‘Simple’ homemade methods to descale your kettle

If you live in a hard water area, then limescale will build up in the bottom of the appliance, producing a white chalky substance.

While it is completely safe to drink from an appliance with limescale, it can often result in a funny tasting beverage.

The water softener experts at Kind Water said: “You will start to notice you have a limescale build up in your kettle when the water capacity has decreased over time.

“This causes it to become less efficient and you may notice an unusual or unpleasant taste or odour. To combat this, here are three simple methods to follow.”

The pros recommended using either white vinegar, lemon juice or baking soda to naturally descale kettles.

1. White vinegar

The experts explained: “Start by filling the kettle halfway with equal parts of white vinegar and water and let the solution sit in the kettle for about an hour.

“Heat the kettle until the mixture begins to boil before turning it off and allowing it to cool down.”

After this, empty the solution and rinse the kettle thoroughly with water and then boil a fresh batch of water to remove vinegar residue.

White vinegar has acetic acid in it which is great at breaking down the calcium carbonate that limescale is made from.

2. Lemon juice

Lemon juice works in a similar way so start by squeezing the juice of two to three lemons into the kettle with water.

Heat the kettle to a boil and then let the lemon juice work on the limescale for about an hour, depending on how bad the limescale is.

The fruit will not just destroy the limescale, but it’ll also brighten up the kettle’s interior and provide a pleasant scent.

What’s more, the outside of the lemon doesn’t have to go to waste and can be used to clean the outside of the kettle, or even be used to clean a wooden chopping board.

3. Baking soda

Baking soda is another natural cleaning product which can be used for a variety of different jobs around the home, including cleaning the kettle.

The experts continued: “Fill the kettle with water until it is halfway full and then add two tablespoons of baking soda to the water.

“Heat the kettle to a boil and then turn off the kettle and let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Empty the kettle and rinse it thoroughly with water.”