How To Descale A Kettle In Just A Few Easy Steps
The water you heat in your kettle leaves behind minerals that build up over time. These are not toxic but they can impact the taste of your cup of tea. Descaling removes those mineral deposits. Keep reading to learn how to descale a kettle.
How Often To Descale A Kettle
A good rule of thumb is that you should descale your your tea kettle every 3 months. This is true if you are using filtered water, bottled water or tap water with a low to normal mineral count.
If your tap has “hard water,” meaning it contains higher level of minerals, then you should clean once a month. If you are not sure about the level of minerals in your water, you can always get a low-cost water testing kit.
Can You Descale A Kettle With Vinegar?
Some kettles may react negatively to cleaning with a water and white vinegar solution. White vinegar contains 5-8% acetic acid. This type of acid can wear down stainless steel kettle metal and cause leaks. Plus, you may have a hard time getting rid of the lingering vinegar odor.
Other DIY solutions don’t work either. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar have 5-6% acetic acid and are not good for your kettle. Baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) is a base and doesn’t have any cleansing acids.
Instead, the best way to clean your kettle is with one of the following descalers. These solutions contain safer and effective types of cleansing acids that won’t cause damage.
Kettle Descaling Solutions
Impresa Descaler
The Impresa descaler is a top selling cleaning agent. It contains a mix of citric acid and sulfamic acid. Both of these acids are gentle on metal. Each pack contains two bottles. One bottle has enough solution to use twice.
Essential Values Descaler & Cleaner
The Essential Values cleaning solution contains a concentrated citric acid that is both odorless and powerful. Each bottle is good for two uses. A two pack will provide four doses. That’s a year supply if you clean your kettle every three months.
Urnex Dezcal Descaler
Unlike the above solution, the Urnex Descaler is a citric acid powder. It is odorless and effective in cleaning your kettle. Add 1 oz of the powder to 32 oz of hot water to create a solution, then follow the below instructions.
How To Descale A Kettle
- Make sure the stovetop is turned off and your kettle is cool to the touch
- Empty any liquid that is in the kettle and rinse the inside with cold plain water
- Fill it with equal parts descaling solution and cold water until the kettle is half full
- Turn on the stove and boil water solution mix. Once it has boiled, turn off the stove
- Leave the hot solution-water mix inside for 30 minutes to 60 minutes
- Pour out the solution-water mix and rinse the lid and inside with clean water
- Use a damp cloth to wipe and dry the inside of the kettle
- If there is any odor that remains, fill the kettle with only clean tap water, up to the halfway point. Bring it to a boil until the odor disappears and then discard the water
- That’s it! You’ve descaled a kettle
How To Descale An Electric Kettle
- Unplug your electric kettle and make sure it is cool. Use caution to ensure that no electrical components are exposed to water during the descaling process
- If there is any liquid in the kettle, be sure to empty it
- Fill the kettle with equal parts descaling solution and cold water until the kettle is half full
- Turn the kettle on and bring the contents to a boil. At that point, turn it off and allow the mix of solution and water to sit in kettle for 30 to 60 minutes
- Pour out the solution-water mix and rinse the lid and inside with clean water
- Use a damp cloth to wipe and dry the inside of the kettle
- If there is any odor that remains, fill the kettle with only clean tap water, up to the halfway point. Bring it to a boil until the odor disappears and then discard the water
Following these steps will keep your tea kettle in great shape. If you also drink coffee, check out my guide on how to clean a drip coffee maker and coffee pot.
