Kettle limescale can ruin your morning coffee or a perfectly good cup of tea, but you can easily clean it away with a key kitchen ingredient that only costs 50p.
Limescale is a harmless chalk-like residue that builds up over time on surfaces in constant contact with water, such as kettles, coffee machines, or even washing machines, toilets or sinks.
If you find a crusty substance at the bottom of your kettle then it is likely limescale, and you should deal with it immediately as it can damage the heating element over time, making it cost more energy to boil a kettle.
White vinegar is one of the most common natural remedies to descale a kettle as it can have acidic properties which is very effective at breaking down limescale.
However, using white vinegar on your kettle can leave a lingering taste and smell, which can take a little while to remove and you will need to rinse the kettle multiple times before you can make a fresh cup of tea.
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All you need to do is fill a kettle with water as well as a “good amount” of lemon juice or place half a lemon inside the kettle.
Boil the kettle like normal but leave the hot boiling water to rest in the kettle for at least half an hour or longer.
Most of the limescale should be gone or should easily be removed once you rinse out the kettle after the time has passed.
If there is any limescale left, simply boil lemon juice and water in the kettle once again and leave it for longer, and all the limescale should be gone.
You should have a clean limescale-free kettle, but the best way to prevent limescale buildup in the future is to clean and descaling your kettle regularly.
One Reddit user said: “Don’t let the scale build up in the first place; either clean this more frequently (it’ll take less work) or use softer water.
“My water doesn’t leave any scale at all even after years of use. You can also buy bottled water, or destill water from the minerals, then you will never have to descale again.
