How to descale a kettle at home. Effectively descaling a kettle with citric acid Remove scale with citric acid

Even if the water has been purified by a filter, it still contains residues of harmful metals. Such water leaves traces of settling impurities on the dishes, and a coating forms on the walls, which, when heated, can distort the taste of the liquid. Known different ways cleaning dishes. But recommendations to clean the kettle with citric acid, as the most gentle way, are very popular.

Scale hazard

Plaque formation is a natural process. This is a compound of calcium and magnesium salts that does not dissolve and is formed when a liquid is boiled. At elevated temperature her changes chemical composition, at this moment salts are released that settle on the walls of the dishes.

• Even if a small dose of plaque particles enters the human body, there will be virtually no harm. If these salt particles are constantly introduced into the body with food or tea, unpleasant symptoms may occur. Experts call this reabsorption. Salts accumulate in the joints, blood vessels become blocked, kidney stones form, and the urinary system suffers.
• An electrical appliance with deposits on the heating element takes a long time to heat up, causing breakdown quickly. In addition, energy consumption increases significantly.

If a replacement can be made when an electrical appliance breaks down, then health problems can be avoided by descaling the kettle with citric acid.

How to prepare a kettle

How to properly descale? It is not recommended to use cleaning products similar in composition to cleaning products. washing machines. It is recommended to cleanse with a folk remedy - citric acid. This method has worked well.

Preparatory steps before descaling the kettle with citric acid:

• It is not recommended to use a metal sponge or brush;
• The unit must first be cooled before cleaning at home. The electric one should be disconnected from the network;
• The mains-powered unit must not be immersed in liquid containing detergent. Pay attention to the nose. There is a mesh in it, which also needs to be cleaned;
• Make sure you have a complete set of cleaning ingredients in advance.
• It is better to boil the dishes with lemon juice solution for the first time before going to bed, leave it overnight, and repeat the procedure in the morning. This is done so that 3-4 hours pass when the product begins to act on metals.

Advantages of the method

Red plaque on the walls can be removed with vinegar, soda and many other folk methods. But the most gentle remedy is considered to be citric acid for removing scale from the kettle. Positive sides Applications for cleaning this product:

The effects of citric acid are less aggressive than other agents. It dissolves metals and salt compounds;

1. Citric acid becomes a barrier to corrosion in iron kettles, which is caused by scale. Removing scale with a product prevents the wall material from collapsing.
2. After using this solution, there are no marks or scratches left on the surface of the unit.
3. Doesn't leave unpleasant odor inside the dishes after processing.
4. Using the cleaning product does not harm human health. Even if the lemon juice is not completely washed off, its particles will not harm the body. Not noticed allergic reaction from contact with her.
5. The price of the product is affordable for everyone.

Features of different types of cleaning

Citric acid for descaling in a kettle safe remedy. The recipe with this product acts very quickly and effectively. The procedure is not difficult.

Different cleaning methods

1. Boiling is used in almost all recipes. It is especially recommended to boil acid solutions with heavy deposits. The solution is boiled on average for 3-5 minutes. After this, be sure to rinse. Before you start using the kettle, you need to fill the clean unit with new liquid and bring it to 100 o C, drain it. You can use it.
2. The no-boiling method is good if the cleaning procedure is carried out regularly. It is convenient because it can be performed partially in a passive state: a kettle of citric acid is left to descale the kettle overnight. Prepare a solution of 60 g. powder and 1 liter of water, which is left either overnight or for 5 hours. After the time has passed, wash the dishes, add new liquid and boil.

Use lemon to clean dishes with a slight coating. 1-2 tablespoons of acid are replaced by ¼ part of lemon. A solution is prepared with 0.5 liters of liquid. Bring to 100 o C. Leave the boiling water to cool for 1-2 hours.

The electrical appliance automatically turns off when it reaches 100 o C. To continue the boiling process, you must open the lid. To prevent steam from damaging the ceiling or furniture, the unit must be placed under a hood.

The acid solution used is useful for cleaning the outside of the walls of the dishes. This solution copes with greasy marks and washes away dirt. Therefore, it is recommended to pour it after boiling not into the sink. Prepare separate dishes.

You can work with the lemon-vinegar solution while wearing gloves to avoid damaging your hands.

The cleaning procedure can be repeated several times if it was not possible to get rid of all the plaque at once.

To prevent the formation of a strong coating, make a solution and use it to treat the inside of the kettle 2-3 times for 14 days. Then you can get by warm solution, which is left in the bowl for 15-20 minutes, the resulting salts will disappear.

Scale prevention

Three simple rules will help avoid scale formation:

1. The kettle should be cleaned at least once a month; average amount 1 time every 2 weeks.
2. It is recommended to fill only with purified water. It is also beneficial for human health.
3. Before you pour new water, you need to pour out the remaining liquid. It is recommended to rinse the dishes with running water.

Other methods

Important: all methods of removing plaque at home rely on the effect of acid on the scale. Recipes use products that create an acidic environment.

• Recipe for metal utensils, for prevention:

Place apple or potato peelings in a bowl, add liquid, bring to 100°C, cool for 2 hours. Wash off the plaque with a sponge.

• Brine recipe:

Pour the liquid into any metal kettle, bring to 100°C, cool for 2 hours. Use a sponge to remove any remaining plaque, rinse.

• The recipe with soda is suitable for any dishes, including cleaning an electric kettle:

For 0.5 l water 2 tbsp. l. soda Bring the solution to 100 o C, pour soda into the liquid, dissolve, cool for 2 hours. Wipe the inside with a sponge and rinse with running water.

Using such simple ways, you can keep the kitchen and its utensils completely clean. You will have the opportunity to look like a good hostess in front of your guests.

Scale appears due to the contents of poor quality water impurities. During boiling, they settle on the walls of the kettle and spoil the taste of hot drinks. Scale also conducts heat poorly, so a dirty kettle will take longer to boil.

How to clean a kettle with vinegar

The method is suitable for very dirty teapots made of plastic, glass, and stainless steel.

You will need:

• ½ liter of water;
• 1 glass of 9 percent vinegar or 2 tablespoons of 70 percent vinegar essence.

Heat water in a kettle, then pour in vinegar or vinegar essence and leave the solution for an hour. During this time, the scale will soften. Rinse the inside of the kettle with a sponge and boil again clean water and drain it.

How to clean a kettle with lemon or citric acid

The method is suitable for electric kettles made of stainless steel, plastic or glass with a moderate layer.

Not suitable for enamel and aluminum kettles.

You will need:

• ½ liter of water;
• ¼ lemon or 2 tablespoons of citric acid.

Heat water in a kettle and add a piece of lemon or citric acid to the boiling water. Leave the scale to soak for 1-2 hours. Wash the kettle with a sponge and rinse thoroughly. After the first boil, the water will need to be drained.

How to clean a kettle with soda

The method is suitable for any teapots.

You will need:

• ½ liter of water;
• 1 tablespoon baking soda.

Stir the baking soda thoroughly in a glass of water until it dissolves completely. Pour the resulting liquid into the kettle, add the remaining water and boil it. Wait half an hour or an hour and heat the kettle again.

Now you can wash the kettle and boil clean water in it. True, you will have to pour it out afterwards.

How to clean a kettle with soda water

The method is suitable for stainless steel kettles heated on a stove.

Not suitable for aluminum, enamel and electric kettles.

You will need a bottle of any lemonade. The most famous option is cola, but it is better to use a colorless drink (it is important that the composition contains citric acid).

Give open bottle leave the lemonade for 2-3 hours until the gas bubbles disappear. Then it’s simple: pour the drink into the kettle and bring to a boil. Then wash and rinse everything thoroughly.

How to clean a kettle with a peel

The method is suitable for enameled and metal teapots with a weak layer of scale.

Not suitable for electric kettles.

You will need:

• ½ liter of water;
• skin of 2–3 apples or pears.

Rinse the cleaning from dirt and sand, put them in a kettle and fill with water. Boil the liquid and leave to steep for one to two hours. A light layer of scale will come off on its own; rub stubborn stains with a dishwashing sponge. After rinsing, the kettle will shine like new.

If you have a particularly spacious kettle, and scale has accumulated on the walls, take more water than indicated in the recipes. The liquid should cover the dirt completely.

How to keep your kettle clean for a long time

1. Fill the kettle with soft water. If you don't buy bottled, use a filter. Or at least let the tap water sit for several hours to allow impurities to precipitate.
2. Boil water in a kettle no more than once. Better fill it with fresh one.
3. Rinse the inside of the kettle at least once a day. And ideally before each use.
4. For prevention, boil a filled kettle with one tablespoon of citric acid once a month.

When interacting with metals and their derivatives, crystalline powder helps remove them from the surface, while the coating itself does not deteriorate. The acid acts very gently, does not corrode any material, and can be used to clean plastic and enamel. Well, is the remedy worth it? mere pennies, and most homes always have some on hand in the kitchen, making cleanup much easier.

There are two effective ways descaling a kettle:

• with boiling;
• without boiling.

Both give visible results. However, if the kettle has never been cleaned, then it is better to use the boiling method - it is more suitable for removing old plaque. If scale has formed recently, you can clean the dishes differently.

No boiling

Prepare a simple mixture consisting of:

• sachet of citric acid (15-20 grams);
• 3-4 tbsp. spoons of water.

Dissolve the acid in water to obtain a homogeneous mass. Then the resulting mixture is applied to the spiral or poured onto the bottom of the kettle; for greater effectiveness, the acid is slightly rubbed into the surface with the soft side of the sponge. The product is left to act for 5-6 hours, you can leave it overnight. Then rinse the kettle several times with plain water, and then boil and drain. After this method of cleaning, there will be no traces left, and the spiral will look like new.

Powder particles dissolve without residue, so there are no scratches left on the surface.

With boiling

Before you start cleaning, wipe the spiral and the walls of the kettle with a damp cloth to remove some of the deposits. mechanically. Under no circumstances should you use metal brushes, nets, or brushes with coarse bristles - after using them, deep scratches will remain.

Take 20-30 grams of citric acid and dilute them in a liter of water. The kettle is turned on and the mixture is heated to a boil. Repeat this 2-3 times. Then the device filled with water and acid is left for 4-5 hours so that the substance breaks down the scale. When time will pass, pour out the water with the dissolved sediment. Refill the kettle clean water, boil and pour out. Now the surface is cleared of plaque, and the device is ready for further use.

How to clean a kettle with fresh lemon

If you don't have citric acid at home, you can replace it lemon juice. Prepare the cleanser as follows:

1. Cut half a lemon into thin slices along with the peel.
2. Water is poured into the kettle to 2/3 of the total volume.
3. Place lemon slices in the water and turn on the heat.
4. Bring the water in the kettle to a boil 2-3 times, then drain everything.

Attention!

There is no need to boil the kettle after lemon juice, it is completely harmless and will not cause food poisoning. You can safely pour water into the device and drink tea.

How harmful is limescale from a kettle?

Finally, I would like to say that scale is a complex mixture consisting of metal salts and chlorine. Since water for the kettle is most often drawn from the tap, a large amount of scale forms on the heating element.

Dangerous compounds that make up white coating, have a toxic effect on our body. They get in through boiled water You can’t even taste them, but they cause enormous damage to your health.

As a result of regular consumption of water with scale, liver and kidney diseases develop, and problems with the stomach and intestines arise. Therefore, it is recommended to get rid of scale every month, at least.

Even if you have acquired home system filter water and boil only purified water for making tea,

It is still impossible to avoid scale formation. Filters are not able to eliminate all substances dissolved in water that are responsible for the formation of lime deposits.

And sooner or later you will find that the walls and bottom of your favorite whistling kettle or the heating element of an electric boiler are covered with a layer of dirty yellow plaque. This means it’s time to remember how to descale a kettle and restore its cleanliness both outside and inside.

When cleaning, do not forget that not all products are equally suitable for conventional and electric vessels.

Why you need to remove limescale

There are several reasons for this, and each is quite serious.

• The limestone layer prevents heat transfer. While this is not fatal for an ordinary stainless steel kettle, an electric one can simply burn out. Heat from the spiral or disk is not transferred to the water, and the metal is subjected to thermal overload. In conventional kettles, this increases gas consumption: the water heats up more slowly.
• A layer of scale makes it difficult to keep the vessel clean. Particles of limescale fall into your cup, and all this garbage is not at all useful for the body.

Descaling products

You can buy ready-made descaling products in the store. Some of them are quite effective, others may not give the desired effect.
And it doesn't depend so much on quality household chemicals, how much depends on other parameters: the composition of the water in your water supply, the thickness of the layer of lime deposits, etc.

How to descale a kettle at home

Lime deposits can be successfully removed using simple and cheap means:

• citric acid;
• canteen or apple cider vinegar;
• soda;
• lemons, apple peels or potato peelings;
• pickle from cucumbers or tomatoes;
• carbonated drinks: Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta.

♦ Citric acid You can descale any kettles: stainless steel, ceramic, enameled, electric plastic or glass. This simple substance removes small to medium build-ups.

Ingredients: water - approximately 500 ml and citric acid - 1-2 tbsp. spoons (depending on the degree of contamination).

Pour water into the kettle and boil, then pour citric acid into the boiling water and wait until the water cools down for about 1-2 hours (be careful - acid that gets into hot water, “hisses”). If the scale is not old, it will come off on its own, otherwise you will need to put in a little effort: carefully clean the walls and bottom with a plastic sponge or brush.

Hard metal sponges cannot be used to remove scale.

Citric acid can be replaced fresh lemons: Coarsely chop one or two lemons, boil them and leave until cool.

♦ Manufacturers of electric kettles do not recommend using vinegar to remove mineral deposits - after all, it is too aggressive. But sometimes you can’t do without this powerful remedy.

The method is suitable for: plastic, glass and metal teapots with very big amount old scale.

Ingredients: water - approximately 500 ml and vinegar 9% - a little less than 1 glass or vinegar essence 70% - 1-2 tbsp. spoons.

Pour water into the kettle and boil it, then pour acetic acid into the boiling water and leave the scale to soak in the solution for 1 hour. If the scale does not come off on its own, but only loosens, then it will need to be removed with a sponge. Be sure to boil water in a clean kettle once or twice and then rinse it thoroughly to remove any remaining vinegar.

♦ Enameled and aluminum dishes are afraid of aggressive acids, so the first 2 methods of removing limescale are not suitable for them, but the usual one can help you soda solution.

The method is suitable for: descaling both in conventional enamel and aluminum kettles, and in any electric kettles.

Ingredients: baking soda, or preferably ash soda - 1 tbsp. spoon, water - approximately 500 ml (the main thing is that it covers the entire limescale).

Recipe 1: to remove scale from the walls of enameled or aluminum kettle, you must first mix soda with water, then bring this solution to a boil, and then leave it to simmer low heat half an hour. At the end of the procedure, wash off the remaining soda by boiling clean water once, draining it and rinsing the kettle.

Recipe 2: To clean an electric kettle with soda, you need to boil water, make a soda solution, and then let it cool for 1-2 hours. A more gentle way is to pour soda into boiling water, and then leave the solution until it cools completely - during this time the mineral deposits will become softer, and it will be easier to wash them off by hand.

♦ Small deposits are successfully removed boiling apple peels or potato peelings.

This product is suitable either for preventative care or if the limescale deposits are still weak.

The method is suitable for: descaling conventional enamel and metal kettles.

Ingredients: apple, pear or potato peelings.

I put block, pear or washed potato peelings in a kettle, fill with water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, leave the peel to cool for 1-2 hours, and then wash off the softened plaque with a sponge.

♦ Copes well with layers of scale cucumber or tomato pickle. The organic acids contained in it dissolve calcareous deposits. But then it’s quite problematic to eliminate the smell of pickles, and it doesn’t harmonize well with tea and coffee.

♦ Carbonated drinks Excellent dissolution of persistent limestone layers due to the content of orthophosphoric acid. Many people know that Coca-Cola can be used to clean not only a kettle, but also other household items from scale and rust.

Coca-Cola removes old grease stains in the sewer system, it dissolves traces of rust on old bathtubs and washbasins, etc.

The method is suitable for: descaling in ordinary stainless steel kettles and electric kettles, but for enameled and tin kettles - with caution. If you want to descale a white kettle, it is better not to do it with Coca-Cola or Fanta. These intensely colored liquids leave a colored coating on light-colored materials, which will have to be dealt with separately. Take a better colorless soda: Sprite, 7UP. The effect will be the same as when cleaning with Coca-Cola, but without the color consequences.

Before descaling the kettle with carbonated drinks, you need to remove all the gas from them. Open a bottle of Coca-Cola and leave it open for a few hours before cleaning. Otherwise, when the drink is boiled, it forms foam in such quantities that you will clean the kettle not only from the inside, but also from the outside, and at the same time the entire kitchen :).

This method is not the most effective and economical, but why not try it for fun?

How to deal with old deposits

The most powerful, oldest scale deposits are removed in several stages. You will need baking soda, citric acid solution and vinegar.

First, you wash the kettle outside and inside as much as possible. Then pour half a glass of soda inside, pour in water and boil the solution for about 20 minutes. You can leave the soda solution to cool, or drain it immediately. Baking soda itself does not remove scale; it will only help deal with thick deposits.

At the second stage of the fight against scale, you need to pour a solution of citric acid into the vessel: for 3 liters you will need about 40 g of powder. The acid and soda absorbed into the layers of scale will react. This will produce gas, the bubbles of which will loosen the limescale.

When you drain the citric acid solution, you can boil the kettle with the soda solution again, or you can immediately move on to the next step: treat the scale with vinegar, table vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Boiling with vinegar will dissolve the most stubborn layers. Pour a third of the volume of vinegar into the vessel, add the rest with water and boil for 30 minutes over low heat. Drain the solution and wipe the inside of the vessel with a medium-hard washcloth (not metal).

Cleaning the kettle from scale using vinegar.

After cleaning, you will have to thoroughly rinse the kettle and boil water in it two or three times, draining it. This method is only suitable for regular teapots, for electric ones it can be overly aggressive and destructive.

• Do not leave residual water in the kettle after use. This habit increases the amount of calcium deposits on the walls of the container. Pour water for plants or separately into a carafe and use cold, or boil the amount of water you want to use.
• The more often you remove scale deposits, the easier it will be. Descale the kettle at least once a month if the water is of medium hardness and once every two weeks if hard water. This will help preserve the device and extend its service life.
• Use only filtered or distilled water for boiling.
• Wash the inside of the kettle with a washcloth after each boiling of water to remove the slightest traces of scale.

How to remove scale from a kettle? Vinegar, citric acid or Coca-Cola? Checking traditional methods fight scale!

PS. Buy an electric kettle with a closed spiral or heating disk. They are much easier to care for than models with open spiral. It will also be easier to remove the scale that appears.

Note to the owner.

In the majority settlements tap water contains many impurities, especially calcium and magnesium salts. During boiling they form an insoluble precipitate. Therefore, an unpleasant coating often forms inside the kettle - scale. These salts become insoluble and are deposited on its bottom, walls and heating elements. Due to scale, the taste of water deteriorates, small pieces of it get into the tea and spoil it appearance and our health. For electrical appliance it is even more harmful because it takes longer to boil and breaks faster. Most housewives know citric acid, but there are several other methods.

What are the cleaning methods based on?

It is very unpleasant when, when you add water from the kettle, yellowish scale flakes fall into your cup. Moreover, it forms even if you use filtered water, because filtration does not remove calcium and magnesium salts from it. Over time, their insoluble forms corrode the enamel or plastic of the teapot walls. Due to scale, its boiling time increases greatly. Therefore, you need to fight it regularly: this way it will be easier to remove than a thick layer.

All methods of cleaning a kettle are based on the fact that scale is a deposit of salts. Acids are used to remove them. They react with salts and convert them into soluble form. Many people know how to descale a kettle. This method is based precisely on this property. chemical substances. Nowadays descaling products are sold, some people use them because it is easier. Pour the product from the bag into water and boil. You can descale it in one go using this method. But many people don’t like the fact that traces of chemicals may remain on the walls, so they prefer to use traditional methods.

How to descale a kettle with citric acid

This is the most common and known method keeping your heating device in order. You just need to pour a packet of citric acid into the kettle and boil the water for 5-10 minutes. Then leave this solution for half an hour. Many people leave the kettle with citric acid overnight if the scale layer is very thick.

How should this product be diluted correctly? For a regular two-liter kettle, take 1-2 bags of acid (or 2 heaped tablespoons). You can also use lemon juice by squeezing it from 1-2 fruits. After the boiled solution has cooled, the water must be drained, but not into the sink, as it may become clogged with scale flakes. Remaining plaque can be easily cleaned with a sponge. If the sediment is very thick, the procedure must be repeated.

Cleaning the kettle with citric acid is very simple and cheap way. You can even descale an electric kettle this way. But not everyone uses this method, because a concentrated acid solution can be dangerous for the metal and cause corrosion. There are several other simple and safe methods.

Our grandmothers' way

Since ancient times, women have cleaned dishes with soda. It was also used to descale the kettle. Soda not only mechanically carefully removes plaque, but also softens the sediment. Along with citric acid, this is one of the most safe ways. After all, even if you don’t rinse your kettle well and the remaining product gets into your tea, it’s unpleasant, but it won’t harm you. Often these two remedies are used together. This removes old thick sediment more effectively.

How to descale a kettle with soda? Dissolve a couple of tablespoons in water and boil for half an hour. After the kettle has cooled down, boil it again. After draining the water, you will see that the scale has become loose. If you cannot remove it with a sponge, you can then boil water with citric acid, this will remove the most difficult deposits.

Other folk methods of dealing with scale

1. Boil potato peelings in a kettle for an hour, apple peel or cut lemon.
2. Instead of water, pour cucumber or tomato brine into a bowl and boil for at least an hour.
3. Boil the following solution in a kettle for an hour and a half: two glasses of water, three glasses of crushed chalk and a glass of ammonia and laundry soap.

How to clean a kettle with acid

But most often, modern housewives use acids to remove salt deposits. After all, everything folk remedies Not suitable for electric kettles.

Such solutions boil for a long time, and it will constantly turn off. Therefore, it is best to do this by pouring two-thirds of water, adding table vinegar to the top. This solution must be brought to a boil and cooled. The scale should dissolve without a trace, but if pieces of it remain, the procedure can be repeated.

Lately, many housewives have been using Coca-Cola or Fanta instead of vinegar. These drinks also contain acid, which dissolves sediment. The peculiarity of this method is that you only need to pour half of the kettle, and before that, completely remove the gases from the drink. In addition, when boiling, traces of dyes may remain on the walls of the dishes, so it is better to take colorless soda, such as Sprite.

How to properly descale a kettle

1. After using any method, the dishes must be rinsed thoroughly so that no traces of solution remain on the walls. It would be nice to boil clean water in it and pour it out.
2. When cleaning electric kettle do not make a highly concentrated acid solution, which can corrode the plastic walls and heating elements.
3. Be sure to warn your family not to drink tea during this time, as they may add acid to the cup instead of water.

Many housewives have long known how to descale a kettle with citric acid. But it turns out there are many other cheap and reliable ways to do this easily.