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 overruns, premature wear and tear household appliances.

Scale deposited on the heating elements of heating boilers often leads to rupture of pipes. 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. In stores they offer a wide range of 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 peelings.

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 the kettle from scale citric acid- 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, do the same 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 should be poured out, the kettle should be washed thoroughly and boiled in it. clean water, then pour it out too.

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 kettle 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.

Water is fully involved in human life. Unfortunately, its quality is not always good, but This has a negative impact not only on technology, but also has a negative impact on health.

This can be corrected with folk remedies and household chemicals. Even with stubborn dirt, simple measures cope perfectly well.

Causes of scale formation

Scale is hard deposits of salts. When water is heated, salts break down into carbon dioxide and scale.

The composition of the water is determined by the path it had to travel. High content we see potassium and magnesium on the heating device. The amount of impurities depends on the region of residence.

What is the harm of scale?

• Disrupts heat transfer from hotter particles to colder ones. Because of this, the load on heating device, because the heating time increases. Thus, the kettle breaks down quickly, and the electricity bill goes up.
• Using additional products to clean the kettle, which is a minus from the budget.
• Buying a water filter.
• Negative effects on the human body, in particular the urinary system and kidneys.
• Skin itching.
• Skin rashes.

Stories from our readers!
“My sister gave me this cleaning product when she found out that I was going to clean the barbecue and wrought-iron gazebo at the dacha. I was delighted! I did not expect such an effect. I ordered the same for myself.

At home I cleaned the oven, microwave, refrigerator, ceramic tiles. The product allows you to get rid of even wine stains on carpets and upholstered furniture. I advise."

How to descale a kettle?

Methods for cleaning a stainless steel kettle

Cleaning a kettle from scale with vinegar

To do this you will need 100 ml of vinegar and 1 liter of water. The vinegar essence is diluted in water and poured into a kettle, after which you need to put it on the fire until it boils. If all the scale has left the kettle, then cleaning can be completed. If the cleansing is not complete, you need to wait another 15 minutes. After the procedure, you need to thoroughly rinse the kettle.

Acetic acid is obtained from food-grade alcohol-containing raw materials, which is why it can be used to clean dishes well without harm to health. This remedy is not only effective, but also costs a penny.

• Cleaning the kettle with potato or apple peels. The remaining peels are placed in a kettle of water and brought to a boil. Then the dishes are removed from the heat and washed. This method helps with minor scale deposits.
• Cucumber pickle. The citric acid included in the canning recipe eats away all plaque. The brine is poured in and brought to a boil, after which the dishes need to be rinsed.
• Liquid sour milk. Important: milk should not turn into curdled milk. It is poured into a kettle, boiled and washed.
• How to clean a kettle with cola You will need water and Coca-Cola. First, the kettle is washed and only then enough cola is poured in so that all the scale is covered, it is brought to a boil and left to cool to room temperature, then the liquid is drained and the kettle is washed.

Important: if you pour the drink right away, the dishes may become stained. The dyes that are included in the composition are then very difficult to wash off.

• Vinegar and soda. Soda is mixed with water until a paste forms. Wipe the walls of the kettle well with this solution. Next, take a clean rag, moisten it with vinegar and rub it into the first solution. At the end the kettle is washed.
• Toothpaste Important: for this method you cannot use a paste with a whitening effect. But an expired product will work well. On toothbrush squeeze out a little paste and rub it into the teapot. After the procedure, boil the dishes in vain and rinse.

Cleaning an enamel kettle

If you were wondering , kettle, several ways can be found here.

• Metal sponge

Pros: cleans dirt well

Cons: the enamel is damaged, it takes a lot of time. Dirt then begins to clog into the cracks.

• Citric acid for the appearance of reddish scale

For 2 liters of water, take 2 tablespoons of acid, dilute it, and bring it to a boil. Let it sit for 20 minutes and rinse the container well.

• Vinegar(both regular and apple are suitable for this) - use carefully, it can damage the enamel.

Acid is added to two liters of water and left for 30 minutes. After this time, place on the stove and boil for 10 minutes. Wash the kettle thoroughly.

• Soda, colorless

A drink is bought at the store. It is poured into the kettle, put on the fire, boiled, removed from the stove, and the container is washed.

How to clean a glass teapot

• Vinegar essence

Take one glass of water and vinegar, pour it into a kettle and bring to a boil. Place in a cool place, cool and wash.

• Soda

A tablespoon of baking soda dissolves in boiling water. Leave it like this for 10 minutes, then bring it to a boil. The liquid is cooled, the kettle is poured out and washed.

• Vinegar and soda

For this you will need: water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and the same amount of soda. Water is mixed with soda and vinegar. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil and cooked for 30 minutes, cool, and rinse the container.

• Lemon acid. Acid can be replaced with: lemon juice, slices, oil

For one liter of water you will need 1 tablespoon of acid (juice of 1 lemon, 1 slice, 20 drops of oil). The solution is prepared, boiled, cooled and the kettle is washed.

• Lemon juice and vinegar

One liter of water is mixed with the same amount lemon juice and vinegar - 2 tablespoons is enough. The kettle is boiled and washed clean.

• Soda for descaling the kettle

Take 1 tablespoon of soda, water, citric acid. Water is poured into the kettle, soda is added, and it is turned on. After boiling, the water is poured out.

Water is poured again, citric acid is added, and the kettle is turned on. After turning off, you need to let this water stand for 20 minutes. After this time, you can rinse with water and the kettle will be like new again.

• Oxalic acid

Pour a small amount of acid into the kettle, fill it completely with water, and set it to boil. After cooling, pour out the water and rinse the kettle. For this method, sorrel stalks are actively used.

• Vinegar

You will need water 2/3 of the capacity of the entire kettle and acetic acid a third of the volume. Water is mixed with vinegar, the kettle is turned on. After boiling, you need to wait until the water cools to room temperature. Then everything is thoroughly washed. This advice can only be used by those whose kettle is not made of metal.

• Sparkling water without added colors

This requires 1 liter of soda. It is brought to a boil, drained and that’s it – the kettle is clean. Very important: before using soda, release all gases from the bottle.

• Cleaning the kettle from scale with citric acid

Take 1 small packet of citric acid and water. Acid is poured into the water and the kettle is turned on. After boiling, the liquid is poured out. Next, clean water is boiled 2 more times. The kettle is washed.

• Fruit peel

The peel is filled with water, the water is boiled, and the liquid is drained. This method is used to prevent plaque. These are recipes for cleaning the inside of the kettle. For external cleaning, you can use the products described here.

How to descale a neglected old kettle?

No need to throw away your old kettle. It is better to use one of the proposed options.

• Soda, citric acid, vinegar

To cope with the task you need to take: water, 1 tablespoon each of soda, citric acid, 100 ml of vinegar.

The cleaning procedure is carried out in 3 stages:

• Pour water into the kettle, add baking soda, and set it to boil. After boiling, the solution is drained.
• Fill with water, add acid, boil and leave on low heat for 30 minutes, pour out.
• Vinegar is poured into the kettle, brought to a boil, simmered for about 30 minutes, and poured out. Washed thoroughly running water.

After such a tough cleaning, even the most stubborn dirt comes off. Attention: under no circumstances should this procedure be carried out with an electric kettle.

• Vinegar, soda and sponge

Sprinkle soda onto a sponge soaked in vinegar and rub until it turns into a paste. Use this sponge to wipe a dirty surface. After this, rinse the mixture well.

• Soda, vinegar, citric acid and sponge

Take a kettle, pour half of the water, put one tablespoon of soda in it. We wait for it to boil; the solution should simmer over high heat for 10 minutes. All the liquid pours out. New water is poured, 100 ml of vinegar is added and the same procedure is performed as in the first stage. Third stage: citric acid is poured onto a sponge and the kettle is wiped with it. Afterwards, you can rinse well under running water.

• Automatic laundry detergent and citric acid

Pour water into the kettle, add 20 grams of powder, and bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon of citric acid to the same mixture. Place it on the stove again, wait until it boils, set it aside, pour out the contents and rinse.

All cleaning methods presented are time-tested. Long before the manufacture of special means, they helped our ancestors.

Universal means

Such products are usually purchased to save closet space and money. But quite often they do not perform all functions so well.

• Eona bio– used for washing machines, dishwashers, as well as for cleaning scale in a kettle. Available in liquid form, tablets and powder. Directions for use: dilute the product with water, boil and rinse well. Price from 62.
• Calgon– for teapots and dishwashers. It comes in liquid and powder form. It is diluted with water in a vessel, boiled and washed. Costs from 500.
• Mister descaling agent– clean washing machines, dishwashers, kettles. The store sells from 30 rubles. Powder and solution are prepared.
• Astonish Limescale Remover– used as a cleaning agent for dishes, plumbing fixtures, and scale in the kettle. In liquid form from 270.
• Planet Pure spray- for cleaning. In liquid form from 360.
• Selena anti-scale– removes scale from kettles, coffee makers, irons, dishwashers and washing machines. Liquid and powder from 27.
• Chistin– removes plaque from washing machines and kettles. Sold from 100 rubles. Only in powder.
• Refine– for washing from 100, including from scale.
• Soda Ash

After reading the reviews of ordinary customers, we can say that the price does not depend on the quality. The cheapest means sometimes cope better with the task than expensive ones.

Special chemicals

From the list presented, you can choose for yourself convenient option. All components included in the composition detergent aimed at combating scale.

• Frau Schmidt anti-scale. Judging by the reviews ordinary people, scale is removed after 8 minutes. Tablets from 100.
• Clean home – liquid from 90 rub.
• Romax anti-scale – liquid from 50 rub.
• Melitta Anti Calc
• Tytan
• Domol
• Bagi avnit
• Pure water
• Antiscale

The principle of operation of all chemicals same:

1. The substance is poured
2. Rubs well on the surface
3. Leave for 5 minutes
4. The vessel is well washed

If the cleanser is in liquid form or tablets, then the procedure is slightly different:

1. The cleaning agent is poured in and a tablet is placed at the bottom.
2. Water is pouring.
3. The kettle turns on.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Cleans thoroughly from chemicals.

Preventing scale formation

• When preparing, use water purification products.
• If possible, boil purchased water.
• The kettle should always be empty and wiped dry.
• Boiled water cannot be reused. It's better to drain the leftovers.
• To prevent scale, clean once a week.
• When scale first appears, remove it immediately.
• Wash the inside with a sponge daily.

As you can see, there are enough cleaning and prevention methods.

You don't need to spend a lot of money to extend the life of your kettle. For the kettle to serve for a long time, it is enough to devote a little time to it.

Moreover, such an opportunity to use the products that every woman has available. It is worth paying attention that after each procedure you need to thoroughly rinse the kettle in order to harmful substances did not enter the body.

Arina Piskareva

Laboratory employee of the Department of Bioengineering, Moscow State University

Scale is mainly composed of calcium and magnesium carbonate. When interacting with citric, acetic, orthophosphoric or other acid, sparingly soluble carbonates of alkaline earth metals are converted into readily soluble salts. For example, acetates. Therefore, acidic substances are effective in the fight against scale, and to enhance the reaction they need to be heated.

Soda, when interacting with water, produces carbonic acid molecules, which, in turn, react with insoluble calcium and magnesium carbonates, turning them into soluble bicarbonates. And they are easily washed off with water and removed with a sponge.

1. How to descale with citric acid

• Suitable for any kettles, coffee machines, irons, washing machines.
• Proportions: teapots, coffee machines and irons - 10 g for every 100 ml of water; washing machines - 50 g per kilogram of load.
• pros: environmental friendliness, safety, availability, pleasant aroma.
• Minuses: does not cope with old, thick scale.

Fill the kettle with water about ¾ so that the liquid covers the deposits on the walls and heating elements, but does not splash out when boiling.

Pour citric acid into a kettle (100 g of powder for every liter of water) and boil.

Leave until completely cool. Drain the water, remove any remaining plaque with a sponge and wash thoroughly.

How to descale a coffee machine

For a coffee machine, it is necessary to prepare a solution of citric acid based on the volume of the water reservoir. For example, if the coffee machine is designed for 2 liters, you will need 200 g of citric acid.

Pour the hot solution into the tank and leave for 60 minutes.

After an hour, start the coffee program without the coffee itself. Drain the liquid through dispensers.

Then run the coffee machine with only water, without citric acid. As soon as you pour out the boiling water, you can use the device. If the coffee machine reservoir is removable, remove any remaining deposits under running water.

After the procedure, rinse the iron reservoir with running water and wipe the sole ammonia or nail polish remover.

To remove deposits from the heating elements and drum, you will need 50 g of acid per kilogram of load.

Pour ¾ citric acid (190 g acid per 5 kg load) into the powder tray and ¹⁄₄ (60 g) directly into the drum. Run the wash at maximum temperature.

2. How to descale with table vinegar

• Suitable for glass and ceramic teapots, teapots made of of stainless steel, irons and washing machines.
• Proportions: teapots - 100 ml for each liter of water; irons - 1 tablespoon per liter of water; washing machines - 10 ml per kilogram of load.
• Plus: a more aggressive acidic environment removes even a thick layer of scale.
• Minuses: May damage rubber and plastic elements appliances, acrid smell.

How to descale a kettle

To clean the kettle, dilute vinegar in water and place on fire. After boiling, let it simmer for a few more minutes. Then drain the water, remove any remaining deposits with a sponge and cleaning agent, and boil clean water in a kettle.

Fill in warm solution vinegar into the water reservoir and, holding the iron horizontally, release steam.

Boil a kettle of vinegar and release steam from the iron only in a well-ventilated area.

How to descale your washing machine

IN washing machine Pour vinegar (10 ml per kilogram of load) into a cuvette for conditioner or liquid powder. Run the wash without laundry at maximum temperature, and then rinse again to be sure to get rid of the specific aroma.

Vinegar can damage the rubber bands on the door, so be careful if you decide to pour the product directly into the drum. This can be done when there are no liquid reservoirs in the machine.

3. How to clean scale with soda

• Suitable for any kettles, coffee machines.
• Proportions: teapots and coffee machines - 1 tablespoon for every 500 ml of water.
• pros: accessibility, simplicity.
• Minuses: does not remove all types of plaque, does not cope with old deposits.

The mechanism for cleaning teapots and coffee makers with soda is simple: fill them with water, add soda and boil. In this case, it is recommended not to remove a regular kettle from the heat for another 20–30 minutes after boiling, and to turn on an electric kettle several times.

After the procedure, wash the inside of the kettle or coffee machine reservoir and boil clean water.

If the plaque is very strong, try instead baking soda more alkaline calcined. Or add the same amount of salt to regular soda.

4. How to descale with soda water

• Suitable for any kettles, coffee machines, irons.
• Proportions: the vessels are filled approximately ¾.
• Plus: effective even with thick plaque.
• Minus: A colored drink may stain the vessel. Therefore, to clean irons and white plastic electric kettles, it is better to use clear soda, including mineral water.

How to descale a kettle or coffee machine

Open the bottle and wait until most of the carbon dioxide has evaporated.

Pour the soda into the kettle or coffee maker reservoir, hold for 15–20 minutes, and then boil.

Thanks to phosphoric acid and carbon dioxide, sodas do an excellent job of removing salt deposits.

Pour the soda into the water reservoir, turn on the appliance, hold the iron vertically and release steam. If there is a lot of scale, do this several times.

5. How to clean scale with brine

• Suitable for any teapots.
• Proportions: The kettle must be filled ¾ full.
• pros: simplicity, accessibility.
• Minuses: does not cope with persistent plaque, specific smell.

The brine contains lactic and acetic acids. Fill the kettle with strained cucumber or tomato brine and boil for 20–30 minutes.

After this, drain the brine and scale and wash the kettle with a soft sponge and cleaning agent.

6. How to clean scale with soda, citric acid and vinegar

• Suitable for any teapots.
• Proportions: 1 tablespoon of soda, 1 tablespoon of citric acid and a glass of vinegar per liter of water.
• Plus: even breaks up rock salt deposits.
• Minus: troublesome, strong smell, exposure of devices to aggressive components.

Fill the kettle with water, add citric acid and boil. If the kettle is electric, do this 2-3 times. If regular, let the lemon soda solution bubble for 20–30 minutes.

Drain and refill the kettle with water. Boil it and pour in vinegar. Leave for 15–20 minutes.

If after this the scale does not come off on its own, it will become loose. You can easily remove it with a sponge and dishwashing detergent.

At the end, boil clean water in the kettle again and then drain it.

What to do to prevent scale

1. Try to pour only filtered water into kettles, coffee machines and irons.
2. Rinse the appliance before adding water.
3. Do not leave water in the appliance after use. It's better to pour a new one each time.
4. Get rid of scale at least once a month, even if there is no pronounced plaque on the heating elements and walls. If the device has a self-cleaning function, use it.

An electric kettle is practically indispensable household appliance. With its help, you can boil water for making tea or coffee quickly and easily. There is no need to monitor it; after boiling, it will turn off on its own and will not waste electricity. But even the most modern electric kettle requires care and regular cleaning.

Causes of scale

The electric kettle seems to be a device that requires absolutely no maintenance. But if you don’t pay enough attention to the technology, over time it may begin to work less efficiently or even break down.

Most common cause failure is caused by the accumulation of excessive deposits. They cover the walls and heating element, reducing the rate of heating of the water.

Scale in an electric kettle is salts and compounds contained in water and precipitated when heated. It is impossible to completely get rid of this phenomenon. But a set of care measures will allow using various means as little as possible.

It is important to understand that deposits on the bottom of the kettle are not only a cosmetic problem. They significantly reduce the rate of heating and, if ingested, can cause the formation of sand in the kidneys or aggravate an existing disease.

Routine care

Proper daily care of the electric kettle will allow global cleaning to be carried out very rarely. To keep salt deposits to a minimum, it is important to follow the following instructions:

1. The container should be cleaned regularly, preferably every evening. Simply drain the water and wash the inner surface with a sponge.
2. Do not boil more water than necessary. Salts from the liquid remaining after heating in the kettle will thicken the layer.
3. Use purified water. This will protect your equipment and is healthier.

To ensure that maintenance is not too labor-intensive, and that your household appliance lasts as long as possible, it is important not only to know how to remove scale from an electric kettle, but also to do it regularly. A thin layer of deposits is much easier to attack and you don’t need to use special products to remove it.

Almost any acid-containing products effectively remove deposits. To clean electric kettles you can use both industrial compounds, and improvised means.

Special means

Ready-made compounds that can be purchased at the store in the department help fight scale on the walls and heating elements of electric kettles. household chemicals. It’s quite easy to recognize them; the manufacturer puts an image of the equipment on the packaging, the name usually corresponds to: “Antiscale” and the like.

They should be used in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, do not exceed the dosage and exposure time.

Usually the scheme is simple: the product needs to be dissolved in water in a certain proportion, poured into a kettle, boiled and left for a while. After this, wash the equipment and use it as usual.

Industrial products contain several types of acids and auxiliary substances that successfully combat salt deposits. It is important to know how to clean an electric kettle so as not to harm the health of your family. You can also use improvised means that are found in every home.

Lemon acid

It is an integral component of special products. It can be used to clean equipment quickly and efficiently. And what’s especially nice is that such care will not be expensive at all.

For one treatment you will need 1 sachet of acid containing 25 g of the substance.

You should proceed according to the following scheme:

1. Fill a kettle full of water and add the contents of 1 sachet.
2. Bring the water to a boil and turn off the device. Be careful; when boiling, the solution may begin to foam.
3. Leave for 30 minutes to act. Then drain the composition.

The impact is based chemical reaction converting citric acid to acetic acid.

After cleaning, thoroughly wash the equipment and boil clean water in it. This will help get rid of the smell. If necessary, repeat all manipulations.

Food vinegar

Food vinegar, which is found in every kitchen, is acetic acid, diluted to a safe concentration. With its help you can clean the kettle quickly and effectively.

Pour a vinegar solution into the kettle (1 part 9% vinegar to 2 parts water). Bring the mixture to a boil and turn off the device. Leave until completely cool. After drain active composition and thoroughly wash the container using a moderately hard sponge.

The acid will soften the scale and make it easy to remove.

After cleaning, the equipment should be thoroughly washed and clean water boiled several times. This will help get rid of the specific smell of the acidic composition.

Baking soda

Soda is a fairly active substance that can remove even a large layer of scale. It is worth turning to it if a softer influence does not bear fruit.

Pour water into the kettle and add a tablespoon of soda to it. Boil and leave the composition to act for several hours. The alkaline solution will soften the deposits and they can be removed with a sponge.

If this action is not enough, you can repeat the procedure or, instead of soda, add citric acid to the water at the rate of 1 sachet per 1.5 liters of water. Boil the solution and leave for an hour.

After this, traditionally clean the surface with a sponge.

Carbonated drinks

Most carbonated drinks contain citric acid. This is what will help you deal with scale in the kettle. The method of removing deposits using drinks is passed on by word of mouth and is considered effective, but it also has its own characteristics:

1. You should choose colorless drinks. Dyes, especially bright ones, can leave stains that are more difficult to clean than salt deposits.
2. Before use, partially remove gas from the liquid. Otherwise, during the boiling process, the drink will foam, flooding everything around.
3. The drink should be poured into a kettle, boiled and left to act. Literally in an hour the scale will begin to come off in layers and can be removed mechanically.

Before cleaning an electric kettle, it is important to warn all family members about this. Liquids and compounds used for such work are colorless and can be confused with ordinary water. A few sips of citric acid solution will not cause significant harm, but negative emotions are guaranteed.

So that the electric kettle remains an indispensable assistant, it should be cleaned regularly, avoiding the formation of a significant layer of scale. It is enough to boil the acid composition once every few weeks, and heating elements the equipment will shine clean.

Olga Nikitina

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Any housewife knows that no filter can save an electric kettle from scale. And if thin layer scale will not cause significant harm, then over time the device will, at best, stop working effectively, and at worst, it will break down completely. Scale and rust inside ordinary teapots - metal or enameled - also does not bring joy.

Is it possible to get rid of this problem, and how to carry out global cleaning of the kettle at home?

• Vinegar(method for a metal kettle). Fast and high-quality cleaning dishes without harm to health and the use of “chemicals”. We dilute the food vinegar with water (100ml/1l), pour the solution into a bowl, put it on low heat and wait for it to boil. As soon as the kettle boils, you should lift the lid and check how the process of scale is peeling off from the walls of the kettle. If the peeling is not complete, leave the kettle on the fire for another 15 minutes. Next, wash the kettle well, removing all remaining vinegar and deposits. It is advisable to ventilate the room after cleaning.

• Lemon acid (method for a plastic electric kettle and ordinary kettles). It is not recommended to use vinegar for an electric kettle (otherwise the kettle can simply be thrown away), but citric acid is an excellent cleaning aid. Dilute 1-2 packets of acid (1-2 tsp) in a liter of water, pour the solution into a kettle and boil. The plastic of the kettle will be “renewed”, and the plaque will disappear without a trace, easily peeling off after the acid. All that remains is to rinse the kettle and boil the water “idle” once. Note: it is better not to bring the kettle to a state where it requires harsh cleaning, since citric acid is also a rather serious remedy for household appliances. Perfect option– regular cleaning of the kettle with citric acid without boiling. Just dilute the acid in water, pour it into a kettle and leave for several hours.

• Soda! Do you like Fanta, Cola or Sprite? You will be interested to know that these drinks (taking into account their “thermonuclear” composition) ideally clean rust and scale from dishes, and even carburetors from burning. How? After the “magic bubbles” disappear (there should be no gases - first let the soda stand in open form), simply pour the soda into the kettle (to the middle of the kettle) and bring to a boil. Afterwards, wash the kettle. The method is not suitable for an electric kettle. It is recommended to use Sprite, as Cola and Fanta can leave their own tint on the dishes.

• Impact method (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 tbsp 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.

• Soda(for metal and enamel teapots). Fill the kettle with water, add 1 tbsp of soda to the water, bring to a boil, then leave on low heat for 30 minutes. Next, we wash the kettle, refill it with water and boil it “idle” to remove any remaining soda.

• Brine. Yes, yes, you can clean the kettle with regular tomato or cucumber brine. The citric acid contained in the brine will also help remove scale. The scheme is the same: pour brine, boil the kettle, cool, wash. Cucumber pickle perfectly removes rust from iron salts in a kettle.

• Cleaning.“Grandma’s” method of descaling. Suitable for light scale deposits in enamel and metal kettles. Rinse well potato peelings, remove the sand from them, put them in a kettle, fill them with water and boil. After boiling, leave the cleaning in the bowl for an hour or two, and then wash the kettle thoroughly. And apple or pear peelings will help to cope with a light coating of white “salt” scale.

Regardless of the cleaning method, do not forget to thoroughly wash the kettle after the procedure and boil the water empty (1-2 times) so that the remaining product does not get into your tea. If the residues after peeling with apple peelings do not cause harm to health, then the residues of vinegar or soda can cause serious poisoning. Be careful!