Kettles should be cleaned every few months to keep them clean and limescale-free, but they are often forgotten about when it comes to people’s routines.
Rather than using chemicals to clean appliances, I like to opt for natural methods, including using lemon juice.
I descale my kettle around once a month due to living in a hard water area, and while there are many ways to tackle the job, I had a leftover lemon which I decided to use.
It is also possible to use lemon juice from a bottle, but I had this fresh one which needed using so opted for that instead.
This cleaning hack is super affordable with lemons available to pick up for as little as 15p each, or a bottle for around £1.
Lemon juice is one of the best all-natural cleaners and its citric acid properties make it a great option for cleaning the kettle.
It also has antibacterial properties, meaning it’ll also help to disinfect the kettle in the process.
To start descaling my kettle, I added a little bit of water into the appliance along with some fresh lemon juice which I squeezed.
I then boiled this before letting it sit for around 10 to 15 minutes to allow the lemon to work, although bits of limescale started to float around immediately.
I then poured the lemon juice mixture away before rinsing the kettle out with cold water and boiling it again.
The scent of lemon filled my kitchen and the kettle was sparkling inside, with no limescale present at all.
Using white vinegar in the same way can also work and I have done this before but definitely prefer the lemon method.
Mark Greig, head of supplier management at nationwide electrical appliance experts, Marks Electrical, told Express.co.uk: “Whether it’s being used to make a morning coffee or help boil rice for dinner, our kettle gets lots of use throughout the day.
“Unfortunately, over time this leads to white deposits, known as limescale, building up in kettles. Not only does limescale build-up ruin a nice cup of tea, but it also affects the efficiency of the appliance as well.
“At a time when energy prices continue to rise, it’s never been more important to maintain your kettle and ensure it operates as efficiently as possible, reducing the overall cost of your bills.”
