How to remove scale in a kettle: ready-made solutions and the correct proportions of folk remedies. Quick and effective ways to descale a kettle with soda How to remove old scale in a kettle

Reading 5 min. Published on 01.05.2019

Electric kettle - almost indispensable household appliance. With it, you can quickly and easily boil water for making tea or coffee. It does not need to be monitored, after boiling it will turn itself off 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 the technique is not given enough attention, over time it may begin to work less efficiently or even break down.

most common cause breakdowns is the accumulation of excessive amounts of deposits. They cover the walls and the heating element, reducing the rate of water heating.

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.

current care

Proper daily care of the electric kettle will allow global cleaning to be carried out very rarely. In order for salts to be deposited as little as possible, it is important to observe the following requirements:

1. The container should be cleaned regularly, preferably every evening. Simply drain the water and wash with a sponge inner surface.
2. Do not boil more water than necessary. Salts from the liquid remaining after heating in the kettle will compact the layer.
3. Use purified water. This will save the technique, and it is more useful for health.

So that maintenance is not too laborious, and the household appliance lasts as long as possible, it is important not only to know how to remove scale in an electric kettle, but also to do it regularly. Thin layer deposits are much easier to influence and you can not use special tools to remove it.

Virtually any acid-containing products effectively remove deposits. For cleaning electric kettles, you can use both industrial compounds and improvised means.

Special funds

With scale on the walls and heating elements electric kettles help fight ready-made formulations, which can be purchased at the store in the department household chemicals. It is quite simple to recognize them, the manufacturer puts an image of equipment on the packaging, the name usually corresponds to: “Anti-scale” 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 must be dissolved in water in a certain proportion, poured into a kettle, boiled and left for a while. After that, wash the equipment and use it as usual.

The composition of industrial products contains several types of acids and auxiliary substances that successfully fight salt deposits. It is important to know how to clean the electric kettle so as not to harm the health of the family. You can also use improvised tools that are in every home.

Lemon acid

As part of special means
is an essential component. It can be used to clean your equipment quickly and efficiently. And what is especially pleasant, such care will not cost at all.

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

You should act according to the following scheme:

1. Take a full kettle of water and pour the contents of 1 sachet.
2. Bring water to a boil and turn off the appliance. Care should be taken, as the solution may begin to foam when boiling.
3. Leave for 30 minutes to take effect. After drain the composition.

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

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

food vinegar

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

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

The acid will soften the scale and can be easily removed.

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

Baking soda

Soda is a rather active substance that can even remove large layer scale. It is worth turning to if a milder effect 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 add citric acid to the water instead of soda at the rate of 1 sachet per 1.5 liters of water. Boil the solution and leave for an hour.

After that, traditionally clean the surface with a sponge.

Carbonated drinks

Most carbonated drinks contain citric acid. It is she who will help to cope with scale in the kettle. The method of removing deposits with drinks is passed from mouth to mouth and is considered effective, but it also has features:

1. Choose colorless drinks. Dyes, especially bright ones, can leave stains that are more difficult to clean off than salt deposits.
2. Partially degas the liquid before use. Otherwise, in the process of boiling, the drink will foam, pouring everything around.
3. The drink should be poured into the kettle, boiled and left to act. In just an hour, the scale will begin to move away in layers and it can be removed mechanically.

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

To keep the electric kettle indispensable assistant, it should be cleaned regularly to avoid the formation of a significant layer of scale. It is enough to boil the acid composition every few weeks, and the heating elements of the equipment will shine with cleanliness.

Due to hard water, water heaters are exposed to salt deposits on the inner walls. These are calcium and magnesium salts that affect water quality.

An electric kettle with scale boils water longer, makes it harmful, and the life of the appliance becomes shorter. That's why The kettle must be regularly cleaned of accumulations. Cleaning at home will not present difficulties to anyone.

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

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

Reference: most cases of breakdowns of the electric kettle are due to a large number scale.

All effective ways Cleaning an electric kettle is easy to apply, and products that are used as a remedy are in every home.

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

In no case should accumulations be removed with a knife or other sharp, hard object. They can damage the integrity and structure of the kettle, causing it to fail. Also, do not use metal brushes. Abrasive powders strongly scratch the inner surface of the appliance.

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

Effective Methods

The household must have one of such products as soda, vinegar, citric acid, soda and household chemicals. Products are the most effective for descaling. They contain organic inorganic acids that break down salt compounds. There are also special tools, like Antinakipin, which will also quickly get rid of accumulations.

Cleaning the electric kettle with citric acid

Citric acid is effective against not old scale. The tool can be used on an electric kettle made of any material. For cleaning you will need:

• 0.5 l. water;
• 1–2 tbsp. l. acids.

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

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

The newly formed scale will come off without shaking. But for a more old one, you need to help the agent dissolve the compounds.

Cleaning the electric kettle with baking soda

Baking soda is the most popular household cleaner for electric kettles. It is able to loosen even old scale. For cleaning you will need:

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

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

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

After the action, the same is done with citric acid. Alternating the use of soda and citric acid will give an immediately visible result. If the scale itself has not lagged behind the walls, it can be easily collected with a sponge.

Cleaning the electric kettle with vinegar

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

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

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

First, water is poured into the kettle, then vinegar is added. The solution should boil. Leave it to cool for 2 hours. A kitchen sponge will help get rid of the remaining layers of sediment.

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

We clean the electric kettle with oxalic acid

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

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

Cleaning the electric kettle with soda

Carbonated drinks usually contain orthophosphate acid (E338). She is able to loosen the layers. After exposure, the scale falls off in layers. The Sprite drink is effective.

It is recommended to use carbonated drinks without dyes, as the additive can stain the inner walls of the kettle. Before use, a little gas must be removed from the drink to avoid foaming. To do this, you can shake and periodically open a bottle of drink, or leave it open for a while.

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

Descaling with household chemicals

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

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

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

When it comes to safety, the main precaution when cleaning an electric kettle is to flush the appliance. After any folk or shop means in the kettle you need to boil several times and pour out clean water in order to rinse the solution used as much as possible. The components of the funds can cause poisoning.

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

sticking to simple recommendations, you can be sure of the functionality of the kettle. To make the need to remove layers less common, you need:

1. Use filtered or settled water.
2. Pour out unwanted water. Even with cooled water, salts settle and harden.
3. Do not wait for the scale layer to become too rough. Cleaning should be regular.
4. At least once every two days, clean the appliance with a kitchen sponge.
5. If we are talking about, then devices with a closed spiral are much easier to clean.
6. For preventive cleaning, products such as brine and fruit cleaners are suitable.

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

The water in our taps leaves much to be desired, and the question of how to descale the kettle does not lose its sharpness. For electric kettles, the sediment on the walls is not just a terrible internal one, 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 (wear work has not done anything better yet). Boiling water requires increased time and energy costs. Scale has a similar effect on ordinary kettles - the burner also needs much more time. Bottom line: cost overruns, premature wear of household appliances.

The scale that has settled on the heating elements of heating boilers often leads to rupture of pipes. Whether she can break the heating element of the kettle is unknown. Apparently, because the housewives are used to descaling kettles - let's figure out how they do it.

How to clean the kettle from scale at home

There are enough ways to clean the kettle at home. The stores offer a wide range of special tools. Some of them work instantly, and some do not work at all. It depends on the manufacturer, his honesty. The vast majority of descaling tablets/liquids/gels are based on acetic and citric acids.

regular teapot

At home, vinegar and citric acid are added:

• brine;
• baking soda;
• fanta, sprite, coca-cola;
• potato and apple peels.

Not all products suitable for cleaning ordinary kettles are suitable for treating electric ones. The point is the duration of exposure and the proper temperature: if you need to boil for a long time on a quiet fire, in this way it will not be possible to descale an ordinary electric kettle, but a thermos kettle can.

How to clean a kettle with vinegar

Kettle-thermos

This descaling method is suitable for regular kettles and thermos kettles with temperature control. Vinegar must 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 put it on the stove (turn it on). As soon as the water boils, you need to see if the scale has exfoliated. If the walls of the dishes have not yet been freed from sediment, leave to boil on a quiet fire for about 15 minutes (the electric one will not boil quietly, therefore the method is not suitable).

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

How to clean the kettle with citric acid

Descaling the kettle with citric acid is a universal method that is 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 the kettle and boil.

Tip: Don't let your cookware get to the point where descaling will require hard cleaning. With the help of citric acid, carry out prophylaxis: fill the kettle with a solution, as soon as plaque appears on its walls, and leave it for several hours.

How to remove scale with soda

With soda, they do the same as with vinegar, but they boil longer. It is necessary to pour soda with water at the rate of 1 liter per tablespoon, put on the stove, let it boil, reduce the heat to low and keep for half an hour so that the solution barely boils.

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

Non-format: soda, pickle, cleaning

Obvious vinegar and citric acid can be replaced with non-standard, even unexpected, means. The scale in the kettle is perfectly handled by food and drinks.

soda

Excellent tool - "Sprite"

Soda is so "safe" that it does a great job of decalcifying kettles. Why are there dishes - they successfully wash car carburetors with sweet water. Sprite, Coca-Cola and Fanta do the same, 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 kettles - you don’t even have to keep it for a long time (such a “fusion” composition): you need to half fill the kettle with a miracle drink and bring it to a boil. It is first necessary to rid the water of the gas (it does not clean the gas - 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 harm of purchased soda.

Brine

Same good way cleaning electric kettles from scale - no need to simmer for a long time. The same vinegar works as an active substance - brine is not an independent remedy. To clean the kettle, it is enough to fill it with brine, boil, cool, empty and thoroughly wash. Cucumber pickle is especially effective.

Anti-calc cleaners

This method is ancient - it was successfully used by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Potato and apple peels are used as a cleaning agent (not starch works, but acids). Descaling is simple: you need to load the peel into the kettle, pour water and put 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, cleanings are also thoroughly washed, if they are potato.

How to descale a particularly neglected kettle

Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for an electric kettle, but an ordinary kettle, even if it is in a very neglected state, 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 on a quiet fire; drain the solution.

Metal kettle that can withstand tough cleaning

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

It happens that the sediment remains on the walls, but after such an impact treatment it is easy to remove it with a dish sponge.

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

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

Model with heating bottom and glass walls

At home, it is not so difficult to clean the kettle from scale, 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 does not rejoice when salts and minerals are excessively introduced into it), and you do not have to periodically remove scale.

Someone noticed that the kettle, as, by the way, the stove is the face of the hostess. Therefore, each of us should know how to clean the kettle from scale.

Where does scale come from

Part drinking water included great amount minerals and salts. Whatever folk methods and you didn’t clean it with modern filters, even a small percentage of various impurities still remain. When sodium salts are heated, magnesium forms limescale, which eats into the walls of dishes and does not want to voluntarily leave it.

This plaque covers any kind of material, so all housewives have to clean their kettles.

Why get rid of limescale

• Limescale has a low thermal conductivity, which is why water boils more slowly.
• If the kettle is electric, and you are too lazy to clean it, plaque quickly disables the heating element.
• Water becomes tasteless due to scale. And if it boils for a long time, it is also cloudy.

Effective ways to deal with scale

How to clean a kettle with simple means that can be found in every home.

Hit the scale with citric acid

1. Type a full kettle of water, pour 1-2 sachets of citric acid (depending on its volume and scale thickness). Boil.
2. Let the solution cool slightly, in the meantime, the acid will have time to corrode the plaque as much as possible. Drain the liquid.
3. Boil water with citric acid again. Drain the liquid again and rinse the kettle thoroughly.
4. You can replace citric acid with vinegar - 100 grams per liter of water.

Removing a thick layer of scale

If the solution with citric acid did not give the expected result, try another method:

1. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of water. Pour this solution into the kettle, boil for about half an hour.
2. Drain the resulting liquid. Pour water and add a tablespoon of citric acid, boil.
3. Pour water with vinegar a third time (the thicker the layer, the more vinegar), boil for 30 minutes.
4. After such a triple treatment, the scale becomes soft and easily lags behind the walls. Remove it with either a kitchen sponge or wooden spatula. Rinse the kettle thoroughly, boil clean water for reliability and pour it out.

Trying to clean Coca-Cola

1. Release all gas from the drink before use.
2. Fill half of the kettle with Coca-Cola, boil.
3. Pour out the contents, rinse.
4. Some claim that "Fanta" and "Sprite" are also suitable for this case.

Is your teapot sparkling clean again? Isn't it time for a fragrant tea? Good tea drinking and pleasant conversation!