Every owner of an electric kettle sooner or later faces two problems. The first is the appearance of scale on the walls of the device, the second is how to remove it. Scale is nothing more than sediment from salts and insoluble metals found in hard water. Even filtration does not completely purify water, but only reduces the amount of impurities. When water is heated, salts begin to separate into carbon dioxide, which evaporates, and an insoluble precipitate. It settles on the walls of the kettle.
Consequences of scale formation
Running water is saturated various metals and minerals that form scale. Substances such as calcium and magnesium, which are contained in water, undoubtedly benefit the human body. But it's better to use other sources of these minerals than running water.
Color of formations on the walls of the teapot will allow you to understand the predominant composition of water:
The resulting plaque harms not only human health. There are other reasons why it is necessary to systematically remove scale:
How to clean an electric kettle
Citric acid, as many people know, can get rid of scale in any water heating appliances, and an electric kettle is no exception. Not only citric acid can remove plaque. To help get rid of scale:
- Specialized cleaning chemicals.
- Lemon.
- Acetic acid.
- Folk remedies.
Regardless of the chosen method, after cleaning, be sure to fill the kettle with water to the maximum mark and boil it. Repeat boiling 2-3 times. Only then can you use boiling water to prepare drinks.
Cleaning with citric acid
The electric kettle must be filled 2/3 with water and add citric acid: per liter of liquid - a tablespoon of lemon. Then boil the resulting composition and let it cool at room temperature. This may take about two hours. Then shake the sediment and drain it. The walls of the kettle should be washed with a soft sponge. In cases where the plaque is heavily ingrained and has not been completely removed, there is no need to use metal brushes. It will be enough to repeat the procedure.
Citric acid should be added specifically to cold water. Because boiling water is acidic begins to react, the solution begins to hiss and foam.
Removing plaque with lemon
The fruit is used with the peel. The lemon should be cut into slices and added to a kettle filled with water to the level of scale. After boiling, wait until it cools completely, and you can begin normal rinsing. Under influence lemon juice the plaque becomes loose, so it can be easily removed with a dishwashing sponge.
Use of specialized chemicals
IN open access There are various chemical products available for descaling electric kettles. They should be used strictly following the instructions from the manufacturer, which are on every pack of cleaning product.
Chemical cleaning compounds effectively remove plaque from the walls of the kettle. After using them, you should pay Special attention rinsing the electrical appliance.
Acetic acid is very aggressive, so you should only clean an electric kettle using it when absolutely necessary to get rid of very strong education raid.
To two parts of water add one part of vinegar 9% or two tablespoons of vinegar essence. The resulting solution must be boiled and left to cool. Gradually, the plaque will collapse and become loose. After two hours, you can check whether the scale is coming off the walls; if not, then you need to leave the solution for more long time. If, after washing the kettle, some of the plaque remains, then you need to repeat the procedure, but in a less aggressive way.
It is very important to add vinegar to water, and not vice versa. Vinegar has a destructive effect on the heating element coil and plastic, forming microcracks, from which it will be extremely difficult to remove plaque in the future.
After cleaning with vinegar, the electric kettle can be used only after the smell has completely disappeared. And also during the cleaning process, it is necessary to ensure that the room is well ventilated.
Folk remedies
It is not always possible to purchase a specialized product. Or you don’t have lemon and vinegar on hand, but you need to clean the kettle . Then you can use nothing else, How folk remedies cleaning:
- Carbonated drinks.
- Cucumber or tomato pickle.
- Baking or soda ash.
- Sorrel.
Carbonated drinks
In order for this method to give the expected result, the drink must be chosen to contain citric acid. Namely: Coca-Cola, Fanta or Sprite. For a white teapot coating, it is best to use a colorless drink, as it does not contain dyes. The use of carbonated drinks with added dyes will lead to the walls of the kettle becoming colored and it will be extremely difficult to wash them.
Before use, you need to release the gas from the drink; to do this, you can simply leave the soda for an hour with the lid open or speed up the process by periodically stirring the drink. Then pour it into an electric kettle, boil and let cool. After complete cooling, you can begin rinsing the device.
Cucumber or tomato pickle
To get an effective result, the brine needs to contain citric acid or vinegar. Without these components, the procedure will be useless and time will be wasted. Before starting the cleaning process, you need to ensure good ventilation, as the smell from the heated brine will be unpleasant. Then fill the kettle 2/3 full with brine and boil. After cooling, wash the device as usual.
Soda or sorrel
Using baking soda or soda ash is the most gentle cleaning method. Therefore, a positive result will only be if thin layers plaque that has not yet eaten into the walls of the kettle. To prepare the solution, you need to pour water just above the scale level and boil it. Add baking soda or soda ash to boiling water at the rate of one tablespoon per half liter of water. After two hours, the scale will become loose and can be easily removed with a regular dishwashing sponge.
Sorrel or oxalic acid breaks down scale particles and makes it brittle. To use, put sorrel leaves or oxalic acid powder into the kettle, add water to the scale level and boil. Wait until it cools down completely and rinse the electric kettle.
Measures to prevent scale formation
As you know, it is much easier to prevent problems than to find solutions for them later. The same thing happens with scale. In order to prevent the appearance of unwanted plaque on the bottom and walls of the kettle, preventive measures should be taken:
By purchasing Electric kettle, it is better to choose a model with flat heating elements or a spiral closed type. This will greatly simplify the maintenance of your electrical appliance..
Attention, TODAY only!
Greetings, blog readers. In today’s article, I will talk about how to remove scale from an electric kettle at home using improvised means (vinegar, citric acid, soda, etc.).
I think that if not everyone, then many people have electric kettles in their apartments, because it’s so convenient - you fill in the water, click a button, and after a couple of minutes the kettle is already in the kettle. hot water(unlike a regular kettle, which takes a very long time to wait.
A couple of months ago, our electric kettle broke and temporarily we had to use a regular one - heat the water in it on the electric stove. I just didn’t have the patience to wait) While an electric kettle will have time to boil 10 times, this one was just starting to boil))) So after a couple of days of such torture, we went to the store and bought an electric one. But today we are not talking about this, but about how to save our helpers - electric kettles - from scale at home, so that they serve us as long as possible.
It doesn’t matter what kind of kettle you decide to use - enameled, electric or metal, because in any case scale will form in it, which must be dealt with and removed in a timely manner. Otherwise, the kettle will begin to work poorly, and over time it may even break.
The rate of scale formation depends on the quality of the water used - for some it is slower, for others it is faster. Hard water can be softened using various filters, but, unfortunately, they do not help remove all the salt from the liquid, so the appearance of scale, alas, cannot be avoided. So, dear housewives, let’s be patient and take note of today’s tips on how to remove scale from an electric kettle at home.
What are the consequences of scale in electric kettles?
You cannot ignore the problem of scale in the kettle, because serious problems may arise, including the following:
- because of it, premature failure of electric kettles occurs and the walls are destroyed conventional analogues. Scale may have rather insignificant heat dissipation, and this causes overheating of the surface of the water heating device. Because of it, the liquid cannot contact the steel. This is bad because such a metal has high conductivity and heats up to unacceptable temperatures. Models of electric kettles have a heating element. When scale appears on it, it experiences considerable thermal resistance. It is due to its formation that breakdowns occur;
- When water from a contaminated kettle enters the human body, various negative symptoms begin to appear. As a result, the kidneys and working urinary system may function poorly.
Attention! Regardless of the descaling method you choose, it is important to always thoroughly wash the kettle after the procedure. To do this, you just need to boil water a couple of times, which then cannot be used anywhere. Do not allow its residue to get into tea or coffee. Residues of cleaning components provoke poisoning with serious consequences.
How to descale a kettle at home (video)
I suggest watching a video that clearly shows how you can get rid of scale in a kettle.
How to remove scale from an electric kettle at home
As I said above, there are several ways to get rid of scale in electric kettles at home. To do this, you can use vinegar, citric acid, various carbonated drinks, baking soda, vegetable peelings and brines. Below we will talk in more detail about each of the listed methods.
Vinegar for descaling kettles
This method is recognized as the highest quality and fastest for good cleaning of dishes. It is important that it eliminates the use of chemical components and does not cause any harm to health. But this method cannot be used to clean plastic teapots.
You should dilute the food vinegar with plain water. To do this, take one hundred milliliters of acid and a liter of water. This solution is poured into a bowl and placed on low heat. Waiting for everything to boil. Next, lift the lid to check the descaling process. When everything does not happen completely, you should leave the kettle on the heat for about another fifteen minutes. Then the dishes are washed well, removing everything that remains.
Citric acid as a cleansing method
For electric kettles made of plastic, you cannot use acetic acid, but the lemon analogue is a completely different matter. So what should you do? Dissolve a couple of sachets in a liter of water this tool, and pour the solution into the container. The use of citric acid makes it possible to completely remove all scale. To complete this cleaning, you just need to rinse the kettle and boil the water once. Remember that it cannot be used anywhere.
Cleaning scale from an electric kettle using soda
Fill the contaminated container with water and pour 15-20 g of soda into it. Bring the mixture to a boil. Further, there should be no difficulties in washing the kettle. It is important to refill it with water and boil it “idle” to remove any remaining soda.
Cleaning scale with a carbonated drink (not suitable for electric kettles!)
This method is suitable for almost all teapots (this category does not include electric models), but still I decided to mention it in the article, since this folk remedy helps to effectively get rid of scale in teapots.
Well-known drinks are used for this:
"Coca Cola";
"Sprite";
"Fanta".
Initially, the soda should sit for a while open form. When all the gas bubbles disappear, simply pour the liquid approximately halfway into the kettle and bring to a boil. After this, you need to wash everything thoroughly. But, do not forget that the described method is not suitable for cleaning scale in electric kettles!
We use brine of different preservations (for metal and enamel teapots)
Every home has the usual pickle from cucumbers or tomatoes, or some other preparations. Due to the presence of citric acid in such a liquid, it is possible to remove scale.
The application scheme remains the same:
brine is poured;
boil the kettle;
The dishes are cooled and washed.
Using cucumber brine, rust in teapots is very well cleaned.
I have not yet been able to test this method on my kettle, since the brine was not “at hand” at the right time, so I cannot say how effective it is. Once I check it, I’ll be sure to write. If you have tested it on your kettle, please share your opinion. 
Prevention of scale formation in electric kettles
As in any other matter, it is better to prevent a problem than to fix it later. So I recommend taking care of your kettle in advance to protect it from scale. Then the question of how to remove scale from an electric kettle will arise less often.
- Use water that has been previously purified using a filter. We have a filter and use only filtered water for food.
- After each boiling, be sure to drain the water. It is not advisable to leave a kettle filled with water overnight.
- Don't wait for a thick layer of scale to form. After all, the less sediment, the easier it is to get rid of it.
- Rinse the kettle daily, removing plaque with a sponge. This will take you very little time, but will help the kettle serve you as long as possible.
As you can see, there are many effective options with which you can easily remove scale from an electric kettle at home. All of them are simple and do not require significant financial expenses and effort on your part. What methods do you use to get rid of scale in a kettle? Please write in the comments!
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There is a kettle in every kitchen. Doesn't matter if it's old metal device or modern electric - any of them requires timely maintenance not only outside, but also inside. Here the question comes first: “How to descale a kettle and why do it?”
That’s what we’ll talk about today, and at the same time we’ll figure out what measures can be taken to minimize the appearance of unpleasant sediment.
Scale is formed due to the content of salts in water, mainly calcium and magnesium carbonate. Over time, they are deposited on surfaces that come into contact with water: in kettles, thermopots, dishwashers and washing machines.
And no matter what good kettle you choose, sooner or later you will still encounter the problem of white solid deposits. In ordinary kettles it covers the bottom and walls, and in electric kettles it also covers the heating element, significantly impairing thermal conductivity.
In this case, the water takes longer to heat up, and in electric kettles the presence of sediment can lead to breakdown. To carry out its function, the spiral or disk has to become more and more heated each time. This not only leads to an increase in electricity costs, but also provokes a rapid depletion of the part’s life. Eventually the heater will simply burn out.
Scale is dangerous to human health, since its particles penetrate the body and provoke the development of kidney diseases, osteochondrosis and gout. In addition, under the influence of salts, the taste of drinks changes and a whitish sediment appears in the glass.
How to deal with scale and what not to do?
Fortunately, knowing the nature of the occurrence of unpleasant sediment, it turns out that it is not at all difficult to fight it. Plaque is afraid of organic and inorganic acids: under their influence it becomes loose, so removing it is not difficult. Armed with this knowledge, you can get to work.
But first, let's talk about what not to do:
- Remove scale mechanically using a knife, scrapers or metal sponge. Thus, you will spend a lot of effort, but still will not achieve an ideal result. In addition, there is a high risk of damaging the device.
- Do not use aggressive chemicals, such as White. It will remove plaque, but it will be very difficult to wash off the residue and get rid of the pungent odor.
- Powders with large granules can scratch the surface, causing scale to form even faster.
Special means
The chemical industry has developed special formulas for easy softening and descaling. These are, for example, Cinderella, Antiscale, Flat, Bosch and many others.
They are easy to use: in most cases, you need to dissolve the product in water, boil and leave for some time.
Please note that some formulas have a different method of application. Be sure to read the instructions!
Traditional methods
Why spend money on household chemicals, look where it is sold, if in every kitchen there are no less effective products?
After using any of these methods, you should rinse the kettle thoroughly and boil it at least once clean water. This is necessary to remove remaining particles of the product and odor.
Soda
A gentle method that is suitable for any teapots, including aluminum and enameled ones. You need to mix 500 ml of water with 1 tbsp. l. soda (preferably ash) and boil over low heat for 30 minutes. After that, wash the inside of the device well with a sponge or cloth, if there is a need to repeat the process.
Vinegar
A rather aggressive method that will help in the fight against old deposits in metal, glass and plastic kettles.
You need to pour 500 ml of water and let it boil. Then pour about ¾ cup of table vinegar or 1 - 2 tbsp into boiling water. l. 9% vinegar essence and leave for 1 hour. Periodically you need to check how the peeling process is progressing, and as soon as all the scale has left, wash the kettle.
Be sure to wear a mask and open a window to protect your respiratory tract from vinegar fumes.
Lemon acid
Useful for quick cleaning of glass, plastic and stainless steel appliances.
Bring 0.5 liters of water to a boil and dissolve 1 - 2 tbsp. l. lemons. Then leave until it cools completely and, if necessary, repeat the procedure again.
You can use not only powder, but also fresh lemons.
To do this, cut half a citrus fruit into pieces and place in a teapot. Otherwise, the recipe for use is the same as using citric acid. But as a bonus of this technique: pleasant citrus aroma after processing.
Brine
The brine from cucumbers or tomatoes contains acid, which means it can be used to remove plaque from enamel teapots and from of stainless steel.
To do this, strain the liquid through a sieve and boil. The brine level should be no more than ⅔ of the kettle's volume. After this, let the liquid cool and drain it.
Cleaning
You can prepare it at home mild remedy for any teapots. It is suitable as a preventative against plaque formation or if there are only a few deposits. Potato peelings or peels from apples and pears will work.
Don't forget to thoroughly wash the potato peelings from the soil.
Place the peels into a kettle, add water and boil. Let it cool and remove any remaining scale with a sponge.
For electric kettles, you can use the following recipe: place the peelings in a saucepan, boil and pour the finished broth into the device. Heat again to 100 °C, let stand and rinse.
Carbonated drinks
Suitable for stainless steel cookware and electric kettles. Use with caution in enamel and tin.
Do not use colored sodas such as Fanta or Coca-Cola on plastic devices because they may stain the surface. It's better to take a colorless drink: 7UP or Sprite.
To learn more about cleaning a kettle using Coca-Cola, watch this video.
To use soda, first open it and let the gas escape. Then pour the drink into the kettle and let it boil. Cool and clean the device.
Triple strike in advanced cases
For very persistent sediment, a three-phase system will help:
- Pour water and dissolve one tablespoon of soda in it. Boil and then drain the liquid.
- We fill the kettle with water again, but now add citric acid (1 tbsp.) Let it boil for about half an hour and pour out the solution.
- Now pour 0.5 cups of vinegar into clean water and boil again for at least half an hour.
This method will help soften and remove the most stubborn plaque. But it’s better not to let your dishes and equipment get to the point where they need such cleaning.
Preventing scale formation
To prevent scale from appearing again, follow these recommendations:
- Install a filter or buy bottled water.
- Pour the remainder after boiling into another container, and rinse the kettle thoroughly.
- Do not heat the same water repeatedly.
- At least once a month, pour in a solution of citric acid. Just let it sit for about an hour and rinse. You can also use peeling or brine.
Conclusion
Scale is, of course, an unpleasant phenomenon, but inevitable. If you fight it regularly and don’t let it firmly settle on the walls of your kettle, then it won’t cause any problems.
Rinse the kettle regularly, dedicate half an hour a week to preventative cleaning, then salt deposits will not even have a chance to settle in your kettles.
Takes ~2 minutes to read
In this article we will tell you how to properly wash and clean limescale from a kettle at home using improvised means.
Limescale in a kettle - a problem or not?
Boiling water is an integral part of our Everyday life. And each of us has noticed that inside the dishes, which are often used for boiling, plaque forms and sediment appears. These are salts (calcium, magnesium) contained in any hard water, which disintegrate when heated and form an insoluble precipitate. The question arises: what does this threaten us with? Scale harms not only your health, but also the devices, equipment and utensils in which the water heating process occurs.
Health Hazards:
- Accumulation of salts in joints;
- Blockage of blood vessels;
- Formation of kidney stones.
Regarding damage to devices, equipment and utensils:
- Even a slight layer of scale reduces thermal conductivity, that is, heating hard water will take longer and more energy will be needed, be it electricity or gas.
- The formation of scale can lead to cracks in the metal, and cracks can lead to breakdowns of equipment and devices.
How to clean limescale in a kettle at home using folk remedies
There are a lot of ways to get rid of this problem, we will tell you about all the options, even such as Fanta, Sprite, apple and potato peelings.
A quick way - cleaning with citric acid
The most well-known method for descaling is citric acid. This product is in every home, but not everyone knows that it can be used to get rid of scale, not only from kitchen utensils, but also from appliances. It is absolutely safe and does an excellent job of removing scale.
The removal method is elementary:
IMPORTANT: before using the kettle, you need to boil the water twice and drain it.
Can you peel with lemon?
The next way to remove scale is with lemon. This method is well suited for people who adhere to the use of natural products. The principle of action of lemon and citric acid is similar; they contain acids that break down scale.
Instructions:
- Cut the whole lemon into small pieces;
- Pour into a bowl with scale, fill with water;
- Boil for five minutes and leave to cool;
- After cooling, drain;
- Remove any remaining scale with a sponge;
- If necessary, repeat the procedure;
- After the cleaning process, rinse the dishes well and boil water without anything to get rid of any remaining lemon smell and taste.
IMPORTANT!!! Lemon can only be used for dishes and ordinary teapots. For appliances (electric kettle, washing machine) is strictly forbidden, otherwise lemon particles may clog the holes, which will lead to malfunctions.
How to clean with vinegar?
The next option is to get rid of the problem using vinegar. Vinegar is an aggressive agent, so its use is not recommended. But it copes with scale perfectly. Recipe for use:
How to get rid of severe scale using soda?
The simplest and safe way– clean with baking soda. Soda does not contain acids, which are harmful to both electrical and for ordinary teapots with metal, enamel and glass coating. To get rid of scale:
How to wash with a combination of vinegar, soda and citric acid - the best way
We've come to a cleaning method that doesn't give scale a chance. This is a cocktail of vinegar + soda + citric acid. Such heavy artillery should be used in the most advanced cases.
We combine several methods into one:
Is it possible to remove limescale with apple and potato peelings?
Another folk way– using potato and apple peelings. The effect is not strong and it is recommended to use it with a small plaque. This method is only suitable for kitchen utensils and teapots.
Brines as an option to combat scale in electric (metal and glass) kettles
There is also an option to wash the kettle using brines. It seems incredible, but this method is effective because the brine contains citric acid and vinegar.
The method is very simple:
How to descale a kettle with carbonated drinks
Now we will tell you about the non-standard use of Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta and other carbonated drinks. Using this method is expensive and ineffective, but anyone who wants to experiment will be convinced that the method works. Any sweet carbonated water is suitable for use, but it is better to use colorless:
- Sprite;
- Seven ap;
- Schweppes;
- And others.
The method is:
Household chemicals to combat scale
Using household chemicals for cleaning is the fastest and most effective method, but not safe. Household chemicals use substances that are harmful to humans. You can buy such chemicals in hardware stores. These products are available in different forms:
- Powder;
- Granules;
- Pills.
The method of use is similar to all described above:
Prevention
Unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent the appearance of scale. But it is possible to reduce its occurrence to a minimum; this is easy to do:
- Filter water before boiling or use less hard water, such as store-bought water;
- Do not leave the water to settle after boiling;
- Do not boil water twice;
- Wash dishes well after each boil;
- Carry out preventative descaling once every two weeks.
Scale always appears on the inner walls of the kettle, regardless of whether it is electric, metal, or coated with special enamel. Even if you use special filters for water, or use only purified water, scale still appears with inside teapot. Its presence reduces the quality of the water that boils in it.
If we are talking about an electrical appliance, then it accumulates directly on the heating element, which leads to rapid breakdown technology. If the container is made of metal, not only scale, but also rust will get into the water.
Today, most of the kettles in use are powered by electricity, so it is important to know how to remove scale from an electric kettle.
Water is one of the most necessary for a person products, we cannot live without it for even a week, but it can also contain many harmful substances and harmful organisms. To combat the latter, people began to boil water long ago, but this process does not remove salts and other impurities. And the water that comes from the tap contains a lot of such substances, and the more of them, the more “hard” the liquid will be.
Excess salts are harmful to the body, so the fact that they remain on the walls and/or heating element can be beneficial for a person, but over time they become too much. To prevent scale from forming in an electric kettle, you can use filters, but they cannot completely eliminate the salt content in the water.
Negative consequences of scale in a kettle:
- breaking;
- water pollution;
- harm to the body, in particular to the organs of the urinary system.
That is why it is important to know how to descale an electric kettle and not neglect its cleanliness.
Prevention
Certain measures allow, if not completely eliminate, the formation of scale on the surface heating element, then at least significantly reduce the rate of formation. There are several simple prevention methods:
- wash the kettle daily; thin deposits can be easily removed using an ordinary sponge, but thick deposits will have to be removed with difficulty;
- use filtered water, you can also buy pre-purified water;
- drain excess water after each boiling, leave the kettle empty at night;
- notice the need for cleaning in time; the thicker the layer, the more effort you will have to put into cleaning it.
You can simplify maintenance already at the purchase stage by choosing an electric kettle in which the heating coil is closed from contact with water, or a disc is used for heating.
Remove scale from an electric kettle using home remedies
Scale is affected various substances, and the practice of cleaning electric kettles involves both the use special means, so folk recipes. Active substances allow you to dissolve and remove scale, some of them are quite affordable and are even sold in ordinary grocery stores. These include:
- vinegar;
- lemon acid;
- soda.
You can remove scale different ways, and the most harmful to technology will be mechanical. You should not try to remove plaque using hard and sharp tools, as this will further damage the device. Damage to the housing or heating element will be irreversible, and after damage occurs, all that remains is to get rid of your electric kettle. You shouldn't resort to mechanical method, when the layer has become very thick, only preliminary treatment of the hard (but not metal) inner surface with a washcloth is allowed.
Citric acid
Of the acceptable means for descaling an electric kettle, citric acid is one of the mildest. When preparing the composition for processing, it is necessary to dissolve 10 grams of citric acid in a liter of water. It is sold in regular grocery stores, usually in 25 gram packages.
To make the calculations simpler, it will be enough to pour the contents of one sachet into one full kettle. After ready solution appears in the electric kettle, you need to turn it on.
You should not leave the device unattended; as soon as the liquid is brought to a boil, it must be turned off, otherwise the boiling water will begin to foam and splash out over the top.
After completing this simple procedure, the hot solution should be left inside for 15 minutes. This time will be enough for the acid to dissolve the scale or reduce its thickness.
After the procedure, the solution is poured out, it cannot be used for other purposes, and the kettle itself is washed so that the remnants of the active substances do not get into the tea or coffee in the future. If the layer was too thick, the descaling procedure using citric acid can be repeated.
Under the influence of citric acid, scale is converted into a loose sediment gray, in addition, the liquid will contain small pieces of lime in the form of plates. As alternative option You can use not the powder in the store, but the lemons themselves.
For effective processing, it will be enough to place 1-2 lemons inside the device, cutting them into circles. The effectiveness of this method is no less high; at the same time, along with the steam, a strong lemon aroma will burst into the room.
Vinegar
The second way to remove scale from an electric kettle involves using vinegar; it is popularly called the “grandmother’s” method, if only because it has been used for a very long time.
Initially, vinegar was used against scale on copper kettles, but for modern electric kettles it can be quite sufficient. The procedure requires a regular 10% solution, which is found in every kitchen.
Mode of application:
- The electric kettle is filled two-thirds with water, and the last third should be filled with vinegar.
- The resulting mixture must be boiled, and then leave the device and wait until it cools down. During this time, the scale layer should dissolve or decrease significantly.
- After the procedure, you need to either repeat it or thoroughly rinse the kettle several times. hot water so that no vinegar remains on its walls, which can spoil the taste of any drink.
Acetic acid is an effective reagent for removing scale; due to the chemical reaction it enters into with salts, the latter are decomposed into simple substances. For a regular electric kettle with a volume of one and a half to two liters, you will need two glasses of vinegar. This method also has a significant drawback - the smell.
After the procedure, a persistent vinegar aroma will reign in the kitchen, which no one will find pleasant, so you should take care of ventilation in advance.
Soda
If you need to remove very serious stains, the effect of acetic acid can be supplemented with soda. First, concentrated water is boiled in an electric kettle. soda solution, and after that we immediately fill the equipment with vinegar and water (1:2) in such a volume that the active liquid completely covers the heating element. As a result, a very violent chemical reaction will appear, accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide. Bubbles will begin to form, which will destroy thick layers of scale.
The method of descaling an electric kettle with soda, in fact, is not independent; it is used so that particles of soda, when boiling water, eat into the plaque, so that then, by reacting violently with acid, provide mechanical removal on the surface of the heating element through the release of carbon dioxide bubbles. For one liter of water, two tablespoons of soda will be enough.
Other methods
In addition to the three “kitchen” substances, you can use other, rather unusual methods for cleaning:
- Brine. The brine left over from pickled cucumbers or tomatoes can also be used for this purpose, because it contains citric acid. By boiling an electric kettle with brine, you can also successfully clean it of plaque; the procedure is exactly the same - pour in the brine, boil, wait until it cools down, pour out, and wash the container. Cucumber pickle can also remove rust.
- Soda. Quite an unexpected way to descale teapots. Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and other similar drinks also help deal with scale, since they contain orthophosphoric acid, which can cope with even a fairly thick layer of scale. There is no need to boil water at all; you just need to leave the electric kettle with soda for a few hours. It is important to use only high-quality drinks, as they contain stable dyes that do not remain on the walls. If the kettle is white, then the drink used should not have dye, otherwise the dye will still have to be removed.
- Oxalic acid. This substance is not so often found on the farm, but it is no less effective than the above-mentioned means. If she is not in pure form, you can use a fresh bunch of freshly cut sorrel. The method of washing the electric kettle is standard, however, if you use a fresh plant, you need to wait longer due to the reduced acid concentration.
How to remove scale from an electric kettle using household chemicals
Naturally, you can use not only folk remedies, but also special household chemicals. Manufacturers of various compositions for household use could not ignore the problem of scale formation in an electric kettle, so on the chemical market you can always find several products suitable for this purpose. They can be in the form of liquid, powder and tablets.
The manufacturer, of course, can supplement them with his own instructions, but on average, the method of using chemicals comes down to boiling water for 40 minutes in which a given dose of the product is dissolved.
The compositions may contain different kinds acids (sulfamic, adipic), including those that can be found in your own kitchen.
As a rule, after the first use of special products, the sediment will begin to flake off and fall off in pieces from the inner surface. However, it is important to wash the inner container as thoroughly as possible, and the more active the substance, the more times the washing must be repeated.
This should not be neglected if citric and acetic acid are used in Food Industry, then other acids can harm the body.
To the use of potent chemicals resort only if the contamination in the kettle is too great, and the layer of scale is so thick that it cannot be removed by standard methods.
Sometimes the owner of the device makes a choice in their favor because he wants to achieve the maximum quick effect, however, if the layer of scale has increased over the years, and the kettle is still functioning and there is no desire to throw it away, even Anti-scale and other similar products will not cope with it on the first try.
In addition, cleaning substances are unnecessary harm to your health. It is much better to remember this problem in time and use “light” types of acids that can be found in the kitchen than to later poison the air in the room with chemicals.
You can prevent scale from appearing even if you simply regularly wash the inside of the kettle with a relatively soft sponge and by usual means for dish washing.
But if the kettle still turns out to be dirty, chemistry will be the most effective solution; only powerful active substances can quickly deal with an old and thick layer of plaque.