How to descale a kettle at home to clean it better
Most people know the scale. A sparingly soluble plaque appears on the walls of the teapot, since it is in it that housewives most often boil water. There are many ways to restore it to its original purity. How to quickly remove scale from a teapot, with what improvised means you can get rid of it, this is today's story.
Content
- 1 Why you need to get rid of limescale
- 2 Preparing the kettle for cleaning
- 3 How to descale an electric kettle with vinegar
- 4 With citric acid
- 5 Use baking soda
- 6 oxalic acid
- 7 Specialized descaling products
- 8 How to peel limestone
- 9 With brine
- 10 Application of soft drinks
- 11 How to clean the exterior from dirt
- 12 How to Choose the Right Method for Different Types of Teapots
- 13 Methods to keep the kettle clean for a long time
Why you need to get rid of limescale
First of all, you need to understand what scale is and why it appears on the walls of dishes and heating elements of appliances with water.
In most Russian regions, tap water contains a large amount of salts of alkaline earth metals - magnesium and calcium.Boiling softens the water, because when it is heated, the salts of these metals precipitate. It is this sediment that is called scale in everyday life.
Such salts in water are not harmful to health, water without salts loses its unique taste, but a dense, unsightly layer of sediment forms on the walls of dishes. It increases heat capacity, water heats up more slowly, heating elements in electric kettles fail faster. If the layer of scale is large, then during boiling it falls off the walls of the dishes. Tea or coffee with gray or yellowish floating remains is a very dubious pleasure.
Preparing the kettle for cleaning
It is undesirable to clean the kettle with abrasive products, sponges or metal trowels for cleaning dishes; with a mechanical cleaning method, scratches form on the walls and bottom of the dishes, the limescale removed in this way will form in the future at a higher rate, clogging the microcracks.
The chemical method of cleaning is more gentle and effortless. No prior preparation is required, you just have to decide which substance from the long list you want to use.
Various acids and alkalis are used for descaling, household chemicals, activated carbon and other preparations are used. The choice depends on the material from which the dishes are made, personal preferences and the range of tools available in the kitchen. Most often, acetic or citric acid is used to combat tartar.
How to descale an electric kettle with vinegar
Acetic acid is in the arsenal of every good housewife. Preparation of homemade marinades cannot do without it, it will also be useful to you in this case.
It is known from the school chemistry course that acetic acid is an organic compound, colorless, with a characteristic odor, miscible with water in any proportion. On store counters there are 90% and 70% in the form of essence and 9% table vinegar.
It is from the concentration of the available raw material and the amount of scale that the exact amount of vinegar is needed for cleaning.
Important: vinegar essence has a high concentration, can cause serious burns to the skin, mucous membranes and respiratory tract, it must be applied with care, using protective gloves and avoiding contact with the eyes.
To clean an electric kettle, use a solution of 1 tablespoon of 90% vinegar essence per liter of cold water. If the dirt is not too strong, the solution does not need to be heated. It is simply left in the teapot until morning, then the container is rinsed several times, with the addition of 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
If the kettle has a thick layer of plaque, cleaning is carried out when boiling. This can be done in 2 ways: first add acid to cold water, then plug in the appliance or heat the water to a boil, then add vinegar. The mixture is left to act until it cools completely.
You should be very careful when using vinegar essence to clean your kettle at home, especially if acid is added to boiling water.
If you use table vinegar for cleaning, you need half a glass per liter of water.
Electric kettles are rarely cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and ascorbic acid, due to too aggressive action on the heating element of the device.This method is used only with a very high degree of contamination of the device.
For 1250 milliliters of water, in this case, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and a similar amount of ascorbic acid. The mixture is brought to a boil and left to act for 10-12 hours. After that, the loosened plate is removed with a sponge, the container is washed several times under running water.
With citric acid
Citric acid is the least aggressive acid found in the home kitchen lab. It is most often used to clean scale in conventional and electric kettles, remove plaque from the heating elements of washing machines and clean other complex household contaminants.
How much citric acid is needed for cleaning
To clean the container from contamination, you need 1-2 bags of acid, weighing 20-40 grams, per 1.5 liters of water.
Boiling
The solution is brought to a boil and allowed to cool. If the deposits are too strong, the procedure is repeated until it is completely cleaned.
cold solution
You can also clean it with a cold solution - the procedure will take a little longer, but it is absolutely harmless even for a plastic "delicate" electric kettle.
For cold cleaning, fill the kettle 2/3 full, add 2-4 tablespoons of citric acid and let sit for 3-4 hours. In case of insufficient efficiency, the procedure is repeated several times.
plain lemon
It also removes limescale well. You will need a few lemons for 1.5 liters of water. Lemons are cut into thin slices, placed in water which is brought to a boil. The mixture is infused for 10-12 hours, then the dishes are thoroughly washed. The method is absolutely safe.
Use baking soda
Baking soda for descaling teapots is used both as an independent tool and in combination with acetic or citric acid.
When using only soda in a container 2/3 full of water, add half a pack of the product (250 grams), stir until completely dissolved and, bringing the mixture to a boil, leave it for several hours (with strong flowering - overnight).
With a significant layer of scale, the kettle is first boiled with a soda solution, then it is drained, the dishes are rinsed, citric or acetic acid is added and again heated to a boil.
oxalic acid
Another effective way to get rid of salt deposits. You can find oxalic acid at your local hardware store. Clean the container and boil with the addition of sorrel leaves, as the plant contains oxalic acid in large quantities.
A small amount of the product is added to a container half full of water and brought to a boil. Then let it rest, then clean it with a sponge or a soft brush (not metal).
Specialized descaling products
There are specialized products to remove deposits. They are used to clean all types of teapots, are used for descaling when clean coffee machines... Tablets and liquids are available. For example:
- Krups descaling agent;
- Bosh - descaler for household appliances of the same name;
- DeLonghi produces special kits that allow you to quickly and safely clean household appliances;
- Antinakipin cleaning liquid is an effective preparation from a domestic manufacturer.
Before using the drugs, you should carefully read the instructions for use and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
How to peel limestone
Light contamination is removed by boiling sour apple peels in a clean container or potato peels. It should be borne in mind that this method will not be able to get rid of strong contamination.
With brine
Brine necessarily containing acetic or citric acid, it is quite possible to descale the kettle with it. Brine should be poured into a container and left until the plate softens.
Brine heated to a boil will cope with the task faster, but its smell will be present in the kitchen for a long time.
Application of soft drinks
Popular carbonated drinks are used to descale dishes. Beforehand, the bottles must be kept open so that carbon dioxide is removed from the drinks.
When boiling with Coca-Cola, the walls of the kettle may darken due to the dye included in the composition. Therefore, it is better to use Sprite or 7up. A container is filled with a drink, the composition is boiled and left to cool.
How to clean the exterior from dirt
A kettle stained with dirt and grease can be cleaned in several ways. Special medications or simple home remedies that are always at hand will help eliminate the problem.
Charcoal
It is used to clean teapots outdoors. Activated carbon tablets should be crushed into powder, then applied to the walls of dishes and left for 1-2 hours. Then rinse the container with water and dry.
Toothpaste
Suitable for small light soiling.The paste is applied either to an old toothbrush or to the hard surface of a dish sponge. The exterior of the kettle is cleaned and rinsed.
A soda
A soda solution is poured into a large container (pot or tub) at the rate of 100 grams of sodium bicarbonate per 1 liter of water. An enamel teapot or a stainless steel container is completely immersed in it. Then the dishes are boiled in the solution for 20-30 minutes. It is left to cool slightly and rinsed well with running water.
Household chemicals
To clean the dishes outside, you can use dishwashing detergents, "Mister Proper", "Shumanit" "Flat". They easily dissolve greasy dirt, but after processing it is necessary to rinse the kettle well and ensure that less funds get into the container.
How to Choose the Right Method for Different Types of Teapots
For each type of teapot, you need to select your own means, because what is suitable for stainless steel dishes can damage the plastic device.
Electric
In such vessels, the scale is usually lower than that of conventional teapots. Citric acid and mild detergents are best for cleaning an electric kettle. Plastic and stainless steel can be easily washed with regular dishwashing detergents. Citric acid does not damage heating elements.
Glass
Glass teapots are the easiest to clean. Baking soda applied to a damp sponge can remove stubborn stains from glassware. Glass cleaned with soda is washed with dishwashing liquid and rinsed well.
Stainless steel
All listed products are suitable for cleaning such dishes. The kettle can be washed with baking soda and boiled acetic acid.Even aggressive compositions like "Shumanita", if used correctly, will not damage stainless steel.
Of course, you have to rinse the washed dishes thoroughly to get rid of the remaining detergents.
Infuser
These teapots are often washed, and before the next tea brew, they should be poured over with boiling water. In a poorly washed teapot, the most expensive and qualitative drink will lose its taste.
enamelled
High quality and durable, these containers are easy to clean with normal means. In case of severe pollution, you can boil in a soda solution and remove scale using one of the presented methods. It is necessary to ensure that the enamel is not damaged. Chipped products must be disposed of immediately.
Made of plastic
These teapots are also easy to clean. Baking soda, dry mustard, and any dish detergent are great for them.
Methods to keep the kettle clean for a long time
Washing a teapot made of any material 1-2 times a week on the outside and inside will keep it clean. It must be removed from the stove when cooking - then there will be no greasy streaks and stains on the surface.
Don't leave the kettle filled with water all the time.
The rules for caring for dishes are very simple and effective, compliance with them allows you to enjoy the delicate aroma of tea and the beauty of your own kitchen utensils.