Cleaning Your Kettle Without Chemicals

Why you should clean your kettle

Cleaning your kettle – over time, you will find that your kettle may get a build-up of limescale. Limescale is mainly calcium carbonate and can be white in appearance or even a pink or reddish brown color. Limescale usually forms over or around the heating element area inside the kettle and reduces the efficiency of the kettle and makes it difficult for the element to achieve full temperature.  Additionally, there is nothing quite as disconcerting as when a chunk of limescale detaches itself and ends up in your tea or coffee – or worse still, your guest’s tea or coffee.  

You may already know about limescale if you live in a hard water area as this problem may have manifested itself in your hot water furnace and hot water pipes. If so, then your hard water will most certainly cause limescale in your kettle.

How to clean your kettle

Cleaning your kettle is a quick and easy monthly task.

A serious build-up of limescale in your kettle will certainly need some proprietary chemical to shift it. However, if you follow a monthly kettle cleaning regime, you will be able to avoid using harsh chemicals.

The following two methods require no harsh chemicals, using mild acidic natural alternatives instead. Both methods will work very nicely if done regularly, keeping your kettle limescale free.

Method 1

• Pour 1 x cup of vinegar and 2 x cups of water into your kettle.  You’ll only need enough to cover the heating element. Make sure your kettle reaches the minimum water level mark with this solution.
• Boil your kettle
• Leave the kettle undisturbed for 30 minutes after boiling to allow the solution to cool. The vinegar solution will also continue to work on the limescale during this cooling period.
• Pour out the solution and rinse the inside of the kettle with clean water three times. If there is a lingering vinegar smell, then rinse again.
• Repeat monthly

Method 2

• Cut a lemon into quarters and place these lemon pieces into your kettle.
• Fill your kettle with clean water to the maximum water level mark
• Boil your kettle
• Leave the kettle undisturbed for 40 minutes after boiling to allow the lemon solution to cool. The lemon solution will also continue to work on the limescale during this cooling period.
• Pour out the lemon solution, remove all the lemon pieces.
• Rinse the inside of the kettle clean water three times.
• Repeat monthly

Either of the easy, quick kettle cleaning methods will keep your kettle sparkling clean and deal with the beginnings of any limescale build up.

Some cautionary notes and tips for your kettle

Never scrub your kettle’s element. Modern electric kettles usually have a special protective coating which if you scrub or scour, you can potentially damage or even dislodge the electric element.

If you are going away for longer than a day then empty your kettle completely. Unused water can cause unnecessary rusting. Additionally, water left unused in a kettle can absorb unwanted particles from the atmosphere which may affect the taste quality and hygiene of the water left inside the kettle.