How to descale a kettle at home - popular remedies

Regardless of the cost and model of the kettle, after a while, a layer of scale appears on its inner surface. Hard deposits not only reduce the efficiency of the appliance, but also impair the quality of the water that is heated in it. Let's figure out how to remove scale in a teapot with improvised means and industrial preparations.

Before you learn how to descale a teapot at home, let's find out why it forms. Solid deposits are formed due to the fact that when the temperature rises, magnesium and calcium salts dissolved in water break down into carbon dioxide and solid small crystals. As a result, a gray-brown sediment accumulates on the bottom and walls of the kettle.

Consequences of scale formation:

• decrease in the performance of electric kettles - sediment on the heating element increases energy consumption, in addition, the device may break down as a result of overheating;
• acceleration of the destruction of the material from which the walls of the container are made;
• deterioration in the taste of water;
• ingestion of calcium, magnesium and other substances in the human body - they accumulate in the kidneys, forming hard calculi (sand, stones).

The rate at which scale builds up in a kettle depends on the hardness of the water, the level of which is determined based on the concentration of salts. Before supplying liquid from natural sources to the supply system, it is cleaned of excess impurities. However, in most regions, the level of water hardness remains very high.

Folk remedies

Limescale adheres tightly to the inner surface of the kettle and cannot be removed with a brush or scraper. The only way to get rid of the sediment is to apply an organic or inorganic acid to dissolve it.

In search of answers to the questions of how to descale an electric kettle, as well as how to return a traditional metal appliance to its original appearance, it is worth remembering the following popular folk remedies:

• vinegar;
• citric acid;
• soda;
• carbonated drinks and so on.

Vinegar

There are several methods that make it possible to descale the kettle with vinegar, some of them are suitable for electrical appliances, others for traditional ones.

Methods for processing an ordinary teapot:

1. Pour water and vinegar essence into a container - 2 large spoons per 1 liter. Heat to 70º, reduce heat and keep on the stove for 30 minutes.
2. Combine 1 liter of water and 150 ml of 9% vinegar in a kettle. Boil for 15-30 minutes. The time should be adjusted depending on the intensity of the scaling process, which can be controlled by periodically opening the lid.

It is undesirable to use vinegar for cleaning electric kettles due to its high aggressiveness. But with a thick layer of scale, this method is permissible. It is possible to process devices, the body of which is made of metal, glass or plastic.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Pour 0.5 liters of water into the kettle. Boil.
2. Add 200 ml of vinegar (9%) or 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar essence.
3. Leave the liquid in the kettle for 15-20 minutes. If the scale has not exfoliated, bring to a boil and wait 15-20 minutes. Repeat if necessary.

Scale that has fallen off the walls in the kettle, how to remove it with vinegar, which was discussed above, should be removed from the device by rinsing it several times under running water. Then you need to fill the tank to the top, boil and drain the liquid. It is advisable to repeat the action twice. This finishing should be done with any cleaning method.

Important: When choosing how to descale a kettle at home, you need to know that when vinegar is heated, the room is filled with a pungent unpleasant odor. Children and pets should be removed from it, and the window should be opened.

Lemon acid

Considering how to descale the kettle with citric acid, we note that this method is ideal for electrical appliances... The advantages of the method are the safety for the coating and the absence of a pungent odor.

Cleaning steps:

1. Pour 0.75 l of water (2/3 of the volume) into the kettle. Add 2 tablespoons of acid.
2. Bring the kettle to a boil. The device should turn itself off.
3. Check the cleaning result after 15-20 minutes. If the precipitate has separated, pour out the liquid and rinse under running water.

If an insignificant scale has formed in the teapot - how to remove it with citric acid? You can heat water, add powder to it and leave the liquid in the device for 5-6 hours. It is advisable to carry out such cleaning every month for prophylaxis. As a last resort, citric acid can be replaced with lemon juice.

Soda

Let's find out how to remove scale in a metal kettle: enameled, stainless steel or aluminum. It is best to use baking soda or soda ash.

Cleaning methods:

1. Pour water into the kettle up to the top. Pour in soda at the rate of 1 large spoon per 0.5 l. Boil for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid. Clean off softened plaque with a brush or hard sponge.
2. Fill the reservoir with water. Pour baking soda - 2.5 large spoons per 1 liter. Boil for 30-40 minutes. Drain the liquid. Pour water into the kettle and add vinegar - 4 large spoons per 1 liter. Boil for another 25 minutes.

Consider how to descale a kettle with soda if it belongs to electrical appliances. It is necessary to fill it with water, boil it and add soda in the proportion of 2 large spoons per 1 liter. After 2 hours, clean the container with a sponge.

Carbonated drinks

Understanding how to descale the kettle with Coca-Cola, you should pay attention to the fact that the method is not suitable for electric models. Other drink options are Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes. The last two types of soda are preferable because they are colorless and cannot stain the surface of the dishes.

The destructive effect of the listed drinks on scale is due to the presence of phosphoric acid in them. They will not cope with a thick layer of deposits, but they will remove thin plaque without problems.

Processing stages:

1. Fill the kettle with a drink.
2. Wait until gas comes out (all bubbles will burst).
3. Boil.
4. After half an hour, remove the liquid and wash the kettle.

other methods

When deciding how to descale an enamel teapot, you should consider the following options:

1. Place the washed potato, apple or pear peel into the reservoir. Fill with water. Boil. Let stand for 1-2 hours. Remove soft plaque with a sponge.
2. Combine chalk, laundry soap, water and ammonia in a ratio of 9: 2: 6: 3. Pour into a kettle. Simmer for 1.5 hours. Wash under running water.
3. Pour pickle from cucumbers or tomatoes into the kettle. Boil. Wait for the liquid to cool down. Remove plaque with a brush or sponge.

Chemicals

If thick scale has formed in the electric kettle - how to remove it and not ruin the appliance? You can resort to industrial means. Most often, they contain acids that break down the sediment.

Popular drugs:

1. Frau Schmidt Anti-Scale - tablets for teapots and coffee makers. Composition - sulfamic, adipic and citric acids. Application - boil water in a kettle (3/4 volume), put a tablet, wait 10 minutes, pour out the liquid and rinse.
2. "Cillit" is a liquid for descaling coffee makers, kettles and other appliances. Composition - sulfamic and oxalic acids. Application - fill the kettle with water, add the product (50 ml per 0.5 l of water) to it, wait 30 minutes, rinse.
3. "Antinakipin" from TM "Cinderella" - liquid for descaling teapots, washing machines, electric boilers, coffee makers. Composition - organic and mineral acids. Application - fill the kettle with water, add the product (60 ml per 1 liter of water), rinse after 2-3 hours.

Note: The described products contain strong acids. The instructions for them indicate which surfaces are not recommended to be processed. It is undesirable to use them more often than once a month.

Prophylaxis

Measures to prevent the formation of limescale in the kettle:

• the use of water filters that reduce the concentration of salts;
• removal of the liquid remaining after boiling from the tank;
• carrying out preventive cleaning once a month using citric acid or soda;
• the use of electric kettles in which the spiral is closed.

Scale in the teapot reduces its service life, increases energy consumption for heating water, impairs the taste of drinks and negatively affects the condition of the kidneys. You can remove it with baking soda, vinegar and other acid-containing products. It is advisable to clean it in advance, when the layer of plaque is minimal. After processing, the kettle should be thoroughly rinsed from residual chemicals, heated several times in the water and drained.

How to descale the kettle at home is shown in the video.

Tweet

Plus