When it comes to maintaining household appliances, in particular kettles, limescale is probably one of the most common nuisances we have to deal with. 

If you live in a hard water area in the UK, you will be familiar with this white, chalky substance that builds up inside your kettle. This is known as limescale. Over a period of time, this annoying build up can have an affect the efficiency of your kettle, change the taste of your drink, and it could even shorten the lifespan of your kettle. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to remove limescale from your kettle, which means that it continues to function the way it’s supposed to and provides you a chalky-free tasting water for your morning coffee of cups of tea. 

As someone who has been descaling my kettle using different methods, I realised that I have never shared this information. It only occurred to me recently. So it’s time to share!

This blog post will take you through my best and easiest ways to tackle limescale build-up, where I use common household items like lemon juice, white vinegar, and citric acid. By following the methods I personally use, you should be able to effectively clean limescale from the inside of your kettle, allowing your appliance to last longer and improving the quality of the water it boils. 

What Is Limescale?

First things first, let’s look at what limescale actually it. 

Limescale is a stubborn, chalky deposit that forms when water with a high mineral content, especially calcium carbonate (CaC03), and magnesium minerals, is heated. When the presence of these minerals are much higher, such as hard water areas, means that limescale is likely to build up faster in household appliances where heater water is required, including kettles, coffee machines, dishwasher, and washing machines. This mineral build-up, known as limescale, which looks like milky or white deposits, which is mainly found around the heating element of your kettle. 

When the water heats inside the kettle, calcium carbonate deposits will settle inside the kettle; the heating element, the base and the sides, which eventually leads to a build-up. If left, the build-up of limescale can have a negative effect on the performance of your kettle. You may not notice immediately but the taste of your hot beverage will seem different too. 

We will look at three natural options

• How to descale your kettle with Lemons
• How to descale your descale your kettle with vinegar
• How to descale your kettle with citric acid

Why Remove Limescale from Your Kettle?

So, if you’re wondering ‘Should I remove limescale from my kettle?’, here are a number of reasons why it’s important to remove limescale from your kettle on a regular basis. 

1. These limescale deposits can reduce the overall efficiency of your kettle. This means it could take longer to heat up your water – that also means you need to wait longer for your drink! Not only is this a waste of energy but could have an impact on your electricity bills. More energy means more money.
2. The build-up of limescale can also affect the taste of your water…your tea or coffee. Although, this can be gradual, there is a chance you may not notice straightaway. But if you notice your drink has a weird taste to it, this is likely to be because of the presence of limescale. 
3. Something else to think about is that the limescale build-up could potentially lead to damage to the heating element, which could mean that you’ll have to replace your kettle a lot sooner than you anticipated. Which means more money for your to find for a replacement. 

Now that we’ve looked at why it’s important to remove limescale, let’s have a look at the difference ways I clean my kettle and what I do to prevent the limescale build-up. Let’s start with my favourite one – using lemon. I know white vinegar is the most popular method, I’m choosing lemons first because I love the smell of citrus. 

Easy Ways to Remove Limescale from your Kettle

1. Using Lemon Juice to Remove Limescale from the Kettle

Lemon juice is a great natural solution for removing limescale. This works pretty much the same way as white vinegar but the additional benefit is that it leave a citrus scent behind. As lemons are acidic, it acidity dissolves the limescale deposits effectively, which makes is a great alternative. 

Descale a Kettle with Lemon

1. Start by preparing the lemon juice solution: Mix the juice of 2-3 lemons (no bits) with enough water to fill your kettle to the required level, kettles tend to have a ‘max’ level. A great alternative is using lemon juice from a bottle if you have this instead. 
2. Fill and boil: Pour the lemon juice mixture into your kettle and bring it to a boil, and allow the mixture to sit in the kettle for about 30 minutes. It will start working to dissolve the mineral deposits.
3. A good rinse and clean: Once the lemon juice solution has completely cooled, pour it down the sink and give the kettle a thoroughly good rinse with clean water. You’ll need ensure you remove any leftover lemon juice, so will probably need a few rinses. 
4. Finally, boil some plain water in the kettle afterwards. This is to ensure there are no more traces of the solution left inside the kettle.

Using lemon juice is an easy way to clean limescale. It also leaves your kettle smelling fresh and clean.

2. White Vinegar – The Classic Method

Using white vinegar is probably one of the most popular methods for descaling your kettle. This staple household item is a great and effective way at dissolving calcium carbonate deposits and most of us have it in our homes. It’s a natural solution, it’s a great way to clean your kettle without using traditional cleaners that contain harsh chemicals. 

Descale a Kettle with Vinegar

1. Start by preparing a vinegar solution: What I do is mix equal parts of white vinegar and cold water. You’ll need to ensure the you that the amount of water solution is enough to cover the limescale deposits in your kettle. 
2. Fill the kettle: Pour the white vinegar solution into your kettle, making sure the affected areas with limescale are completely covered.
3. Boil the solution: Turn on your kettle and let the white vinegar solution come to a boil. Once boiled, turn off the kettle, unplug, and leave the solution to sit for about an hour. Like lemons, white vinegar is also acidic and will dissolve the limescale build-up while the the solution is cooling down in the kettle. 
4. A good rinse and clean: After the solution has completely cooled, discard the vinegar mixture and rinse the kettle thoroughly with fresh water. I find that I need to rinse a couple of times to make sure all traces of vinegar are gone. 
5. Boil plain water: This final step is important to ensure there are no odours left in the kettle, boil plain water in your kettle 2-3 times before you use it.

There is a reason this method is popular, it’s an effective method but it is important that you check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that vinegar won’t damage any parts of the kettle.

3. Citric Acid – A Powerful, Natural Limescale Remover

The third method is citric acid, which, in my opinion, is a powerful and natural way to clean limescale from your kettle. This is available in granular form. Citric acid is really effective in tacking limescale build-up and seems safe to use in most types of kettles, including stainless steel kettles. 

Descale a kettle with citric acid:

1. Boil the kettle: Fill your kettle about halfway and boil the water.
2. Add the citric acid: Once the water is boiled, unplug and add 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid granules to the water and let it sit for 30 minutes. The acid to break down the calcium carbonate deposits
3. Make the solution: Dissolve about 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid granules in enough cold water. You’ll need to ensure it fills your kettle to the ‘max’ line. 
4. Rinse thoroughly: Empty the kettle and rinse it several times with fresh water to ensure that all the citric acid is washed away. As with the previous methods, boil plain water once or twice before using the kettle for drinking water.

Citric acid is highly effective and often faster than other natural methods. Plus, it’s often safe for most types of kettles.

4. Bicarbonate of Soda for Stubborn Limescale

This is option is great if you have stubborn limescale deposits, bicarbonate of soda can help here. Using this method is a little more labour intensive as you’ll need to do a bit of scrubbing.

Steps to Remove Limescale Using Bicarbonate of Soda:

1. Make a paste: Mix a little water and a small amount of bicarbonate of soda, this will form a paste. 
2. Apply the paste: To apply the paste, I use an old toothbrush to apply the paste in the affected areas inside your kettle where you can see the limescale build-up, and gently scrub to loosen the limescale. 
3. Rinse and boil: Once you’ve scrubbed away as much as you can, thoroughly rinse the kettle with clean water. You could always follow-up with one of the earlier methods of using lemon juice or white vinegar again as you’ve removed the stubborn limescale. 
4. Boil fresh water: After cleaning, rinse the kettle and boil fresh water to remove any remaining traces of bicarbonate of soda.

5. Commercial Limescale Removers

There are always ready-made solutions available, there are many commercial limescale removers available on the market that are specifically designed to remove limescale from kitchen appliances. Many of these products tend to contain a stronger acid than household items like white vinegar or lemon juice and can be more effective if you have heavy limescale build-up.

If you do use commercial limescale removers, ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, some products may require protection such as rubber gloves, especially if you have sensitive skin. Make sure you read and follow the commercial limescale remover’s instructions. 

How to Prevent Limescale Build-Up in Your Kettle

If you don’t want to worry about stubborn limescale in the first place, it’s always a good idea to take some preventative measures to reduce the amount of limescale that forms inside your kettle. Here are a few of my tips to help reduce limescale build-up.

1. Using water filters: As someone who lives in a hard water area, I always use a water filter which helps to reduce the amount of limescale that forms inside my kettle. 
2. Descale your kettle on a regular basis: It’s a good idea to regularly descale your kettle once a month. Regularly cleaning with white vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid can prevent the build-up of stubborn limescale
3. Empty your kettle after each use: One of the easiest ways to prevent limescale is to empty your kettle after every use. Leaving water sitting in the kettle allows the minerals to settle and form deposits on the heating element and inside walls.

Conclusion

Limescale build-up is a common issue in many UK households, especially in areas with hard water. While it can affect the efficiency of your kettle and the taste of your drinks, removing limescale does not have to be a difficult task. Whether you choose to use natural solutions like white vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid, or opt for a commercial limescale remover, regular cleaning can help keep your kettle in top condition.

I’ve mentioned it earlier and will mention it again, it’s crucial you check your manufacturer’s instructions to ensure using one of the methods doesn’t damage your kettle if it needs descaling. 

By following these easy steps and cleaning your kettle on a regular basis, you can prevent limescale build-up and enjoy great-tasting tea and coffee every day.

If you’re looking for more DIY recipes here’s a few you may find helpful