Kettles are one of the hardest-working appliances in the kitchen, whether that’s water for a cup of tea or to fill saucepans. Using it regularly means limescale may start to build up in the base, which presents itself as a white, chalky substance. Leaving the limescale untreated isn’t harmful, but your tea and coffee may not taste the best.
It can also shorten the lifespan of your kettle long-term, as some limescale may become permanently stuck. This means descaling it regularly can be beneficial, according to Good Food, which shared a quick and easy cleaning guide.
They said: “Remove as much of the free-floating limescale as you can first. Remove the filter in the spout, then fill the kettle around a quarter full with water and swirl.
“Pour the water out and repeat, removing as much of the solid limescale as possible.
“Rinse the filter under a running tap to remove any limescale on there, then fit it back into the kettle.”
Then, fill it half with water and half with distilled white vinegar, which is eco-friendly.
The experts recommended then boiling the kettle before pouring all of the water out and unveiling a limescale-free kettle.
Fill the kettle with water again and boil to remove any lingering vinegar, repeating this step as necessary.
The experts said: “This is a cheap, if slightly pungent, method of quickly descaling your kettle.
“It’s very effective and doesn’t require much time investment, and is free of harmful chemicals.”
Vinegar can be purchased for as little as 30p a bottle from supermarkets like Tesco, and you only need half a bottle for this trick, meaning it’s just 15p per use.
The experts added: “We recommend descaling your kettle every few months, or more frequently if you’re seeing significant buildup that’s affecting your kettle’s performance.”