If you did not know about the rules for using the kettle before, now remember them and follow them. Then it will serve you much longer than its useful life.

In household chemicals stores, you can be offered special products that help clean the insides of the device from layers, but do not rush to purchase them. In the composition of such powders there is a lot of chemistry, which is hazardous to health if it gets on the skin and into the body. You better try folk methods which are also effective, but also safe.

Table vinegar
The most popular method is vinegar. Dilute it 1 in 10 with water and pour it halfway into the kettle. Let it boil and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then repeat the process two or three more times and rinse the kettle well. If on its walls or heating element there are some scale particles, then fill in new water with vinegar and repeat the whole process. But next time, don't bring it to that state.

When the cleaning is finished, fill it with plain water and boil the kettle. Pour, refill with a new one and substitute to warm again. The water poured for the third time can already be drunk without fear that the vinegar has remained in the teapot.

Lemon acid
Another cleaning method is to use citric acid. Dissolve 20 gr. powder per liter warm water and pour into the device. Leave to act for 4 hours and then drain. Then evaluate how clean your kettle is. If there are traces of limescale on it, then fill again with the diluted citric acid.

In the event that the scale layer is several millimeters, this method will not work. We'll have to do it differently. Pour in the solution and heat it several times. After citric acid, it is enough to boil the kettle clean water only once.

Cleaning with vinegar and citric acid
If you have never cleaned your kettle before and a decent scale has accumulated on it, then try the method described below. Pour a vinegar / water solution into the device, boil it and leave to cool. Then drain and fill with diluted citric acid. Bring to a boil again and wait until the water turns cold. Alternate these tricks three times, and then, if all the limescale has not been removed, gently scrape it off with a sponge.

Instead of these solutions, you can use strained pickle from cucumbers. It also contains vinegar and citric acid. Just put it in a kettle and bring it to a boil. Then rinse well inner side the appliance and boil the water once.

Soda
Can be cleaned electric kettle using soda. To do this, boil water in it, and then add 3 teaspoons of baking soda to it and mix well. After half an hour, drain the solution and repeat the whole process. After cleaning, do not forget to boil the water without additives once and drain it. This will help get rid of any baking soda residue on the walls.

Do not try to scrub off the scale with undiluted soda powder, it is harsh abrasive and will scratch the surface of the heater. If boiling does not work, add one tablespoon of acetic acid in addition to it. When the soda starts to be extinguished, it will dissolve even the hardened scale.

The invention of housewives knows no boundaries, and they go to new tricks to get rid of the hated plaque quickly and without extra costs... Do not repeat their mistakes and do not waste your time on useless activities; in this case, it is better to purchase a decalcifier.

Coca Cola or Sprite
To some, this method may seem effective, but do not indulge yourself with illusions. Citric acid, which is in the composition of each of these drinks, helps to cope with plaque. Only its pure powder is several times cheaper than sweet water and does not have dyes and harmful preservatives.

Peels and peels

Another example of the reckless use of food for household purposes. Some housewives offer to throw apples, pears and even potatoes into the kettle. But for electrical appliances this method is not only useless, but also harmful.

The fact is that the main substance that dissolves scale is again acid, but it is contained in a minimal amount that does not affect the result. In addition, if a foreign object falls on the heating surface, it will ruin it.

Take care of your kettle, clean it in a timely manner using the methods described above, do not leave the water overnight, use only filtered water, and then it will last a long time. Remember, clean kitchen appliances are essential for your health.

Video: how to descale a kettle in 3 minutes

The water in our water supply system has the unpleasant property of forming a lime sediment in teapots, covering its walls and heating element with an untidy layer. How to descale an electric kettle so as not to damage it? Is it possible to somehow avoid the formation of this muck in the electric kettle, get rid of it forever?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to remove scale so that it stops forming. In water, even filtered and completely pure, hardness salts are still contained. They are absent only in distilled water, but using it in everyday life is not only costly, but also not at all useful. So the task of "descaling the electric kettle" is one of the problems that arise regularly before everyone who uses the kettle. It will not be possible to remove this need from the list of mandatory tasks.

Home remedies for kettle limescale

You can descale the kettle by different ways and the worst of them is mechanical. That is, it is categorically not worth scraping off limescale with hard sharp objects. So you can completely ruin the kettle by damaging its body or heating element. Even if the limescale layer has become thick, it should be removed gradually. Otherwise, you just have to throw out your favorite electric kettle and buy a new one.

It is much more efficient to remove scale using various chemical reagents that dissolve it or make the layer looser and more fragile.

Before trying to get rid of stubborn deposits by different means, the electric kettle must be well washed from the inside with a hard washcloth (not metal!).

To easily clean the walls and spiral of the kettle from scale, you can use the following substances.

Citric acid or natural lemon juice

To do this, pour 80-100 g of citric acid inside the pre-washed kettle, add water to the upper mark and turn on the device. When the water boils, you need to leave the acid solution until it cools completely, you can even overnight. After that, the electric kettle must be cleaned of the loose grayish sediment formed under the action of the acid and pieces that have lagged behind the walls. If necessary, if at one time it was not possible to remove all the scale from the walls, the procedure can be repeated.

If there is no citric acid at hand, but there are fresh lemons, you just need to cut 2-3 lemons into slices together with the peel and boil them in an electric kettle. Lemon juice can clean the teapot no worse than powdered acid, and at the same time it also flavors it.

Video: we check folk methods of descaling

Vinegar, table vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or diluted vinegar essence

For an ordinary electric kettle with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters, you will need 2 cups of 6% table vinegar, which must be topped up with water to the maximum mark. To clean the kettle, boil the vinegar and leave for a few hours, just like citric acid. Just keep in mind: the smell of vinegar in the kitchen will be very strong. Then you can get rid of it with intensive ventilation.

Very stubborn, old scale deposits can be removed by combining Chemical properties acids and alkalis: vinegar and soda. To do this, you first need to boil a concentrated soda solution in a kettle. It takes about half a glass of powder for a full kettle of water.

When the solution boils, drain it and fill the container with a strong vinegar or citric acid solution. A violent reaction will begin with an intense release of carbon dioxide. Gas bubbles break down dense layers of sediment, and thus you will be able to clean the kettle even of old deposits. After all the scale turns into a loose sediment, the kettle must be washed well.

Lemonade

You can get rid of scale very effectively by using Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, or other similar carbonated drinks as a solvent. They contain phosphoric acid, which helps to remove even the most stubborn limescale deposits. You just need to pour a drink into the electric kettle and leave it for a couple of hours. You don't even need to boil it. Then it remains only to process the inner surface with a moderately hard washcloth or brush, and rinse.

For white teapots, it is best to use colorless drinks to avoid staining the plastic.

Otherwise, then you will have to look for ways to clean your white electric kettle from the colored traces of forfeit.

Oxalic acid

If there is oxalic acid in the household, it is also suitable for removing scale. Instead of acid, you can put a large bunch of fresh sorrel inside the kettle - the effect will be the same, you just have to wait a little longer due to the lower concentration of the acid.

Finally, you can visit the store household chemicals and buy special descaling products there. Their assortment is large enough. But do not expect that the use of expensive special products will help you get rid of scale easier and faster than the methods described above. All of them work almost equally effectively, and the more convenient it is to clean the electric kettle, everyone chooses to their liking.

Video: getting rid of scale in an electric kettle

What can be done for prevention

Finally, a few tips on how to prevent scale build-up.

• Buy an electric kettle with a closed coil or heating disc. They are much easier to care for than models with an open coil. It will also be easier to remove the limescale that has appeared.
• Don't run your kettle too hard. It is better to remove a thin layer of limescale once a month, simply by boiling a citric acid solution, than once a year to kill half the weekend in order to get rid of the thick layer of lime that has covered the entire interior.
• Use filtered water to boil. It is healthier for both the kettle and your health.

A common nuisance when the entire inner surface of an electric kettle is covered with a layer of lime, rusty or salt sludge, 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 ruin the device. At first, the water will heat up much longer, and after that the body or even the shell of the heating element may burst altogether. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify how to clean an electric kettle, moreover, do it as carefully as possible.

Using abrasive products or a wire brush will not do much good. Considering that most teapots are made of plastic, the walls will wear off much faster than stone-like scale. Any sensible remedy relies on a process to dissolve unpleasant contamination. There are several reliable ways to deal with the problem.

Lemon acid

One of the most effective ways... Best suited if limescale is the result of boiling water with limescale deposits and big amount salts, it copes worse where the bulk of the dirt from rust is in the water.

It is necessary to draw water into the kettle; for the sake of improving the effect, it is better to use purified purchased water for this, and add a package of citric acid (100 grams) to it. After that, the water is boiled, moreover, several times with a break of 5-6 minutes. If there was little scale or its thickness is less than a millimeter, then the effect will be immediately noticeable. It will dissolve before our eyes or fall off the walls, leaving behind a clean surface.

After the water with citric acid has been poured, you can wash the walls with a regular sponge and detergent to remove any remaining scale. If not everything has cleared, then the electric kettle should be cleaned again with citric acid. After the second time, only the shine of a perfectly clean ten and shiny walls usually remains.

Vinegar

A similar method to the previous method for descaling an electric kettle is using acetic acid. To solve the problem, you will need to boil a 3% vinegar solution in a kettle, possibly several times. Everything happens in the following way. 2/3 of water and 1/3 of vinegar are poured (this is a 9% solution) as a result we get the desired consistency. After boiling, some of the scale, especially limescale inclusions, dissolves or becomes loose and soft. All that remains is to wash the inner walls with a hard sponge with detergent and re-boil clean water in it.

If the first time not all the dirt is gone, then the procedure should be repeated. As soon as the result is satisfactory, you should boil and pour out clean water and let the kettle stand for a day and dry so that the vinegar is completely weathered.

We use soda

In especially difficult cases the option with soda is suitable. It consists of two stages.

On the first, two tablespoons of soda are poured and water is poured, you can first add only a little water and rub the soda into the scale with a sponge, only without much enthusiasm. When the water is poured and the soda is thoroughly mixed, the kettle is turned on to a boil, preferably several times with an interval of 5-6 minutes. During this time, the soda will get inside the scale.

The second step is to use vinegar as in the previous method. After the first boiling with vinegar, the scale will begin to flake off in layers from the kettle and become loose. After that, it remains only to wipe it with a sponge with detergent inside.

Such option will do in case of ambiguous pollution. When it is unclear whether it is limescale, salt or rust. The baking soda and vinegar form a violent reaction, effectively breaking up stubborn limescale. So using this method, how to descale an electric kettle, may be most effective in the most advanced cases.

Video how to descale an electric kettle:

How to clean an electric kettle

The emergence of calcareous white bloom and scale in an electric kettle does not bypass all owners of this useful household appliance, so everyone will be interested to know how and how to quickly and efficiently descale an electric kettle at home, as well as how to extend the "life" of a kettle and prevent the formation of plaque and scale inside him.

How and what you can descale an electric kettle at home

Scale formation in electric kettles occurs regardless of what kind of water you use, even if it is well purified or from mountain springs, it still contains salts, due to which plaque appears on the heating element and inner surface electric kettle with constant use.

The quality of the water greatly affects the rate of scale formation, therefore, using poor quality water (untreated, unfiltered) for boiling, a large layer of scale will soon form in the kettle, which can lead to premature damage to the household appliance, and will also increase the boiling time of water (scale has a low thermal conductivity and acts as insulation between the water and the heating element).

Wash off scale in an electric kettle plain water and a dish sponge will be very difficult, even detergent for dishes will not help much. In this case, it is best to use effective special descaling agents or time-tested folk methods that will help remove scale in an electric kettle without unnecessary waste and with minimal cost time and effort.

Cleaning the electric kettle from limescale and white deposits inside can take place using the following improvised means:

• Lemon acid.
• Table vinegar 9%.
• Baking soda.
• Potato and apple peelings, as well as pickle from under canned cucumbers and tomatoes (these funds are practically not used anymore, since they are not very effective and specific, therefore we will not consider them in the article.

The means listed above have been used by many housewives for a long time to combat scale not only in electric kettles (metal, plastic and glass), but also to remove scale in other household appliances, therefore, we will consider in more detail what needs to be done before starting cleaning the kettle and how to use each descaler.

You may also find useful an article on cleaning conventional metal and enamel teapots from scale:.

Preparing to descale the electric kettle

• It is better to clean the electric kettle when no one of your family members is going to use it in the next few hours (so as not to accidentally pour water with a cleaning agent into tea or coffee), while it is better to warn them in advance that the kettle cannot be used.
• To remove scale in an electric kettle, you do not need to use special brushes and metal brushes, which can damage the inner surface and the heating element in the kettle. For cleaning, the most commonly used descaling agent and, in some cases, a regular soft dish scouring pad are sufficient.
• The descaling process in the electric kettle can be combined with its external washing, while the sequence of its complete cleaning does not matter.
• After using special chemicals for descaling, as well as ordinary henchmen, it is always necessary to thoroughly rinse the inside of the electric kettle, and also boil and drain ordinary clean water in it several times so that all residues of the used product are removed and then do not get into tea or coffee.

After familiarizing yourself with the basic rules and precautions, you can proceed directly to the cleaning itself by choosing one of the following methods of how to get rid of scale in an electric kettle at home (the methods given are arranged in the following sequence: from the most effective and simple to the less effective, not given the special chemical agents at the end of the article).

How to descale an electric kettle with citric acid?

Can be used: you can clean the electric kettle made of stainless steel (metal), plastic and glass with citric acid.

Citric acid is one of the cheapest and most reliable helpers in the fight against scale at home, and it is used to clean almost all household appliances, as well as different surfaces, on which limescale and scale can form.

Descaling an electric kettle with citric acid is quite simple:

• Fill the kettle with clean water to the maximum (up to the boundary permissible mark on the kettle), or half of the kettle, if there is little scale and it is mainly found only in the lower part of the kettle and bring it to a boil by turning on the kettle itself.
• After the water has boiled, add 1 tablespoon of citric acid to it, if there is a little scale or 2 tablespoons of citric acid if the teapot is heavily soiled (citric acid can be added directly to the teapot so that the water boils with it inside the teapot).
• We wait until the water in the kettle cools down, after which we drain it and thoroughly rinse the inside of the electric kettle with plain clean tap water.
• We collect a full kettle of clean water and boil it, then drain and repeat the procedure again to make sure that there are no traces of citric acid left in the electric kettle and that you can safely drink water from it.

As you can see, cleaning an electric kettle with citric acid is quick and easy, while scale dissolves well in water with citric acid and after that it does not need to be additionally cleaned with a sponge. If there was a large layer of limescale in the kettle, you can repeat the procedure again or use the following method using vinegar.

Advantages: very simple and quick way removing deposits and scale inside the kettle, which is suitable for all models of electric kettles and does not cause any harm to the appliance itself. The perfect solution if the kettle is slightly or moderately soiled with scale.

Disadvantages: not found.

How to get rid of limescale in an electric kettle using vinegar

Can be used: for all types of electric kettles (plastic, metal, glass).

Often, table vinegar is used in critical situations, when a lot of scale has formed in the electric kettle and needs to be cleaned urgently.

To clean the electric kettle from limescale inside with vinegar, you must perform the following sequence of actions:

• We fill the kettle with clean water to half its volume and add 1 glass of 9% table vinegar.
• We turn on the electric kettle and bring the solution of water and vinegar to a boil (until it turns off by itself), after which we wait until all the liquid has completely cooled down.
• We pour out all the contents from the kettle and rinse it well with tap water, while if there was a lot of scale and it didn’t come off all of it, you can additionally rub its remains with a dish sponge or repeat the procedure with vinegar again (using a little less vinegar).
• After the inside of the electric kettle is well washed, pour clean water into it (a full kettle), bring it to a boil and pour it out (we repeat this procedure several times to completely clean the inner surface of the kettle from vinegar residues and its smell).

Using vinegar to remove scale in an electric kettle will help get rid of any amount of scale in this appliance in a short period of time, the main thing is not to forget that when boiling, the vinegar will evaporate, so the cleaning process is best carried out either under the hood turned on in the kitchen or near an open window (in warm season), so as not to breathe in vinegar vapor.

Advantages: cleaning an electric kettle with vinegar is effective for any amount of scale in the kettle (vinegar copes well even with large scale deposits on the heating element and the inner surface of the kettle). Vinegar is most effective for descaling metal electric kettles, but its cleansing properties are no worse in other models.

Disadvantages: unpleasant specific vinegar smell when cleaning the kettle.

How to descale an electric kettle with soda at home

Can be used: for all types of electric kettles.

Soda is more often used for descaling conventional enamel teapots, but it is also used for descaling electric kettles.

Cleaning an electric kettle from scale with soda takes place in the following sequence:

• We collect clean water (up to half) into the electric kettle.
• Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
• We turn on the electric kettle and wait until it boils and turns itself off, after which we wait for the water to cool completely in it.
• We drain the water from the kettle and rinse it well under running clean tap water.
• We collect water in a washed clean electric kettle and bring it to a boil, then drain and repeat the procedure again so that the remains of soda are washed on the inside of the kettle.

Cleaning the kettle with soda is similar to the previous methods, but the kettle can be descaled with soda and vinegar for a better effect. To do this, we make a slurry of soda and water, and rub it into the surfaces in the kettle, on which scale has formed with the help of a sponge, which was previously soaked in vinegar. As a result chemical reaction limescale and plaque will begin to dissolve, after which they can be removed with a regular clean dish sponge and water.

Advantages: an easy way to get rid of limescale in an electric kettle at home, which is less effective and popular than the previous methods and is more suitable for cleaning enamel teapots.

Disadvantages: not high cleaning efficiency.

We use special anti-scale products in the electric kettle

Can be used: for all models and types of electric kettles (glass, stainless steel or plastic).

In many household stores and supermarkets, you can find many different descaling agents in the form of tablets, powders and liquids (for example, decalcifier, decalcifier, etc.), which are specially developed by specialists to effectively and safely clean electric kettles from scale and deposits.

The sequence of using special cleaning agents to combat scale is similar to the folk methods given above in the article, especially since each package of such products is written detailed instructions according to the application, according to which cleaning should be carried out.

Benefits: Specialty chemicals for descaling an electric kettle are among the most effective, as they were designed for this very purpose.

Disadvantages: not found (certain disadvantages and disadvantages may be in certain types and brands special means for descaling).

How to prevent the formation of limescale and scale in an electric kettle (metal, glass, plastic)

• For boiling, we use only high-quality filtered (purified) water, in which the content of salts and other components (metals, chlorine) will be low.
• It is better to pour water into an electric kettle at one time of use, and if it remains, then drain the excess.
• After using the electric kettle, it will not be superfluous to rinse it inside with plain water to wash off small particles of newly formed plaque.
• With constant use of the electric kettle, every 1-2 months it is necessary to carry out preventive descaling (for example, with citric acid) so that a thick layer of scale does not have time to form on its inner surface and the heating element.

Note: when buying, it is better to give preference to electric kettles with a heating disc and with a closed heating coil, as they are easier to maintain (easier to clean from scale and plaque from the inside).

In conclusion to the article, it can be noted that knowledge of how to properly descale an electric kettle will be useful to everyone, since it will completely protect yourself from the appearance limescale and scale inside the electric kettle during its operation is not possible and sooner or later cleaning will be needed. Useful advice and feedback on how to descale an electric kettle at home using improvised and special tools, leave it in the comments to the article and share it in social networks if it was useful to you.

Even if you use very clean, well-filtered water for boiling, over time, scale builds up inside the kettle. Citric acid will help get rid of it. This food product will do an excellent job of removing plaque and will not harm your health.

For cleaning, we will buy a large bag (50 g) of the most common citric acid in the store. At home, we will take the kettle, which we will clean, and put the contents of the bag into it. Let's fill up to the top with water room temperature, sprinkle the contents well with a spoon so that the lemon dissolves a little, and leave for about 2-3 hours. If the scale layer is small, then you do not need to boil the water in the kettle. Citric acid will very soon begin to interact with deposits and erode them. After the allotted time, drain the water and rinse the inside of the kettle well. Then pour a new portion, put the kettle on the fire and boil it for about 5-10 minutes. Drain the water again and rinse again. Now the teapot inside has become as good as new, and it can be used for its intended purpose.

If there is a lot of scale inside, then move on to the second method of cleaning. To do this, fill in citric acid (20-25 g), fill in water and add about 100 ml of the usual 9% table vinegar. Now we boil this mixture over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. We drain the water, fill in a new one and boil again for about 10 minutes. We do this manipulation one more time.

If necessary hot water with lemon and vinegar, leave in a teapot overnight. In the morning we drain the water, wash the inside of the kettle well with a hard sponge and rinse in the same way as in the previous method.

In especially sad cases, if the scale layer is very large or the kettle has been cleaned for a long time, we use the following method. We collect a full kettle of water, add a tablespoon of baking soda and boil the liquid over medium heat for at least half an hour. Then we drain it, fill in a new portion without fail cold water and add a heaped tablespoon of citric acid, boil for 25-30 minutes.

Drain the boiling water, pour water again and add half a glass of ordinary vinegar. Boil again for half an hour. Now I properly wash the kettle inside, not forgetting to first drain the boiling water and rinse the dishes cold water... Even if in this case the scale has not been removed on its own, we remove it with a metal mesh. After a threefold cleaning procedure, the sediment has acquired friability and can be easily removed. In conclusion, carefully wash the kettle, as indicated in the previous methods. We usually use a fairly concentrated citric acid solution for descaling. In almost hopeless cases, you can even take vinegar essence. But in this situation, we do not boil the water in the kettle, but simply leave it for a while so that the acid solution enters into a natural interaction with the sediment.

If you decide to clean an electric kettle with citric acid, then it is worth remembering one nuance. A concentrated solution of lemon can damage its inner surface. Therefore, instead of the prescribed 25-50 grams, we take only 10-15 grams, and then we do the same as in the methods proposed above.

In order for tea to always be tasty and aromatic, you should not wait until scale appears inside and spoils the whole tea party with an unpleasant aftertaste. Therefore, the kettle should be cleaned with citric acid regularly.